Strongly considering hood latches

So is he using sheet metal screws to bite into the top layer portion of the hood? That would really ease the installation zif you can get away with that.

 

Yah. First he installed the pins. Then drilled large hole in bottom layer of hood where pin lines up. Then from the underside he drilled a tiny pilot hole through the top layer of hood to mark the center of the pin. Then used the installation template to cut out the topside of the hood since the center point was now marked. Then used sheet metal screws to drill through hood to attach latches. Use painters tape around your cutting area to reduce paint flake and use a good blade. Id recommend a dremel with a metal cutting attachment for easiest and cleanest cut. Don't use a jigsaw lol

 

If you want to use the bottom plate installation would be the same except cut a huge hole in the bottom layer of hood

 

Here is how I did mine.
I also had my hood trying to lift up at speeds over 50 on the highway and it danced everywhere when offroading and it was driving me nuts.

First I removed the rubber stop that went into that big hole in the center of the pic


I drilled a hole in the support where the rubber stop makes contact when the hood is closed. You will have to cut down the hood catch rod as it is too long and will hit the top of the headlight if not cut down.




The catch will now go thru the hole where the rubber stop use to be


At this point I lowered the hood until the catch rod contacted the bottom of the hood. I gave it a good push so it dimpled the hood. I now know where to drill a hole to help me align the hood latch template. I applied the template and aligned the marks and used a pen to trace out the cut line.


Luckily I have a set of pretty nice hole saws in several sizes. This sure makes it a lot easier to cut the curved areas.


Used the dewalt to cut the center section out. At this point I broke out a small pneumatic angle grinder with sanding discs to fine tune the edges so the latches would drop in.


I dropped the latch into the hole to use it as a template to drill out the attaching screw holes. I also painted the bare metal edges with some MGM touch up paint


In the next few pics you will see how I got the Hood latch backing ring to stay in place so I could get the Hood latch screws installed. In other threads others have used self tapping screws to hold the latch onto the hood because they didn't want to cut the hood supports on the back side of the hood to install this backing ring. As you can see with my method it really is not that hard to get it in there and get the screws started. The backing ring is a molded plastic and it holds the nuts in the plastic to keep them from spinning while you tighten the screws.

Sliding the ring in


Ring inside


Run some wire in the 2 center holes. You can actually do this before you put the ring into the hole to make it easier



Run the wire up thru the 2 holes in the hood


Pull the backing ring up to the bottom of the hood


Slide your latch down the wires. You will have to allow some slack as the hood latch will want to push the wire down some


While pulling on the wire to hold the backing ring to the bottom of the hood install 4 of the screws. Do not push the screws down to hard or the nuts will fall out of the backing ring. Just let them screws themselves in with a light touch. You'll figure it out once one falls out on you. Of course it will be the last screw you are putting in.


Pull the wire out. you may have to help it thru the first hole but after that it should just slide out.


Install the last 2 screws and your done with the latches.


Install your Hood latch catch rods adjust them where you need them and tighten the nuts. The latch kit comes with 2 rubber stops that you can cut to size and install over the catch rods.







I use to have some pretty large gaps between the top of my headlights and the bottom of my hood, not any more now that the hood latches pull it down some.

 

Definitley next on my mod list now that there's a write up

 

Tom aka Airdog always make cool mods

 

sonofabitch those look amazing.

 

i got this going on, and need to do this mod.

 

Only other way I could see to get the hood down is if you can use some sort of "slam latch" on each corner of the hood to fenders....then use wire cables to pull them open. For trucks that don't look like race trucks lol

Like two of these:

 

My initial thought was "you are driving a Tacoma not a race car" but if you are having that much hood flutter then I guess this might fix it. I have had non on 2009 or 2013.

 

yep, adjusted em till i get no flutter, and thats where it is.

 

yeah its weird. it was half that bad, before I switched out the core support radiator bushings. but it was still pronounced. I think the hood latches might be the ticket. I can push down on the corners of the hood and get them where they need to be without too much effort.

 

anyone who has this issue, how much do you offroad, and whats your armor setup?

2015 access cab, TRD OR, I am full plate front, full skids, sliders, and ditch light brackets.

 

weird. ive only had it one time that I know of. that was with hurricane winds at my face while going 75 or so. I seriously thought my hood was about to pop open. is there a way to adjust the hood latch down so that youre not maxing out the rubber hood adjusters?

 

Idk. Maybe. Hood is ok up at windshield but could somehow be related

 

Not sure. I looked at that hard the ither day. Center of hood ok so not sure I want to mess with that one

 

so you may have a bent hood? if its good in the middle, it should be good on the edges too right? that is a looooot of gap along the edges