How to Lubricate the Hood Latch in a Dodge Ram
The Dodge Ram is a full-sized pickup that's been hauling payloads, recreational vehicles and people for nearly 30 years. Because it's often used as a work truck, it's exposed to extremely dirty driving conditions, so it's important that you clean and lubricate your 1981 and newer Dodge Ram's hood latch at least every 3,000 to 5,000 miles.
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Instructions
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Open the hood of your Dodge Ram and secure it by inserting the built in stabilizing bar. Then examine the hood latch and assembly.
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Wipe away mud, sand and grime from both sides of the latch. Dig out obvious debris and old grease clumps. Then swab out the inside of the latch assembly using a clean cloth.
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Treat your Dodge Ram hood latch assembly for rust. Use sandpaper or a stiff brush to remove rust spots from the metal parts of your latch. Then, wipe away the rust particles to prevent them from getting into your latch assembly. Spray the areas that had rust with WD-40 to prevent further damage.
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Use a spray on lithium grease or multi-purpose metal grease like White Lithium Grease 3-in-One (made by the WD-40 Company) to lubricate the latch. Make sure you spray inside the latch assembly as well as around the edges.
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Activate the latch a couple of times to work the grease into the latch. Apply a little more grease, if the latch still sticks or squeaks. You can use a similar process to lubricate the tailgate latches if they're hard to open and close.
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