1973-80 Chevy/GMC Truck Stainless Steel C10 Hood Brace Kit, Black

• Prevents common hood damage when closing the hood
• Laser cut from 304 stainless steel sheet and press bent for exact fit
• Works on all 1973-1980 OEM C10 hood or replacement steel hood
• Available in brushed raw stainless steel or black zinc coated stainless steel
• 1.5mm thick material with wrap around/bent edges for enhanced strength
• Easy DIY installation requires no removal of the hood or loosening of the hood hinges
• #8 pan-head self-tapping stainless steel installation hardware included

Avoid Damaging Your Square Body Pickup’s Hood with Our Easy Bolt-On Solution

The 1973-1980 square body C10 and its cousins are full size trucks and that is nowhere more evident than when looking out over that expanse of a hood that GM bestowed upon this generation. These large steel hoods certainly have some weight to them given their sheer landscape and all the under hood bracing required to support that expanse of steel outer skin. Unfortunately, this generation of GM full size truck is often seen with a bent or bulging hood on at least one side and often both sides. This issue stems from the fact that GM designed crumple zones into their products (as all auto manufacturers do) for safety reasons. On these square body hoods, there is a mid-point crumple zone intended to bow the C10 hood, versus it potentially sheering off the hinges and entering the passenger compartment. That’s fine until your 45 plus year old C10 hood hinges start binding up.

Yep, those pesky hood hinges are where this issue starts. As the hinges wear and dirt builds up the friction between the hood hinge segments increases to the point of binding and when trying to close the hood the effort applied to the hood exceeds the crumple zone point and the hood bends. Sure, new hinges, or at the least, cleaning and lubricating the hinges is a great idea to try and prevent this, but due to the large, flat C10 hood design and the design of the bracing with the crumple zone dimple placement all away across the middle of the hood, it is still very easy to tweak the hood profile. The answer? Bracing the hood with material strong enough to prevent bending of the hood by hand when battling old, crusty hinges, but also capable of still allowing the crumple zone dimple to do its job in the unfortunate case of a collision. Our square body C10 hood brace kit is the ideal solution to prevent this damage.

Stainless Steel Braces Designed to Fit Your Hood Like a Glove with Easy DIY Installation

Your first thought may be to add some stout angle iron to the edges of the hood. Unfortunately, not only is the angle iron not in the best spot to prevent this hood damage, but it is also too thick for the crumple zone dimple to do its job if needed. Our 73-80 C10 hood brace kit is made right here in Lincoln, Nebraska from a 1.5mm thick stainless steel sheet that is laser cut to size and press bent to follow the hood bracing contour on each side of your hood. At nearly three inches wide and 21-3/4-inches long, they provide superior support for you square body hood. Available in a brushed raw finish or black zinc coated, they can be installed as is or you can paint them to match for a low key OEM appearance. Stainless steel #8 pan head self-tapping screws are included for installation right on your truck via the pre-drilled holes in the braces. There is no need to remove your hood or mess with your hood hinges like some Chevy truck hood braces that sandwich between the hood hinge and the hood. Just a few minutes with your cordless drill and maybe a helper to keep things lined up and you’re good to go.

No longer do you have to fear closing the hood on your square body C10, Blazer, or GMC truck with our 73-80 C10 hood braces installed. Our Chevy truck hood braces provide peace of mind and strength to your square body hood, preventing that ugly crease or bow in your hood’s profile. Be sure to keep your C10 hood hinges clean and lubricated as well for additional insurance against damaging your hood and you’ll be smiling from behind the wheel as you drive down the road knowing your hood is protected from this common issue with our square body hood saver and you have the satisfaction of doing the installation yourself.