Heat Reduction Hoods

LGPow2006

LGPow2006

New member
The research I have done so far may very well be insufficient but at this point I am seeing 2 options

AEV Heat Reduction Hood Approx $1200 - looks pretty good would be pretty straight forward to install and from what I have read here works pretty well.

Poison Spyder Hood louver - Approx $150 - IMHO looks as good... scary to cut into the hood for install but doable. I have not heard how well it works.

There are over 5000 members of this forum and many many years of knowledge in and around jeeps here the opinions here are of extreme value to me and will help me make this choice.

Is there another option that I am not finding?
Someone once told me Need vs Budget do I really need this type of Mod for trails etc in SE Arizona?

I am leaning toward the Poison Spyder product primarily because of the budget issues but also because I like the contrast of the black against my blue Jeep.
 
I have been using my overly built, overly heavy, auto trans, 40" tire JK as a daily driver for 4 years in AZ. I have never once had any engine overheating issues ever. I honestly can't say if I have ever heard of any test of these aftermarket hoods really making a difference. On the other hand, I do not run any wheel well liners up front, so maybe this works just as good as some pricey hood option. I do have an opportunity to pick up an AEV hood for free, but it's only to replace my damaged hood and not for any heat reduction properties, but personally I like the way a stock hood looks.

I will also add that most of the guys I know that have had V8 upgrades and running an aftermarket "cooling" hood still had overheating problems. Overheating problems seem to always be cured by upgrading to a better cooling system, not a fix by changing the hood out.
 
The only over heat I have had was transmission related and now I know about locking into lower gears I am waiting to see if a tranny cooler will be needed.

I suppose it is as much the looks as functionality why I started looking at them. Makes sense to me to let heat out that way...but also would let debris in (speaking primarily about the Poison Spyder).

Power plant all stock here and the slow trek through the desert in summer makes me overly nervous I guess since I am a transplant from the mid west.
 
Auto trans is the number one heat related injury in the state. I would do a transmission cooler just as cheap insurance. I installed one on my rig as soon as I made the jump to bigger tires.

As far as the looks of the new hood, definitely do it if you can afford the upgrade and if there is any benefit to cooling, well that's just awesome too. But honestly, I don't think I have heard of any JKs running stock motors, manual or automatic transmissions overheating. Unless you have just really neglected the cooling system somehow, I don't think the motor overheating is something to stress. But that auto trans.....that is a different story, put a cooler on it.
 
See that's why I like this forum. Straight forward no BS advice. No sales pitching just what to do that's good for me and my jeep.
 
I just installed the AEV hood about 3 weeks ago. I love it....

I think it's more for "looks" then anything....Does it reduce heat from the engine bay? YES, you can see the heat waves coming out of the vents.

Will your Jeep over heat without this hood? NO

I got mine directly from AEV...It comes black...I had it painted by a local shop including the underneith.

NOTE: My Jeep is an 08', It only has 1 windsheild squirter on the hood. These new AEV hoods are designed to work with the updated 2012 Jeeps which have the dual squirters. Easy fix...just go to the dealer and order (2) 2012 squirters. Make a "T" with your fluid rubber hoses and your golden.

Here's a few pics..........


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2013-02-21_08-31-40_796_zps541f531a.jpg
 
I can second Greg's opinion. I didn't own my wrangler when I lived in Phoenix, but I had a lifted 96 XJ with a 4.0l engine and auto tranny. I can say that it overheated far more often while sitting in traffic with the AC blasting in the summer than it ever did on the trail, even when we ran Bulldog Canyon in July. So if your rig does fine in traffic with the heat from the blacktop alone over 160F, then you should be fine on the trail too. Just my two cents and experience from AZ.
 
LOVE the AEV hood and agree it's mostly for looks. My neighbor up the street has an MW3. I keep telling her if she wants to make some quick cash, we could do a hood swap. Doubt it will ever happen.

I have it on my list of eventual mods, but don't know if I'll ever get to it.
 
1BAMFR said:
I just installed the AEV hood about 3 weeks ago. I love it....

I think it's more for "looks" then anything....Does it reduce heat from the engine bay? YES, you can see the heat waves coming out of the vents.

Will your Jeep over heat without this hood? NO

I got mine directly from AEV...It comes black...I had it painted by a local shop including the underneith.

NOTE: My Jeep is an 08', It only has 1 windsheild squirter on the hood. These new AEV hoods are designed to work with the updated 2012 Jeeps which have the dual squirters. Easy fix...just go to the dealer and order (2) 2012 squirters. Make a "T" with your fluid rubber hoses and your golden.

Here's a few pics..........
Click to expand...

Call me crazy, but am I the only person that likes the one sprayer versus the two? I have a 2013 Rubi and went from the two to the one and actually prefer the looks of it.
 
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