i just had the same issue with my 2004 XJ VDP. Washed the car and ornament cable snapped. Any suggestions besides buying the entire assembly?

 

I would try finding another crimp mechanism for the cable to clamp on. If that doesn't work, I think I've seen the assembly on ebay from scrap-yards for around $40. I would just take the $40 path and then try to repair the old one while it is off of the car.

 

gatormom/n8ths8, go to your local hardware store and get into the picture hanging area. If you look, you will find a kit that sells a thin steel cable with some steel crimp tubes (going to look like figure 8's). Pick up that kit. Should cost you like $8. Now, remove the base from the car and get a second person to help you. What you want to do is to crimp one side of the figure 8 so the cable will not move. Thread the cable through the retaining cap (placing the figure 8 crimp up against the cap, through the center of the spring, through the base, through the loop on the underside of the leaper, back down through the base, through the spring and through the cap. Feed the cable through the other side of the figure 8. With the help of your friend, pull on the loose side of the cable to put a little bit of spring pressure on the leaper and as the tension is still applied, crimp the other side of the figure 8. Snip off the excess cable and you are good to go. Bolt the leaper back on to the car and call it good.

 

your advise was great...i got all the parts, cable and such. My problem is I can't find a crimp small enough to be able to secure it like the original.
Been to 5 auto and parts places in my area. Nobody has a crimp that small to fit the cable i am going to use or a crimper to clamp it shut. I even looked on the web....No luck.
Please tell me where you found the proper size crimp to use and i am good to go.
Your help is greatly appreciated

 

n8thsk8, don't do it like the factory did. Do it like I said and put the crimp on the outside. The only time you will see the crimp is when the hood is opened. Call it good.

 

I got it fixed and thanks to your advise i saved a bunch of money. I used a crimp that you use to make fishing rigs along with heavy braided fishing leader... Worked perfect....now way i was giving $400 for another leaper.

Thanks again

n8thsk8

 

I used small throttle stops from our quarter midget they had to be staggered and installed after it was installed on the hood. they dont fit through the nut. A small pair of vice grips pulls the cable tight. I used a small piece of bicycle brake cable.

 

I JB welded the leaper on a ragged out XJ6 I once owned....it was only a loose wire away from becoming a parts car and this quick fix was all this old kitty deserved. I guess that "reverse engineering" it into a rigid mount was akin to the solid mounted leaper on my 420.

 

how do I remove the base of the ornament from the car. The leaped came off in my hand and the base is on the car.

 

I was told to super glue the leaper to the base. What say you.

 

it will break off in a heart beat. Superglue does not work well with the materials that the ornament is made of. You can do it and it will hold for a short period. But, any good bump and it is going to break right off.

 

Good advice. What is the procedure to re attach the Leaper to the base?

 

ddidio, this is what I will tell you, as long as you have the spring and the little retainer clip that goes on the underside, do a quick stop by your local hardware store and they have a cable restraining system that you can buy for like $10. It will consist of like 20 feet of small braided cable and some figure 8 looking crimps. At this point, you can cut off about a foot of cable, feed the cable through the leaper (stopping with the middle of the cable at the leaper) and then feed both ends of the cable through the hood. You then feed the cable through the spring, then a cable through each hole in the retainer. At this point, you will feed a cable through each opening of the figure 8 crimp. At this point, you will possibly need some help because what you are going to do is to pull on the cables as you are pushing up on the crimp to compress the spring just slightly. Once the spring is compressed, you will need to crimp the figure 8 piece so the cables can not slide.

You may want to consider feeding one end of the cable through the crimp first, crimping it, then feeding the cable up through the spring, through the hood, through the leaper, back through the hood, through the spring and then only having to worry about crimping the one side of the figure 8 piece.

As long as you get a good crimp, it will be just like new.

 

Chris: Thanks for your advice. I had to go a slightly different way since I was unable to find the spring. I used wire, crimps and a spring loaded Sheetrock plug ( the type you use to hang objects from a sheet rock ceiling).threaded the wire through the Leaper, down through the base, and plastic coupler. Now, here is the new part. Before pulling the wire tight and crimping, I applie some marine grade 5200 sealant/adhesive to Leaper and base. I tightened the wire, crimped and let it set. In 3 days the 5200 will set completely and this baby is now permanent. Down side.... Not flexible as original. Sometimes you have to live with different.
ddidio

 

My leaper came off in the car wash. I recovered the leaper but lost the under the hood parts. I bought a replacement but it came with a base. The old base is secured with an adhesive. Any suggestions on loosening the adhesive to remove the base or is it best to follow the cable and crimping process covered in other posts?
Thanks

 

We found the guy that translates Japanese electronics owner manuals! Thanks for the directions but the only thing crimping is my brain.

And the thing that leaps to mind is god forbid someone gets impaled on the cat and some attorney gets a hold of it...

 

Here's a vid just to see the parts, perhaps not the technique...

 

Hi Nice to see the fix.
Was the X type ever fitted with a leaper from new? We are not allowed them in the UK unless they are fitted close up to the windscreen and they look plain silly there.

 

Dunks, it was my understanding that all X-TYpes came with the leaper from the factory. Maybe your year did not due to safety concerns.

As for removing the leaper, it was due to the possibility of it becoming an impaling hazard to pedestrians getting run over by the car. Can't say that I have heard of that happening. BUt, I am sure somewhere there is a story about it.