Last month the hood leaper on my 2004.5 X-Type with 65K miles which I only drove in the winter for the first time last year broke off. How? I had the Jag parked too close to my Pathfinder and I happened to touch it somehow. The next thing I know, it was in my hand.

What happened was the cable that is looped through a tiny hole on the leaper had rusted completely through. The fix? I went to Home Depot and got a short piece of 'wire rope', looped it through and problem was resolved.

I would suggest anyone, especially if you live in an area where salt or calcium chloride is used on the roads, who still has their leaper take a look and inspect the cable to see if it is rusted or corroded. Those suckers cost almost $50 and a 6" piece of wire rope from Home Depot the guy gave me for free. I only had to buy a ferrule or whatever those things are called for securing wire rope and bada bing, bada bang, my leaper can be moved and I don't have to worry about it 'jumping' off.

 

i used to do the same.....only my leapers were getting stolen every few weeks...so id buy a cheap one off ebay, rope it up to the hood latch