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Hood is not opening, been a few days and nothing is working. I tried prying it open with a metal bar. However I got to the point that my grille was starting to severally bending, any more and it would of snapped I believe.
Whats the best way to force the hood open? Not sure where to brace the bar on
Considering the hood is designed to stay shut in the event of a front end collision...... I don't think you are going to be able to pry it open, without doing serious damage to the body work. What's wrong with the cable release for the hood?
No idea at all. Pull the lever, nothing happens anymore. So then I tried pulling it from under the dash, nothing. But I can make it go “in and out”. As in it moves as if it was working but it isn’t. Then I found it from under the truck by the head light, same thing as when I found it under the dash. Pull it, nothing happens. Last place it can be seen as it runs into the hood right by the front drivers headlight.
I found what what appears to be a latch, hanging down piece of metal. However it won’t move. Iv tried pushing against it with a metal bar between the grille until I was blue in the face. And tried hitting it with a hammer from underneath the truck. Also have leveraged a screw driver to move it, I told my girlfriend to watch the hood realease latch. And apparently moving this piece of metal that appears to be a latch just moved the hood realease latch side to side.
And damn I suppose they are made that way. Gonna annoy the **** out of me if my Dakota ends up in the junk yard because his hood won’t open and I couldn’t even finish my repair attempt 🤦*♂️
The cable that actually releases the hood runs thru housing, like bicycle brake cables do. Pulling on the housing won't do anything. (as you have noticed.) Need to pull the cable itself. Either from inside the truck, or, wherever you can find it elsewhere. Also, there are two latches, the one the hood release in the cab actuates, and a secondary latch, that you get to once the primary is released. (and the hood pops up a bit.) Does it feel like the inside release is actually doing anything?
There are others online. I didn't see anything specific to the 96. I did read on another dak site that you will need a 2 foot long flat screw driver to do the deed on the Dakota. You apparently need to go at it from below and good to hear you have a helper as someone will nee to focus a light up at the latch so you get the right spot. and there is this guy who makes it look so easy on his chevy.
The cable that actually releases the hood runs thru housing, like bicycle brake cables do. Pulling on the housing won't do anything. (as you have noticed.) Need to pull the cable itself. Either from inside the truck, or, wherever you can find it elsewhere. Also, there are two latches, the one the hood release in the cab actuates, and a secondary latch, that you get to once the primary is released. (and the hood pops up a bit.) Does it feel like the inside release is actually doing anything?
What would make a lot of sense! The housing of the cable appears to run the entire length of the cable. As under the dash it has the rubber housing, and right by the headlight it also has it still. And no it does not feel like either latch is doing anything. I tried having my girlfriend pull the cable from the inside of the cab u see the dash while I tried to use the hood latch but no luck.
Sounds like I should cut off some of the rubber housing of the cable under the dash and try pulling the cable itself.
I found this vid https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCQCatoG9Rc
There are others online. I didn't see anything specific to the 96. I did read on another dak site that you will need a 2 foot long flat screw driver to do the deed on the Dakota. You apparently need to go at it from below and good to hear you have a helper as someone will nee to focus a light up at the latch so you get the right spot. and there is this guy who makes it look so easy on his chevy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZW-7wKdKvBc
I appreciate the reply! I have seen both these videos, by I cannot find anything at all like these mechanisms that hold those hoods down. This site isn’t letting me upload from my phone anymore but I’ll send a picture of what I see from underneath and looking through the grille from my computer soon!
The cable that actually releases the hood runs thru housing, like bicycle brake cables do. Pulling on the housing won't do anything. (as you have noticed.) Need to pull the cable itself. Either from inside the truck, or, wherever you can find it elsewhere. Also, there are two latches, the one the hood release in the cab actuates, and a secondary latch, that you get to once the primary is released. (and the hood pops up a bit.) Does it feel like the inside release is actually doing anything?
I have cut away the rubber over the cable but hasn't changed anything. I can push and pull it and it has an "in and out" feel but doesn't change anything with the lever under the hood. In the pictures you can see the latch that I can view from under the truck and looking through the grille! Had a major theft so was MIA for a bit but ready to get back on this damn thing.
The latching mechanism that most vehicles have is nothing like what I'm seeing on my truck. My girlfriends 06 f150 has the typical latch that you see in all the youtube videos. But haven't found **** for how to trick this type or latch that just sticks straight down!
You are closer than you think. Here are two pictures of my open hood. the hood side then the
latch side. The little piece sticking out from the right in the round hole is the bit you need to pry back. You can see it in your second picture. I think you'll get it once you look at these and a 2 foot flat screw driver
How to best pry hood
