Rugged Ridge Hood Catch Kit for Jeep Wrangler JK (2007-2018) - Heavy Duty Black Hood Latch | Part #11210.11 | Off-Road & Adventure Vehicle Protection

These really are excellent hood latches, and are far superior to the stock Jeep latches. There is a noticeable decrease in hood chatter, and provide a much more rugged appearance. I've put them on both of my Rubicon's and love them. The stock plastic Jeep latches also turn grey with time, so these aluminum ones solve that issue as well.The install isn't hard, but can be fiddly, and will take about 30-45 min for an average DIY'er. I wasn't able to install the lower latch portion without taking off the front grill of the Wrangler, though, I've read others say they haven't needed to do so. (Though I can't imagine how) The grill is extremely easy to remove, so don't struggle to work around it.The Rugged Ridge instructions don't cover how to do that, so here it is in a nutshell.The grill is held on with just six snap locks on the top and several push clips on the bottom. A small screw driver will pop the top ones out easily - be gentle. The lower part of the grill is just held in with snap clips, and just pulls off with a little pressure. Remember to protect the grill from the two front tow hooks with towels to prevent scratching the grill. Start on one lower side, and with a little pull at the base of the grill, it will pop out. Then unclip the two turn signals, (optional) and you will have much better access to the lower hood latch bolt(s) — it's still a tight fit though. You don't have to remove the light connections if you don't want, just lean the grill down and out of the way.You can continue to follow the instructions, and then reinstall the grill by reversing the order above. It just snaps in.Hope this helps someone out. I would recommend them for not only appearance but superior function. I do wish they were made in the US instead of overseas.****** Update ******After having both latches for a while, there is something I've noticed. The silver version developed significant water spots that are not nice, and couldn't be removed. It's important to understand, the silver finish is paint (like a powder coat) not an unfinished aluminum.I personally would not buy the silver ones again because of the way they look after a short time. In the end, I traded in the older black Wrangler (with the silver latches) due to mileage, mechanical issues, etc. and bought a new black one.This time though, went with the black latches. Looks great, and no spotting problems like the silver latches.