Anyone know why its so darn hard to get the hood up on my truck...i have to get someone to help me open it! Is the shock looking thing bad?

 

International makes a heavy hood. You may be able to disconnect them so that you can check to see if they are functioning properly. If they have never been replaced, it is likely they are worn out. I don't think they are that expensive.

 

Not sure if mine was quite that old but... still a heavy hood as GMAN said. I found that the easiest way to open it was to release the two "bungie locks" and then stand next to either wheel and use my inboard arm under the fender well and just lift up. It's like you have to do each "latch" separately and in order. Lift and break one... and the other just falls in line.

Good luck.

 

I must have missed this thread for some reason, so I apologize for the late response. The hood should be quite easy to open on an international. Next time you can muster some herculean strength to open it check to see if the tension springs and cables are in place. There should be a fairly large spring connected to each side of the hood. Each spring will have a short cable that connects from the spring to a place on the radiator top. This setup works together with the pneumatic cylinder to make the hood easy to open and close. my old truck was this way, as is my 9900i.

 

I just replaced my ''hood springs''...Much easier know.I also have to replace the bushings on the hood.They are right above the bumper in the middle of the hood...Check those too.You also want to grease the holders that the hood fits into.They are like a rubber bushing of some sort..I can open my 1998 freightliner classic million pound hood with one hand now...