Anybody experienced this? As you can see from the pictures my hood hinges are bending and the entire hood is pulled forward. Here's the story: Last year during early winter I had my windshield replaced. Later that day I noticed my hood was completely pulled forward and the hinges were bent. The hood, which was covered in road salt (NE Ohio), had a lot of wipe marks from the windshield guy. I assumed that during the windshield installation the tech had to force against the hood to get the new glass installed. Contacted the company and the reimbursed me for the dealership hinge replacement. The dealership thought it was strange as they had never seen bent hood hinges before, but it did all add up once I explained about the windshield.

Now this year the same issue has happened, but almost worse. We've only had one snowfall worth plowing so far in Cleveland, so I've had my plow on for about a week total. When I took it off is when I noticed the bent hinge again. So now I'm thinking it has something to do with the plow.

I'm wondering if the weight of the plow (~150 lbs.), bouncing while I drive on the freeway, is somehow pulling/flexing the front end enough to pull and bend the hinges. The only connection point is the center hood latch/lock. When I try to close down my hood, the latch is completely misaligned from the receiver above the radiator. I have to push the hood latch finger in to line it up with the receiver hole. So it seems the front end is where it needs to be, and just the hood is moving.

 

what kind of plow do you have? Pic of said plow hooked up?

 

I've looked at several google images of plow set ups, and can't envision how a plow would be attached to the hood at all. Is it something that when the plow is up, it's strapped to that center loop on the hood just for some additional support? Interesting thread as I've not seen those hood brackets bend like that. Subscribed out of curiosity.

 

It would help if you could post a pic of the plow attached.. from your description it sounds like that is the only culprit... you indicated that the radiator support and and all the front end appears to be intact.

 

Here is a pic of a standard Snow Dogg truck-side plow bracket. It's upside down in the pic, but you can see how the two sideplates would be bolted to the jeep frame. When you are pushing snow, or the plow is bouncing while driving down the highway it's all forcing against the horizontal square tube. This is why I'm wondering if that action is flexing the front end.

 

This is an interesting case. I'd THINK that if anything, you'd see obvious damage to the frame. I don't see how that could be pulling your whole hood forward, but something obviously has. I can't see how that bouncing on the frame could translate to your damage.....but if not that, what the heck could have?

 

I'm only speculating here, and could be dramatically off the mark:

My only thought would be that under large loads of snow, the plow is flexing the frame downward, which would pull the hood down and forward, via the latch in the front, and then the frame is springing back into its normal location and form as it isn't enough flex to permanently deform the frame (due to its greater strength), and the hood hinges don't spring back because this amount of force is enough to permanently deform the thinner metal of the hinges. For this sort of fulcrum/lever action to be taking place, the frame would have to be flexing in a location parallel to, or rearward of, the hood hinge, and I don't know that that is realistically possible. Although, a small amount of flex near the cab would translate to considerably move movement out near the front of the vehicle. Thinking of it sort of as the Jeep arching it's back as the snow piles up in the front, and the rearward section of the Jeep tries to keep pushing forward.

I just can't imaging the plow having enough force to flex the Jeeps frame in this manner. This is just the only way I can explain this damage in my mind.

I have zero experience with plowing, but I do remember crashing some pretty dense snow piles and drifts in my XJ when I lived in Arkansas and I did hit a few with enough force to stop the Jeep dead in its tracks, so maybe there is enough force to flex the frame? Idk.

 

This is a strange one indeed! I can't imagine anything attached to the front of the Jeep via the frame has anything to do with that result. I've had a heavy steel aftermarket bumper with a heavy winch attached to it bouncing all over all sorts of terrain for 70k miles now and nothing affecting the hood whatsoever. For the hood to flex that much would have to be an even greater flex on the frame itself affecting other components and seems unlikely.

Makes one wonder.