Installation and Review: Rugged Ridge Locking Hood Catch

[GOCAMPN]

A lot of us have been chatting about hood locks in that other thread to help deter entry into the hood area. I said I was ordering some locking latches and they have arrived, here's my review.

I went with the Rugged Ridge "Locking Hood Catch" ( Jeep Gladiator Locking Hood Catch - $99). I originally saw a couple sets on Amazon that were only about $40 but after reading some reviews I decided to stick to a company I've dealt with before and trust as far as material quality. These are metal but closely resemble the stock plastics.

[Side by side view of the stock hood latch and the Rugged Ridge locking latch.]

The install was quick and painless, the stocks are held in by a single bolt on the fender and 2 small bolts on the hood. The same goes for the Rugged Ridge pair. Including photos, the entire process was about 20 minutes. Instructions were good, but honestly this could have been figured out without them anyway. I used a size 10 socket for the hood and a 1/2" wrench for the fender where the room to work is sparce. Everything popped loose with little effort and removed by hand. You will need two hex wrenches but sorry I didn't mark down which size I used.

[Everything shipped and packaged nicely with instructions and labeled bags, the latch was completely put together already.]

[Removal of the stock fender mount.]

[Close up of the new locking mechanism.]

[An underneath view of one hex bolt.]

[Front view, stock latch on left / Rugged Ridge latch on right.]

My plan was to use this one 2-pack to lock both hoods of my JT and JL, after seeing how closely they appear to each other and not like a "sore thumb" that's exactly what I did. Here it is pictured on my wife's Wrangler, the process was identical.

Overall I am extremely happy with the build quality and I think it will work as intended to keep the hood closed and safely locked away. Hope this helps!

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[NachoRuby]

That doesn't look bad at all! It preserves the stock look.

 

[am1978]

Ordered the other day after reading that other thread. Mine arrive tomorrow.

 

[KoBear]

Those look good!

 

[Mball488]

So looking at the pictures on Amazon, it shows two sets of keys. Are all the keys the same or one set per lock?

 

[GOCAMPN]

So looking at the pictures on Amazon, it shows two sets of keys. Are all the keys the same or one set per lock?

Oh good catch I meant to say that. So I only received two keys total, not four. Both keys are the same. Possibly the advertising picture is wrong or simply outdated and they have since stopped including four keys.

 

[Mball488]

Awesome. Literally just clicked proceed to payment. I was looking for latches today and didn't see anything that looked OEM until now. Thanks for the thread.

 

[OngsterA]

Exactly what I have, solid product! Just like their bumpers, love the HD Shorty

 

[GOCAMPN]

Exactly what I have, solid product! Just like their bumpers, love the HD Shorty

Yep, Rugged Ridge clearly uses the same powdercoat for everything. Which is perfect for keeping a uniform look.

 

[OngsterA]

Yep, Rugged Ridge clearly uses the same powdercoat for everything. Which is perfect for keeping a uniform look.

You just have to get used to pressing the release button (unlocked of course) to swing the latch up to release the hood catch.

 

[GOCAMPN]

You just have to get used to pressing the release button (unlocked of course) to swing the latch up to release the hood catch.

True haha, I was just outside explaining it to my wife. It took me a second to get it because you want to move it like the stock ones.

 

[I_Reckn]

Happy Father's day to me, just ordered a set. Now just need the Mojave to arrive so i can install.

 

[kevman65]

Just an FYI, keep the locking mechanism (where you put the key) lubricated and clean.

To clean, a couple of squirts of WD40, to lubricate, use a lock specific lube.

 

[Snake Eyes]

To take off the bolt in the fender area, it comes off easy with an offset ratcheting wrench. Dont use a straight wrench or mess with the fender which is completely unnecessary. The one that works is the black one 1/2 inch in this set


https://www.amazon.com/MacWork-Ratcheting-Spanners-Reversible-Universal/dp/B07W6WHR1W/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1YNOBKXMBL3B1&keywords=MacWork+5-Piece+Offset+Ratcheting+Wrench+Set+，Five+Colors+Reversible+Universal+Ratchet+Double+Ring+Spanners+,Professional+Heat+Treated+Alloy+Steel+SAE+Combination&qid=1655655554&sprefix=macwork+5-piece+offset+ratcheting+wrench+set+five+colors+reversible+universal+ratchet+double+ring+spanners+,professional+heat+treated+alloy+steel+sae+combination,aps,98&sr=8-1

 

[GOCAMPN]

My straight wrench actually worked perfectly fine. But, I have an update!

Important update:

I was checking the effectiveness of the locks and seeing if I could tamper with it enough to get in and in a very specific case I could! It turns out I did not have the fender and hood mounts placed far enough away from each other. If I sat on the corner of the hood to fully decompress the top and bottom sections it creates the clearance needed to unhook itself. To fix this I loosened everything and pushed the fender mount as far down as possible and retightened. Then, I pushed the hood mount up a little bit, I tried also pushing it as far as possible but that ended up being too far in my case so I brought it back to the "sweet spot." Now, no wiggling, pressing, or prying will effect the lock's new placement.

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