Hood prop

Dumb question but was there a hood prop or strut that came on a 74? Anything that's still available or will I need to fabricate or adapt something? Right now I lay the hood back on the windshield when I open it, Thanks.

 

My '69 Commando came with a hood prop, long gone so I put a piece of gas line on the front of the roof to cushion the hood. My neighbors CJ7 has the prop rod. We never use it unless the wind is up so the hood isn't dropping on our heads.

 

Not sure, my 75 has one.

 

Yes.

Junkyard, or ad in the classifieds. Should be relatively easy to find.

 

I built one for my 71 cj5, it was easy, an didn't see the sense of denting the hood by hitting the windshield (after fixing it from the "PO").

 

The hood prop has a Kaiser era part number (979722, late 60s), and was in use unchanged until the end of the CJ models, according to my books. Should be easy to find one from a wreck - easier than making one. Be sure to get the bracket 979725 that bolts to the grille and makes a socket for the prop rod. The whole thing is 4 separate parts, plus 3 screws - rod, two brackets, clip.

 

I've always thought it would be cool fab some mounts and use a gas strut or two. I'm guessing it's been done before, but I've never seen it in person. In the meantime, it's just too easy and convenient to rest the hood against the windshield frame.

 

The hood prop also makes a nifty handle so you can open the hood from the front and lay it back on the windshield, without running around to the side of the Jeep. Multitasker!

 

the ball on the end of the rod, and the socket opening, can wear enough where the rod pops out of the socket, allowing the hood to smack the windshield if doing the above. ask me how i know......

 

The magazine writer Jim Piatt designed and sold a kit called "the hood lift" that used a gas lift shock for CJ hoods. It's being sold by someone else now but last I heard it was still being made. I have one of Jim's tucked away for the CJ-6 project.
One end of the shock mounted to the grill support rod and the other end to the hood via brackets that came in the kit. He built them for CJ's and Flatfenders.

 

Not sure about the earliest CJ's, but my A1 has a latch on the windshield frame that a tall footman loop on the hood latches onto so it can't blow down on your head. Protects the paint too! That would be a great solution if you were brave enough to drill holes!

 

The top mount wiper windshields all had this. The '68 and newer bottom mount wiper windshields with the arched top glass do not have room for the latch you are talking about. There is not enough physical space between the glass seal and top of the frame to mount one. This I believe is why they went to a prop rod. If used properly in theory the hook on the prop rod should keep the hood from flying up if a wind gust catches it.'

 

Thanks everyone for all the input. really appreciate it.

 

Hoodlift for 55-86 Jeep CJ Series | HoodLift by Warrior

 

Yup, that be the one. Looks like Warrior picked it up from Jim Piatt or is copying it.

 

My 73 has a hood prop, it comes down from the upper left nose of the hood inside. There are two keepers... one in the center and one on the far right to hold it up in there. The center one kind of tensions it or springs it a little to make it stay.