[Grumpy old man]

Originally Posted by turp mcspray

Don't glue the braces to the skin. When the hood skin warms in the sun, it expands. Where it is glued to the braces, it will not, and be low spot, looking like a dent. I use the hood bracing material. And bend the braces as necessary, if the gap is too large.

I've used it before and it worked for me , YMMV , So answering the op's question "In Lieu of the Hood Brace Pads? " I suggested urethane , There are products available today just for this purpose but they are 2 part and pricey ( $ 20.00 - $50.00 ) requiring a 200 ml gun ($50.00) and urethane is cheap ($8.00 ) and just about everyone has a caulking gun . Without a picture to see just exactly what's bent anything that's cheap and fast and permanent may be better than time consuming jack bolts or adding extra bracing ? The op said "I do not want to try and bend the braces to improve the gap consistance for fear of permantly warping the hood ".

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