Seven Sparta Hood Latches Aluminum Hood Catch Compatible with Jeep Wrangler JK/JKU 2007-2017, JL/JLU 2018-2022 & Jeep Gladiator 2020-2022, 1 Pair (American Flag)

This does include a very colorful poster style instruction sheet that has extremely vague instructions. For example, the first instruction is: 1. Factory hood latch is made of plastic remove the factory hood latch. And there is a picture of the hood latch locked in place on a closed hood. It neglects to tell you you have to remove the front grill. And you have to navigate a socket wrench from below the headlamp to squeeze it in between the body panel and engine compartment. Tip that i hope will save someone some time and aggravation: the factory nut is a 1/2 inch and comes off pretty easy once you navigate the socket wrench past the headlamps. But my biggest issue is the hex head screws are extremely weak metal. I had not notice the JK specific gaskets and initially installed using the pre-fitted JL gaskets. I was able to remove one mount but the second mount screw stripped the hex. Of course it is too low clearance to reach in behind so Im stick with a 70% tighten screw that wont come out nor go back in. Wasnt using anything more that a standard socket wrench and the included hex key and yet the screw rounded out. After over an hour trying various method to remove the screw I eventually gave up and just dealt with the passenger side lower mount being slightly loose. I may someday use the screw extractor to get it out but for now it works fine and the JL gasket works well enough. All that being said the mounts are good construction (except the weak screw head mentioned above). The hood latches tightly and no move windblown hood bounces at +55mph. Looks sharp too, just mildly irritating that I cant affix the a proper gasket and tighten it up.

These good latches look great on my red 2008 JK Rubicon. Not only are they nice looking but they also did away with the hood shutter that I was getting from the wind.

Great

Great product, only time and weather will tell if they hold up! Easy enough to install. The issues installing were not with the actual product, but with the Jeep design just being difficult to work around without taking the whole front end apart. I took the front grille off and moved the headlamp in order to install the bottom part of the latch - that was the worst part! Took 15-20 mins per side to tighten just due to the awkward angle. The top latch was super simple and maybe took 5-10 mins per side. I only had to adjust once to my liking. The latches are adjustable, so you can choose how tightly your hood closes. Lots of compliments on a simple upgrade, and it looks way better than my weathered old factory ones! Not sure how it’ll hold up over time with rust or anything, but so far, so good!

My stocks where getting old so I went with these.

On a 2008 Jeep Wrangler: Replaced the worn factory latches that were cracking/loose and causing bad hood flutter on the highway. These latches look great, feel sturdy and close securely. Very pleased with the purchase. While the videos I watched were helpful, they all had some omissions. I am not a mechanic but am OK with DIY stuff. The bottom latch assemblies are the harder to remove and then install. The 1/2 or 13mm bolts (almost interchangeable) were impossible to reach with my ratchet wrench...until I passed the wrench up from under the car. The passenger side was easier than the driver side. Installing the new lower assembly required the same technique but, on the drivers side I had to detach the front grill to access the bolt with the wrench. Detaching the front grill is not difficult, there are 5 or 6 pins that are easy to remove and the grill easily pulls forward. You do need to be careful bolting on the new lower assembly- I used a little insect adhesive on my finger tips to keep from losing the new bolt while I hand tightened it on. The assembly that attaches to the hood is easy. The whole process took an hour.

Installed on a 2017 wrangler unlimited JK Grill didn’t not need to be removed to replace the latches though getting my hands into the spot to reach the hardware was a bit tricky. I agree with the reviews that recommend reusing the factory flange nuts - I’m sure I would have dropped the included hardware. The trickiest part was swapping the little rubber piece from the JL to the Jk because I couldn’t get the screws to unthread. I finally figured out that you need to unscrew them just a little on both sides before trying to remove them fully. Nicely made and fit perfect.

Product as described and looks great on our Jeep!

These hood latches are way better than the factory ones. I like the look and the material they are made of. Much sturdier and no hood flutter!! However, the install was not as easy as described. It took my brother and I over an hour and a half. My brother is a mechanic and car enthusiast and knows cars/trucks. He had to remove the power steering reservoir to be able to screw in the bottom part of the latches and it took several different tools to get to such a tight spaces. Other than that I am very pleased and glad I got rid of the cheap factory latches.

Exactly what I was looking for, high quality, great look, fair price.