[STxWrangler]

As all Jeep owners know, the hood bounces around when driving against windy conditions. A recent thread about this had some great suggestions to reduce the movement and I just thought about a very easy way to stabilize the hood when driving against the wind.

Any fix to reduce hood movement while driving would probably reduce unnecessary stress to the hood hinges and the hood itself.

So....here's what I'm planning....

I will fabricate some rubber pads that are slightly thicker than the gap between the hood and the grill when shut and glue these pads to the places where the hood shuts so that there will be pressure/resistance when clamping the hood shut with the hood latches. (I still have to figure out the best thickness of the rubber pads to cut and glue so that the hood stays shut with no wobble at all).

This has to be good for hood parts, hood, hinges, latches, etc.

What do you guys think?

 

[Charles]

Since you asked; I think you are just stretching the factory hood latches to increase the force they apply to the hood. I thought there was a company that made hood latches that aren't elastic?

EDIT: http://www.quadratec.com/products/16053_510.htm

 

[ctraut5]

I just drove my 08 on the interstate for about 12hrs a couple of weekends ago, and the hood fluttered the whole time (sometimes very violently). Two days ago I installed the product that was listed above. Hood flutter is 100% gone. :thumbsup:

 

[consfearacy]

There already is a rubber gasket there. Just remove the big spring that lifts the hood an inch when you open it. You still have the safety latch just in case. And the hood stays down solidly, tested to 85mph.

 

[Warlord2]

adding zip ties will also strangthen the latches and that only requires 2 zip ties Your method will just stop the bouncing, but also will stretch the latches so Im not sure if that would be any better for them. Atleast for me 99% of my driving the hood doesnt bounce so your method would be adding unneeded stress for me, just imo...

 

[SoCalJK]

If you want after market part then Daystar hood wranglers are the way to go. Had them on for several years now and no flutter at all. Easy home install as well.

 

[TheShift]

Added the daystars this weekend........



Why...would they ever put such an elastic rubber...is beyond me

Surely they wind tunnel tested these models

best 25 dollar mod... and works great...


OP.. the rubber/padding was discussed around here... even with that you will still get wind through the radiator and from underneath.. which is where this problem is...

imo

That and the paper thin hood....

I would guess the combo of the two.... had this hood been heavier..there would be no problem

 

[TxJeepGuy2]

Like Consfearacy said...Did you remove the Hood Spring????

I removed mine and have not had one single problem with hood bounce. Before I was seeing it every time I was on the highway, and now....nothing...no problem at all.


I simply do not understand why people are doing all these modifications and buying all these new latches??? ...and some of them are pretty dang expensive.

Now I don't know everything...if someone could explain it to me I would appreciate it. :dunno:

 

[Layth]

I simply do not understand why people are doing all these modifications and buying all these expensive latches???

A couple Zip Ties cost almost nothing and is probably faster than taking off the spring. :thumbsup:

Can't speak for replacing the latches though.

Layth

 

[Charles]

Too funny, I just ordered the Daystar hood latch. I probably could have removed the hood spring. Oh well :cheers2:

 

[TxJeepGuy2]

Too funny, I just ordered the Daystar hood latch. I probably could have removed the hood spring. Oh well :cheers2:

I would remove the spring and see if that helps. If not then you have the latches to replace and try. If it does fix it, just send them back. :thumbsup:

Like I said, it fixed my hood bounce, and I think it's a very good suggestion to try first.

 

[gwar11d2]

Daystar hood latches...Very good, high quality mod you can put on in the driveway in like 10 minutes. Ordered them with the dash tray 9 months ago... Love both. (Not that the dash tray reduces hood flutter, but it does increase cell phone holding capacity)

 

[Vin]

I agree with cbloyer and warlord that adding thicker pads will just stretch out the existing rubber latch and later down the line you'll have not only hood flutter again, but a signifigantly weakened rubber latch holding down your hood. (Think overstretched rubberband)

Personally I haven't experienced hood flutter and that is with a week or so of running without the air damn installed. If I did notice the problem, my first mod would be the zip ties, then switching to Daystar latches. I don't like the idea of taking out the spring, because it's there to give some tension to keep the hood latch engaged. Even though it hasn't happened, I don't want to be the first one to have the hood latch fail. Just my humble opinion.

And all the metal in a JK is thin. I have some dents from walking on the hood to secure a recovery strap when I got myself stuck in a mud hole, and I noticed dome dents beneath the soft top rail where I need a little extra umph to secure the Duster Deck cover (the soft top attatches much easier)

 

[1222]

I tried the “remove spring” fix way back when, and although it did improve the flutter it was still there on really windy days. I didn’t like the way the hood closed without the spring either so I’ve since then put it back on.
:cheers2:

 

[TheShift]

Removing the spring is a bad idea.. it is there for a reason...

jeeps answer to a stretchy rubber band holding the hood down.. is not good.

buy the hood wranglers.. zip ties are just a band aid..

 

[242much]

anything worth doing is worth overdoing...

Drake Off Road JP190001K - Drake Off Road™ Hood Hold Downs for 07-10 Jeep® Wrangler & Wrangler Unlimited JK - Quadratec

 

[consfearacy]

The reason that the spring is there is to make it easier to slide the safety catch over. Still plenty of tension on the rubber bandy latches, and the safety catch engages just the same as before

 

[JeepScout3]

The hood flutter on the JKs is much less than on the TJs, trust me, I know from experience. I had metal locking hood latches for the TJ, unfortunately they don't make them for the JK. One of my first mods was replacing the OEM latches with Daystar Hood Wranglers, no flutter, easy to install, and just IMHO the best permenant fix to the problem. But I am curious about the wind tunnel testing too, because I agree this had to have been identified.

 

[TxJeepGuy2]

I don't like the idea of taking out the spring, because it's there to give some tension to keep the hood latch engaged.

I'm gonna need to clarification on this. The hood spring and the latch spring are two separate systems. When the hood is closed, the hood spring does not provide any tension to the latch...that is in essence what the flutter is...isn't it?

 

[1222]

The hood flutter on the JKs is much less than on the TJs, trust me, I know from experience.

I have to disagree on that one. I've had two TJ's and they were never anything remotely compared to the flutter of the JK's.
:cheers2: