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Submitted By: mopar4x
Date: February 10, 2009, 10:15:50 AM
Views: 9391
Securing your factory Ram head hood ornament - Mike Hughes (mopar4x)
Many of us know the feeling of some jerk relieving you of your Dodge truck's icon, the Ram head hood ornament. If you still have yours, or decide to buy a new factory goat, here's a simple way of securing it to your hood with solid hardware. The factory head is a 2 piece assembly with the head connected to the base plate using a spring. This is where it's weakness is. With a pair of wire cutters, thieves can steal them in a matter of seconds.
Tools and parts required:
Drill and bits, tap and die set, pliers
1 - 5/16-18 (2" long) bolt with washer
2 - 12-24 nuts with lock washers (or nylon locking nut)
1 - Factory Ram head assembly
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1) Remove the head from the base plate by cutting and removing the spring.
2) With a pair of pliers, grab a hold of the eyelet on the bottom of the head and unscrew it. Be sure to clean up the threads in the ram head with a 5/16-18 tap before re-assembly.
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3) Drill out the hole in the base plate (head mount shaft) to accommodate the 5/16 bolt.
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4) (Optional) Using a 12-24 die, thread the 2 posts on the base plate that mount to your hood. Make sure your die is small enough to clear the head mount shaft while cutting the threads on the front post.
* These posts usually use wimpy auto-threading stamped nuts. They will work, but they are really weak.
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5) Place the base plate back on your hood (see note), and assemble the ram head using your new 2" bolt. Once that's in place, secure the two lock washers and nuts to the newly threaded base plate mounting shafts.
Note: The hole in your hood is usually smaller than the head of the bolt used to mount the Ram head to the base plate. For this reason, you might have to assemble this on the hood rather than on your work bench. Also, it's a good idea to use a piece of double sided tape or gasket material between the base plate and the hood. This will keep your paint from rubbing away, and prevent a possible rust problem in the future.
When your done, it will look just like factory, but be solid as a rock.
I bought mine new head at the local Dodge dealership, and they gouged me $70. When I bought this '90 RC, the guy had already lost his original goat, and replaced it with an aftermarket head (one piece head and base). It is rugged enough, and looks like solid cast aluminum. Only problem I had with it is it is smaller than the original, and kind of looked cheesy, like they didn't try very hard to make it look like a real Dodge part.
I like the idea of making a shifter knob out of it...
Date: February 10, 2009, 10:15:50 AM
Views: 9391
Securing your factory Ram head hood ornament - Mike Hughes (mopar4x)
Many of us know the feeling of some jerk relieving you of your Dodge truck's icon, the Ram head hood ornament. If you still have yours, or decide to buy a new factory goat, here's a simple way of securing it to your hood with solid hardware. The factory head is a 2 piece assembly with the head connected to the base plate using a spring. This is where it's weakness is. With a pair of wire cutters, thieves can steal them in a matter of seconds.
Tools and parts required:
Drill and bits, tap and die set, pliers
1 - 5/16-18 (2" long) bolt with washer
2 - 12-24 nuts with lock washers (or nylon locking nut)
1 - Factory Ram head assembly
1) Remove the head from the base plate by cutting and removing the spring.
2) With a pair of pliers, grab a hold of the eyelet on the bottom of the head and unscrew it. Be sure to clean up the threads in the ram head with a 5/16-18 tap before re-assembly.
3) Drill out the hole in the base plate (head mount shaft) to accommodate the 5/16 bolt.
4) (Optional) Using a 12-24 die, thread the 2 posts on the base plate that mount to your hood. Make sure your die is small enough to clear the head mount shaft while cutting the threads on the front post.
* These posts usually use wimpy auto-threading stamped nuts. They will work, but they are really weak.
5) Place the base plate back on your hood (see note), and assemble the ram head using your new 2" bolt. Once that's in place, secure the two lock washers and nuts to the newly threaded base plate mounting shafts.
Note: The hole in your hood is usually smaller than the head of the bolt used to mount the Ram head to the base plate. For this reason, you might have to assemble this on the hood rather than on your work bench. Also, it's a good idea to use a piece of double sided tape or gasket material between the base plate and the hood. This will keep your paint from rubbing away, and prevent a possible rust problem in the future.
When your done, it will look just like factory, but be solid as a rock.
I bought mine new head at the local Dodge dealership, and they gouged me $70. When I bought this '90 RC, the guy had already lost his original goat, and replaced it with an aftermarket head (one piece head and base). It is rugged enough, and looks like solid cast aluminum. Only problem I had with it is it is smaller than the original, and kind of looked cheesy, like they didn't try very hard to make it look like a real Dodge part.
I like the idea of making a shifter knob out of it...
