Bugout4x4

I have been looking at my 97 dual hood latches and have been trying to figure out how I am going to pop it open if my cable ever breaks? Has anyone else had to deal with this yet? Should I keep a length of steel brazing rod stuffed in the back so that I can make a long hook to reach in from the bottom and pull it? From what I see it is going to be rough to get to no matter what.


Just planning ahead a bit

MurderCityXJ

Clean the mechanism and lube the **** out of it and you won't have to worry about it.

Turbo X_J

^
True, most fail due to neglect.

4WD4EVER

I'm with Murder on this one. Preventative maintenance is key, but if your concerned about that possibility your solution sounds like a decent one.

I do have a friend in Ohio that this happened to once though. The brazing on one of the rods that run the width of the hood and the plate corroded to the point where it broke.

Bugout4x4

I agree and understand, but we all know at some point it is just gonna happen. And of course it will be at the least opportune time right? It just bothers me that we have to have inside hood releases in the first place, And then at some point we will have to be extremely inconvenienced by our own antitheft devices.


Just looking ahead in case, have you looked at it yet? It is going to be pretty rough to get to! Might want to have a set of coveralls in case you are on your way to a wedding when it happens! lol.


And in my case it would really be an issue, I am most likely the one to make this union legal.

madmanmarty

Get someone to work the lever from the inside and clean the hell out of the mechanism at each corner of the hood,the guide for the bar going across,and then lube them all. Just make sure someone moves the lever the whole time.

Bugout4x4

I actually already added my own metal to all the rods and ties. Mine were not even fillet brazed, They were just lightly spot welded. "Well that ain't gonna work very long"

Bugout4x4

Pace a rag under the pull handle. Take a new can of Silicone lubricant and shake the heck out of it. Attach the spray tube and with the hood up in the upper most position, dump about a half a can in there from the front until it has run out inside for about two minutes! lol.


Cables are by a standard very high tensile steel and do fatigue and break over time. It is not about Whether it will happen, it is When will it happen! lol Nature of the beast

adamj

http://comancheclub.com/topic/829-wh...-cable-breaks/

Bugout4x4

I will go check it out. I was looking at mine and even if you had a screwdriver and took the grill out there is still no access to pop these latches.


Thank you!

revolver

dans98xj

I had to do this on an XJ that I picked up for free. I ended up taking the crank for the jack and wedged the hood up with big screw driver and popped the hood using the crank. It takes a little practice but it works. You have to force the rods down going to the latches. The passenger side is easier than the driver side.

bigvig

Mine eventually snapped (they all will regardless of maintanence as the metal cord WILL stretch and break). I removed a headlight and popped it no prob. Pain in the rear: Yes. Impossible: Hardly. I purchased a new one somewhere for small money. No worries.

kdot

did it on my 98 seconds ago... cut the cable and pull

Bugout4x4

Thanks for all the great info about this. I was looking at these latches thinking to myself "You know...this cable is going to break someday when my battery gets a bad connection and won't start in a grocery store parking lot with a quarter ton of cold food in the back" lol