Ok I'll bite why did ford reinforce hood hinges on a bronco, what has hinges have to do with a bronco fiberglass back half top.

 

The hood on those trucks like to fly up. Trucks ordered with the Ford topper also got the reinforced hinges in 78/79. Plus, if you get in an accident, the reinforcements also pierce the cowl so the hood won't fly off upon impact.

Hinges are a crapshoot...90% of the trucks' hood has fled up at least once. In addition in that, people like to lower the hood few inches down, then slam on it to close.

 

The hood flying up scenario is quite common and affects all 1961/79 trucks, 1978/79 Bronco's. What happens is...

People tend to slam the heavy hoods down. Over a period of time, two things are affected by this action.

(1) Slamming the hood loosens up the bolts that attach the hood latch to the latch support.

(2) Slamming the hood bends the hood's latch support downwards.

When one or the other, or both of these things occur, sooner or later...usually sooner...the hood flies up.

It's EZ to tell if a hood has flown up. Look at the back section of the hood where it meets the cowl.

When the hood flies up, this causes the hinges to stretch. With stretched hood hinges, the back section of the hood will be higher than the cowl.

 

I know about the hood flying up, but I never knew the factory reinforced them on broncos, I'm going to have to look closer at my broncos now.