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I need help looking for locking hood latches for a heavy duty tilt front truck

I am doing some repair work for a tree service company and they want me to fabricate some kind of lock for the hoods and fuel tanks on their bucket trucks. One of which is a Ford L8000 (Ithink). I do not want to reinvent the wheel, someone has to make this stuff already.

Fuel tank looks to be a 2" pipe thread with a simple aluminum cap.

Hoods are tilt front style. with the rubber strap hold downs.

Google searches do dot give me what I'm looking for, maybe I got the wrong search words???

Thanks Randy Remove 333 to reply

Reply to
Randy333
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Look for "over-center" latches of the hood. Plenty of Google images! Sorry, can't help with the fuel tank cap.

Paul

Reply to
Paul Drahn

I've seen a lot of locking caps for those tanks. Most look like a standard cap with a key slot.

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On the hood they use conventional style hood pins with holes for padlocks.

Reply to
Steve W.

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less expensive
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overcenter locking latches

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Reply to
F. George McDuffee

The pricey one is brass, someone will steal that just cause it's brass. The other looks like a winner!

None of these look good. What do they do for semi's in New York?

Remove 333 to reply. Randy

Reply to
Randy333

There are aftermarket hood locks available that may work, but it may also be kludge time.

Hoods are made of relatively light sheet metal, and thus are subject to prying, therefore reinforcement may be indicated. It should be possible to combine a reinforcing strap [3/16?] with a welded tab with a hole that will match up with a similar reinforcing strap w/tab mounted to the body or fender using pop rivets or carriage bolts with the smooth head out. The tabs would need to overlap when closed such that a padlock would fit through the holes to secure. Be advised that the padlocks are subject to vandalism by the thwarted individuals, for example by squirting them with super glue.

It may be better to install an alarm system, possibly using a vibration detector in addition to the hood switches, the problem being the drivers must remember to turn the system on.

There are also some automotive type cable/electric latches/locks that would deter >>>casual/oportunistic

Reply to
F. George McDuffee

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