Hail bashed my hood - 392 replacement?

[notquiteflotsam]

Tuesday's 3 hailstorms did a number on the hood of our Mojave. After a quick trip to the paintless dent repair guy, he told us that since the hood is aluminum, he can't do anything for us and it would need to be replaced. So that sucks.

However, the fake scoop always kinda bugged me as only a couple of steps up from one of those stick on scoops you would see on a Dodge Neon.

So if I have to replace it anyway, is it worth considering replacing it with a 392 hood? I realize the 392 scoop actually feeds the intake on the 392 which won't work on the v6, but would there be any benefit to minor modifications to keep the water routing in place and push more air into the engine compartment? Or am I getting carried away and should just go back to stock replacement? Anyone seriously explored this before?

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[PuddleJumper]

I knew it!!! Most Mojave hoods are steel but mine is aluminum and I thought i was crazy or the only one. I wonder when, why and how some of us ended up with aluminum and not steel? But to answer your question, yes u can use a 392 hood, wouldn't hurt anything but may get more debris and dust in the bay. You can swap in blocked off scoop insert from you old hood if up for it and you don't want an open scoop. I don't think there is any benefit for a functional hood scoop on a V6.

 

[ATL_Rubi]

I would likely avoid the 392 real scoop. There’s a reason Jeep engineers made it fake. If I remember correctly, someone tubed up a 392 hood to their air intake, but it wasn’t easy. Other than that, you’re just throwing positive pressure air into the engine bay which really wouldn’t benefit anything other any reduce your MPG a little.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[Jaxmax]

As one who looked into putting the Hydro Glide system from the 392 on my Mojave, Jeep engineers did design the system to put air into the engine bay at the rear to push heat of the 6.4 out. Measured everything with my Mojave next to a 392, cost for all the parts and air check flaps was about $400. I am going to do it sometime. As for the steel hood I like that acorns and hickory nuts just bounce off , my wife’s JL is tinged up pretty good….Jack

 

[PuddleJumper]

I think all Mojave hoods are aluminum? It's a weight thing and one of the reasons the hood mods, like snorkels all have the d

you would think, but most are steel apparently, which makes no sense considering the Mojave is the most weight sensitive.

 

[Jaxmax]

All Mojaves and all export hoods were steel, must have been a recent change , my 21 and the 392 Wrangler I looked at were steel. 2021 Mojave.

 

[ZoMojave]

I knew it!!! Most Mojave hoods are steel but mine is aluminum and I thought i was crazy or the only one. I wonder when, why and how some of us ended up with aluminum and not steel? But to answer your question, yes u can use a 392 hood, wouldn't hurt anything but may get more debris and dust in the bay. You can swap in blocked off scoop insert from you old hood if up for it and you don't want an open scoop. I don't think there is any benefit for a functional hood scoop on a V6.

Weird. Mine was steel.

 

[PuddleJumper]

Weird. Mine was steel.

I think halfway through 22' was a flip. I noticed my Mojave doesn't have silver spring coils like a lot for the Mojave's I've seen on here as well.

 

[whiteglad]

Mine has black springs but steel hood. August 2022 build.

 

[ErylFlynn]

Late 23 build Mojave (Punk'n) and just checked, hood is steel. Tested with a magnet.

 

[Idlethunder]

Tuesday's 3 hailstorms did a number on the hood of our Mojave. After a quick trip to the paintless dent repair guy, he told us that since the hood is aluminum, he can't do anything for us and it would need to be replaced. So that sucks.

However, the fake scoop always kinda bugged me as only a couple of steps up from one of those stick on scoops you would see on a Dodge Neon.

So if I have to replace it anyway, is it worth considering replacing it with a 392 hood? I realize the 392 scoop actually feeds the intake on the 392 which won't work on the v6, but would there be any benefit to minor modifications to keep the water routing in place and push more air into the engine compartment? Or am I getting carried away and should just go back to stock replacement? Anyone seriously explored this before?

Depending on whether or not you want a replacement, I’d talk with another paintless dent shop. I’ll post some pictures below of the hailstorm that came through last and what it did to my hood. A local shop had my Rubicon less than two days and got them all so well it looked new again.

 

[Cspence]

Late 23 build Mojave (Punk'n) and just checked, hood is steel. Tested with a magnet.

Ditto, literally just came in from testing with a magnet myself. Build late Dec 2023

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I think all Mojave hoods are aluminum? It's a weight thing and one of the reasons the hood mods, like snorkels all have the d

Steel. Go look up the hood struts for these things. Mojave takes a heavy duty pair of struts due to the extra weight.
"All" are steel unless there were some subs made or some late model year change which would be weird.

There are several members with 2024 Mojaves - get one of them to check theirs. That would tell you if its been a late model change.

 

[ATL_Rubi]

Steel. Go look up the hood struts for these things. Mojave takes a heavy duty pair of struts due to the extra weight.

Wonder why the difference.. easier to form the scoop out of steel than aluminum?

All this back and forth made me go out and confirm, aluminum for my rubicon. As expected.

 

[ZoMojave]

I think halfway through 22' was a flip. I noticed my Mojave doesn't have silver spring coils like a lot for the Mojave's I've seen on here as well.

Mine was a February 2022 build w/steel hood. Good thing too as I ran into a hailstorm later that summer. If I had an aluminum hood, it would have needed PDR.

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