The stock hood prop clip on the 1984-1996 Jeep XJ Cherokee and MJ Comanche is the part that quietly stops working. You open the hood, the prop doesn't hold, and the factory clip is cracked or deformed. This 3D printed Jeep XJ hood prop clip replacement mounts to the same factory holes. Here's the fitment, straight.
The stock part problem
The hood prop is how you keep the hood up while you work under it — on the XJ, that's the passenger-side setup that clips to the fender. You hold the prop up, it clips into the fender, and the hood stays where it is while your hands are free.
The original plastic clip sits in direct sun and engine heat for twenty-plus years. Eventually it cracks, deforms, or just stops gripping the prop. By that point the OE part is old and hard to find, so the prop gets used less, and the hood ends up propped with whatever's handy — a stick, a broom handle, a wrench. None of those are good answers.
How the replacement fits
The replacement attaches to the factory holes in the passenger's side fender on 1984-1996 Cherokees and Comanches. No new holes, no welding, no bracket fabrication — the clip goes where the stock one went, and the hood prop clips into it exactly like it did stock.
For parts counter people: it's a replacement for OE part number 55027404, with interchange numbers 55075480AC, 55075480, and 5507 5480. If the part counter quotes that number, this is the 3D printed equivalent, made in Canada.
Why it's printed in ASA
Most 3D printed plastic parts fail outdoors because they fade and go brittle in the sun. This one is printed in ASA, which is a UV-resistant ABS. That means:
- It won't fade sitting in the sun.
- It survives 100C / 220F heat.
- It's flexible enough for the hood prop to clip in and out many times, while staying stiff enough to actually hold the hood up.
I've had one of these on my XJ for multiple years without issue, so I'm confident ASA is the right material for the task — the clip job is repetition plus UV, and that's the failure mode this part is designed around.
Install time
Remove the old clip, clip the new one into the factory fender holes, done. It's a ten-minute job if the old clip lets you remove itself cleanly. If your fender holes are worn out or the old part has torn away, send me a photo before you order and I'll tell you if this one will work or if you need something different.
More for the XJ and MJ
The Jeep collection also carries the side-view mirror bracket set for 1984-1996 XJ and MJ. It's the same story on that part: 3D printed in Canada, made to fit the factory mounting points, for the small plastic bits that went out of production. If your XJ needs something that doesn't exist, send me a photo.