OK, let's see if we can't get this issue resolved...we know that the 53-55 and the 56 hoods are interchangable, and that the location of the hinge bolts in each version is the same. We also know that the size of the shoulder on the hood bolts differ between the 53-55 and the 56.

Now what we don't know is whether the new EMS billet hinges will work on the slant cabs. Here is a photo showing the backside of each hinge. I measured the OEM hinge and compared the measurements to the billet hinge, they are the same dimensions...with one exception (actually four) the bolt holes on the billet hinge are elongated making it possible to make some fairly significant adjustments in the hinge/hood placement. My measurements indicate that the center of each elongated hole corresponds with the measurements I took from the OEM hinge stud placement.

So here is what I need to resolve this issue...who has a slant cab hood hinge that they could measure and post the results? I know I have a few in a barrel around here someplace but I am not going to dig until I am sure that no one else has one handy.

 

I found this photo in my archives, it's a 54 cab. Can someone take some measurements on their cab and post the results? Looking for the distance between the holes; right to left, up and down, and diagonally.

 

Charlie, I took the original hood hinge off my 56, and placed it right on my 55. I don't see why they wouldnt interchange.

 

P.s., I was thinking maybe theres an issue in where the hinge is mounted on the cowl...especially considering the 56 had a squared off cowl at the top of the hinge, and the slant cab has a rounded corner.
But all my measuring from the bolt holes back to the cowl (where the hood meets) show to be the same too. If theres something different besides the original bolt shank sizes, then I ain't seeing it.

 

Chuck, do you still want hinge measurements?

 

According to the Mid Fifty catalogue the long arm on the 56 hinge is 6.25 inches compared to 5.5 inches on the early ones. Hope that helps. John

 

I was hoping that you would chime in Jim. Yes, I would like to get the measurements of the mounting studs and/or holes in the cowl where the hinge mounts. Also any measurements that you could make on the hinge itself....we know that the arms are different lengths but that is only relevent insomuch as it relates to the path of the arms when the hinge is mounted. If an arm is shorter for instance, and the pivot point is higher, then the path of the arm would be the same as a longer arm with a lower pivot point.

BTW - I hope you are high and dry down there in FL with all that rain...makes a few earthquakes out here look tame right now.

 

Forgive that I don't have the 'puter skills to post a drawing of the hinge, but the measurements are as follows (aligned like Chuck's pic in post #1): top to bottom, left side of pic; 3 5/8", right side top to bottom; 4 3/16", lateral distance tween upper studs; 3 1/8", distance tween lower studs;3 9/16", diagonal distance tween lower left stud and upper right;5 5/8", tween lower right and upper left;4 1/2". Sorry if these are unclear Chuck. If you'll post a pic with the studs labeled or numbered, I will repost. Again, these are off my 55 slant cab. Good luck.

 

Thanks Jim, your measurements coincide EXACTLY with the 56 hinges in my previous post. The only other measurement that is needed is the distance from the mounting hole on the arm (the hole where the shoulder bolt passes through) to some other point of reference on the hinge body.

I have attempted to establish a good reference point by putting a square on the side of the hinge body and resting it on the edge of the lower right stud. I moved the upper arm to a vertical position and then measured the distance from the edge of the square to the center of the shoulder bolt hole on the arm. I measured 11-7/8 inches. Here are a couple of photos that show the setup I used.

 

Know Weigh?!!

 

POS-F500...thanks for your inputs, I did not mean to discount your statement about the 56 to 55 interchange but if I can get hard empirical data to support the anecdotal evidence then we can strengthen the case for interchangability. I believe that when Jim measures the hinge arm that our numbers will also correspond...this leaves only one dimension open for discussion, the depth of the hinge. In other words, how far does the hinge extend out from the face of the cowl where it mounts. Your experience with using a 56 hinge on a slant cab pretty much seals the deal that the hinges are both the same depth but a measurement to confirm would be great.

 

if this helps,when i bought my truck the hood was not on, last year i put the hood on when i did my pie cut, the hood was sitting roughly an inch from the cowl, i did notice right away that the hood had `56 emblems on it, took the hinges off and measured them up using mid 50`s book and the arms themselves were longer than the `55`s, they were the same as a `56, . i wish those billets would fit the slat cabs, i guess i`ll have to wait till they release the slant cab version.

 

I understand Charlie, just ribbin' ya!

 

I'm considering putting my 56 hinges and hood on my 55... but my 55 is just the cab sitting on dirt... so I have a feeling I'd be looking at a crinkled hood once the whole mess toppled over.

 

Gil, I don't believe that there is any question about the length of the arms being different or the size of the shoulder bolts between the 53-55 and the 56. That said, the relevance of these differences must be determined in the overall function of the hinge. If you believe that the reason your hood sat out an inch from the cowl was due to the length of the arms then one would have to assume that the geometry of the cowls between the 53-55 and the 56 models must also be different.

If you look at the picture in the Midfifty catalog of the two hinges next to one another you will see that the pivot points also differ bewteen the models. A good analogy is in a stroked engine...the throw of the crankshaft journals increases so the length of the connecting rods must decrease so as to keep the pistons at the same relative position to the deck of the block. I don't have enough data yet to either prove or disprove that the hood mounting points with each hinge is either the same or different.

Another point to consider is the angle of the windshield...the 56 windshield is more upright and closer to the back edge of the hood when the hood is fully raised. It may have been a purposeful design feature to lengthen the arms to raise the hood up higher on the 56 when opened to give more windshield clearance. Even if this is the case it does not answer the question of where does the hood sit when closed...because the position of the pivot point impacts the distance of the hood from the cowl, the hood may or may not sit in the same position when closed.