I’ve just replaced my bonnet & I can’t seem to get the alignment right. No matter what I do it has a bigger gap on the passengers side. 

Any tips?

Looks to me its the wing out, as well as the bonnet as it has an even line on the offside.

 

Aside from the obvious wing gap / alignment, the bonnet is to far back on nearside.

 

The car has had a knock obviously how bad was it ? so assuming there is nothing to "pushed" back on the inside, which I suspect there is....you will have to see whats the best result you can get, or have a detailed look at the bonnet slam panel and hinges. It's not just adjusting left to right, more involved.

 

First off :--

Bonnet in approx correct position on Off side corner (A)

Bonnet running OK with wind deflector between (B) and (C)

Bonnet to far "back" towards screen between (C) and (D), the line is "lost", this most likely do to the slam panel being pushed back during collision, or bent / moved hinges

Bonnet way to far back at (D) ...Possible hinge movement / bent --- check hinges are not bent and paint witness marks for movement rearwards...

Bonnet V wing alignment at (E) --- compare with (A)

Bonnet on Offside front corner ok (G)

 

The bonnet hinges have a fair amount of adjustment on them where they bolt to the bonnet, not onto the vehicle.

 

So if after checking the the above / re-alinging etc etc there is still a gap on the Nearside, at (F), as the bumper is connected to the wing, its "possible" the force of the impact pushing back on the bumper has pulled the front of the wing "out" (towards kerb)

So slacken wing fixings at (F) and see if better alignment can be achieved. Compare with (G) for alignement.

 

If you can achieve an even line on the nearside after tinkering with it, but the gap is still bigger than the offside, then you can simply adjust bonnet sideways on hnges to even it up. There is a "fair" amount of hinge adjustment available.

 

It's never going to be perfect, modern cars dont like being hit, the crumple zones bend far to easily during an impact, which is why a lot of even small collisions are often written off.

 

Last but not least, the bonnet will want to "rotate" around the latch / lock as it's in the centre and potentially will fight any adjustment, in particular any sideways "even" movement wanted, so consider "slackening" or adjusting the

latch as well, don't move to much each time as you dont want to shut the bonnet and it not or be difficult to release / open again.

 

 

 

Edited 25 June, 20197 yr by UrbanPanzer