Finally located a video showing the opening of a Slingshot with the Metricks Slingshot Hood Spring kit

Quote from BKL

Personally, I didn't expect us to be close enough to the coast for salt air to be a problem. My Slingshot is kept in a carport, but is still exposed to the outside air year round. I'll have to keep any eye on the rust as I can't afford to replace my Slingshot. I try to avoid riding when I know it's going to rain, but I worry about eventual frame damage.

In seven years we have never worried about riding in the rain, and we have never shied away from allowing it to get wet with no obvious excessive rusting, so far. There is another downside however where it is a real pain in the @#$ to clean back up.

Bill

7 years in rain and shine and no rust yet.

Quote from BKL

Having experienced more than one skid while riding in heavy rain, I am a little leery in rain.

Oh, I understand that, but here in Oregon if we do not ride in the rain, we might as well put the Grasshopper into hibernation for six months or so out of the year. So, after doing a major do-si-do down the Interstate early on in our ownership, plus a couple of other minor skirmishes with wet weather, we dumped the Kenda's and switched to a better dedicated all-weather tire, plus, just as important, after discovering to turn off the traction control, we really have not had any issues since.

But, now maybe we should return to hood opening devices?

Bill

okay - - my hood assist kit arrived last night and I just finished the install a few minutes ago.

So first impressions of the kit, this is the only thing I have ever ordered from Metricks so I don't know if it is representative of other things they sell but just FYI. the kit comes with no instructions or paperwork whatsoever. The kit comes with 2 bolts, 2 bushings, 2 springs and a lubricating wipe oh and 2 nice stickers. The only install information is in their YouTube video so you would have to know to go find that.

This is everything you get

Second thing I would like to mention is that the video makes the install look much easier than it was, at least for me. the spring has to be fought to get the holes lined up enough to get the bolt in and then getting it into prober position to get the nut started takes some effort - - they say the install takes 15 minutes - took me an hour, but most of that was fighting with the first side I installed and trying to figure out how to deal with the spring pushing against things as I tried to line them up - second side was much easier because of what I learned on the first side - - I would imagine for them its probabally much easier having done it many times but I would recommend to anyone doing this for the first time allow a hour.

Right Before

Right installed

Left installed

And finally for my thoughts and impressions - - hood opens much easier. ever since installing the hood pads shortly after getting my slingshot in 2016 my hood latches up by the windshield have been tight, this has always required me to lift each side a little after unlatching the hood to make sure the latches opened before lifting the hood - - as you would expect these springs did nothing to change that, but once I do this to make sure the latch are free now the hood lifts easily with one hand - - much much easier and less awkward that opening the hod has been in the past.

Now to wjfyfe s question - closing the hood, I have to say I like the way it closes now much better with these springs, before I felt like I had to really hold the hood and let it down slowly to keep it from slamming violently - was always afraid if I didn't do this it would break something. now with these springs I can just let it go and it closes very nicely - latching is pretty much the same front latches latch easily upon closing and again because of the pads I installed I have to go give a little push by the latches near the windshield to be sure they have latched - - - - the one thing I did notice was the first time I closed the hood - out of habit I held onto the hood and set it down very gently - when I did this the front latches did not latch and did require a little push, after playing with it a few times I learned I just do not need to be that easy on closing the hood with these springs - the hood just closes mush better if I just let it go like I would any other car hood

In the end I am very very happy with how my hood works now, still has some quirks mostly caused by the extra pressure my hood pads put on the latches, but that's okay I like that the pads keep the hood tight and rattle free. As to these springs I feel like this is how the hood should have come from the factory, opening your hood shouldn't feel like a pain and with these it doesn't, - - really my only niggle / complaints would be the lack of good written instructions (yes DDM has spoiled me) and second I still feel this is over priced - - but WTF this is the slingshot world and that's just the way things are.

Can you do a video on closing? When you close, does the hood touch the latches and you just go push on them to finish the close or is the hood high off the latching points?

Quote from VV11B40

Can you do a video on closing? When you close, does the hood touch the latches and you just go push on them to finish the close or is the hood high off the latching points?

The hood closes the same as it always did, right down in full contact with the latches if I had not installed the hood pads I suspect they all would fully latch without any additional push, my pads are what holds it up that fraction of an inch that makes me have to give a little push and this has been the way its been since 2016 - - like I said above the hood assist springs made no difference

Seems like a good mod based in your review. Only issue I have is the price. When these first sowed up on the forum I said I would buy is under $100. Can't justify the price for only opening the hood to change oil.

Quote from VV11B40

Seems like a good mod based in your review. Only issue I have is the price. When these first sowed up on the forum I said I would buy is under $100. Can't justify the price for only opening the hood to change oil.

I agree the price is a bit much, but then again virtually every mod for the slingshot seems to be on the high side price wise, Heck I have some mods that cost as much or more that dont do anything other than look good, at least this actually does something of value. Also in the past, like you I only opened the hood for oil changes, I highly suspect that now that it is so much easier I will be opening it more often so I can showoff my beautiful engine compartment

EDIT: - - go look at the picture in post #12 in this thread above - - - what's it worth to you to make sure that in a year or 2 that doesn't happen to your hood? - - - - seriously that picture might have been what pushed me over the edge on this - -just because it hasn't happened yet - - - - - - - -

Glad you posted a pic. I was going to respond but then discovered I didn't have a finished pic. So here are a few.



Quote from VV11B40

Glad you posted a pic. I was going to respond but then discovered I didn't have a finished pic. So here are a few.



so there you go - all the more reason to open your hood more often - you need to show that off

I just snapped another of mine with the hood springs installed - clearly I need to do a bit of cleaning

Edward Neal do the "bars" on the springs that push against the hood bar move? Just curious if over time that will rub the paint off.

Quote from Kyle D

Edward Neal do the "bars" on the springs that push against the hood bar move? Just curious if over time that will rub the paint off.

To be honest I have no clue, would probabally need someone to watch has the hood is closed - - - let me go see if I can tell - - - - - - be right back

okay I'm back, and the answer is yes, they slide a very small amount when the hood is opened and closed - - - I just put a bit of grease there, but I am thinking I might see if I can make something to put between the spring bar and the hinge bar -

also as a side note: I have opened and closed my hood more times in the last few hours playing with this mod than I have in the almost 5 years I have owned the Slingshot and so far all of the paint is still there - I honestly suspect that any damage caused by the spring rubbing would take a very long time before it ever became an issue

Quote from BKL

Edward Neal, Thanks for the install pics. They certainly do a good job of illustrating the install process!

As far as the spring tips possibly scratching the hood bars, I think a small piece of metal tubing (brass should work well, I think) that fits just a little loose over the spring tip would basically function as a bearing and hopefully allow the sleeve to roll along the hood bars instead of possibly scratching them. I first thought of trying something like this since the ZZP Billet hood pieces looked bulky enough that I wasn't sure i the spring tip would properly fit on the hood bar.

Seeing how that install looks makes me wonder if I want to go back to the stock hinge set and give up the extra opening range, although I really like the extra hood opening range.

I was also thinking of brass tubing but with one end flared out - in figured I could lift the spring of the Bar, slide the tubing on and then set it back down, the flair would act as a lip against the side of the hinge bar and keep it from being able to slide off of the spring

a shape similar to this

to be honest though I don't think I am really going to worry much about it. I spent a great deal of time today looking at all of the moving parts in the hinges and latches with metal rubbing against metal - heck the painted bars / latch pins had the paint worn off a long time ago and it all still works just fine - I suspect a little paint rubbing off of these hinge bars is the least of my problems and any metal on metal damage that might cause a real problem would take years and years of very frequent hood opening and closing - - - and then even if a bar were needing to be replaced there are probabally a bunch out there available from people who upgraded their hinges and I am sure someone here would gladly help me out

Thinking maybe?

https://www.tapplastics.com/pr…s_shapes/acrylic_rods/147

Quote from VV11B40

Seems like a good mod based in your review. Only issue I have is the price. When these first sowed up on the forum I said I would buy is under $100. Can't justify the price for only opening the hood to change oil.

Yup, gotta agree with this, with a cost of $200, our $60 MeanSling hood assistant does the job quite adequately.

Bill

Quote from wjfyfe

Yup, gotta agree with this, with a cost of $200, our $60 MeanSling hood assistant does the job quite adequately.

Bill

yep, but if you factor in inflation and fuel costs that MeanSling option would probably be much higher cost today