Adding Performance with Aftermarket Silverado Hoods & Hood Struts

When you start looking at upgrades surrounding the hood of your truck, the first things you will come across are aftermarket hoods. The cost of aftermarket hoods makes it hard to justify swapping one in place if you don’t understand what the gains are. The truth is, an aftermarket hood will deliver in terms of style, weight, and engine performance.

Performance: The first thing you will want to know is how an aftermarket hood could actually impact engine performance. With ram air, cowl induction, or any sort of functional scoop on the hood the gains are self-explanatory. Introducing fresh, cold air to the engine bay will help keep the temperature of the engine bay down. Cold air is denser and will contain more oxygen. Just like cold air intakes, this will help the engine produce more power.

Weight Savings: The factory steel hoods of Silverados run in the range of 30-40 pounds. The use of fiberglass hoods can provide anywhere from 20-30% of weight savings. In the case that a steel hood weighs 40 pounds, this means that one could shave 12 pounds off the nose of their truck. This doesn’t sound like a lot but with all the heavy add on parts like bigger wheels, tires, and bumpers any sort of weight savings can be appreciated. 

Appearance: Aftermarket hoods fitted with hood pins, scoops, or cowl induction will change the appearance a great deal. When you wrap the other two factors in with how a hood can make a Silverado appear very radical makes the investment a no brainer. 

For those who are looking to make improvements to their truck’s hood and its operation, they may not want to invest in swapping a hood out entirely. The truth is wanting some of the benefits of an aftermarket hood is a perfectly attainable goal. The hood can be modified to increase performance without having to invest hundreds of dollars. Weight savings may not be as easy to achieve but a functional upgrade can be made to make a hood seem virtually weightless.

Struts vs Prop Rod: A Silverado fitted with a factory hood prop can be a hassle to deal with. The weight of the hood needs to be supported by a troublesome rod that can actually be dangerous to try and work around. With the hood propped open, one false move and that hood can come right down on the back of your head. Hood struts can be installed to lift the hood open once released from the latch. This is quicker to deal with than fiddling with a prop and especially easier in low lit situations.

Hood Scoops: The performance gains of a hood scoop don’t have to rely only on the use of an aftermarket hood. Functional hood scoops can be added to the factory steel hood but the process can be extensive. For a hood scoop to be functional, you will need to cut a hole in the hood. You will also be spending time doing the bodywork to make the scoop look natural if so desired. Of course, there is the issue of no longer having the factory hood but the performance gains will be worth it to some.

Hood pins are considered to be an extremely desirable upgrade to have. The main reason anyone will want hood pins is because they look cool. Hood pins can also provide a level of security if they are purchased in a locking configuration. 

You may also not have a choice but to use hood pins if an aftermarket hood is purchased. Fiberglass hoods will often come in bolt-on or pin-on configurations. If the hood is pin-on only, you will have to use the hood with pins to keep it in place. 

Hood pins deliver performance benefits to the table. The use of a fiberglass hood will only save about 12 pounds max. After spending hundreds of dollars on a fiberglass hood, this may not be enough. When paired with hood pins, a few extra pounds can be factored into the savings. The hinges, prop, and latch system can all be ditched. What needs to be taken into consideration is how the hood will be removed. With pins being the only way the hood is secured you will need to lift the hood from the vehicle entirely every time you want to access the engine bay.