Old truck...Nitrogen Strut hood props...

[smoothandlow84]

So after getting tired of hearing the antiquated oem hood springs twang evertime I open my hood, I decided to take matters into my own hands. Now, this has been done before, but so far I haven't seen any write ups or detailed pics on this forum.


I have included pics of the parts and the final installation. I picked up a pair of nitrogen charged struts and some mounting hardware from Autozone.

Two struts, two upper ball mounts $56.00

I also used a piece of 2x2 angle iron that I had in my steel stockpile....If you need to purchase some, a 6" piece is all you will need.

Misc nuts, bolts and washers were in my stock as well. I used 7/16" hardware for mounting the lower part of the bracket to the inner fenderwells.



Pics.......

Lower mounting bracket is a section of 2x2 angle iron cut to the length of the bracket mounted on the strut. 7/16 x 1-1/4 hexbolts were used to attach the angle iron mounts to the inner fenderwell and the bracket on the strut.

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[smoothandlow84]

Upper mounts...


This part is easy. Once the oem spring is removed (be sure to prop up the hood with something so it won't slam you in the head), The hardware for the ball mount will thread into the existing mounting holes on the hood. Although not the exact thread pitch, with a small dab of grease and using a 7/16 box wrench it will thread into the hole. I threaded the upper mount into the hole closest to the front of the hood.

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[smoothandlow84]

Here is the upper mounting hardware...the package contains one pair of the upper mount ball, washers and nuts.

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lol...obviously the package is empty of the "ball" used for the upper mount. The package contains one pair.

 

[smoothandlow84]

These are the nitrogen filled struts that I used for my application. At first the struts were a little stiff, but with use they have softened a bit. I decided on these due to the length and the fact that the bottom mount on them was attached to a metal bracket which was ideal for my install. The overall extended length is approximately 24 inches. With the upper part of the strut attached to the ball threaded into the front most hole, and the hood up, I then mock fit the lower bracket to the bottom mount and marked where to drill holes in the fenderwells.

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[smoothandlow84]

Here is a pic of the final installation. The struts work great at holding up the hood and closing the hood doesn't require me to slam it down. Overall, I like that it looks cleaner and no more of that dreaded twang noise from the springs

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[74 Shortbed]

I like that, I thought about something like that before, never thought it would work though. Thanks for posting that..

 

[smoothandlow84]

No problem. Other than the struts that I used being a little stiff, it worked out great. I may stop by my local Autozone and check other options. The strut that I used is more than likely for a rear hatch due to the diameter and strength. It was a crap shoot finding one long enough and strong enough to hold up the hood securely and having the correct bottom mount bracket. The total install took about an hour.

 

[74 Shortbed]

No problem. Other than the struts that I used being a little stiff, it worked out great. I may stop by my local Autozone and check other options. The strut that I used is more than likely for a rear hatch due to the diameter and strength. It was a crap shoot finding one long enough and strong enough to hold up the hood securely and having the correct bottom mount bracket. The total install took about an hour.

Cool, think I'll do that with mine..

 

[Honky Kong jr]

Very cool!!!!

 

[donnieray]

Very nice.

 

[vkh]

Does anyone know how struts like that hold up in lighter applications like a hood? My only experience with them is the back hatch on my parents jeeps and they always sag in less than a year so I kinda writ them off in my head as a junk product.

 

[spanky55amg]

Does anyone know how struts like that hold up in lighter applications like a hood? My only experience with them is the back hatch on my parents jeeps and they always sag in less than a year so I kinda writ them off in my head as a junk product.

Depends. Merceces Benz has been using hood struts for 20 years now. Most of their cars on a single strut. As long as its big enough to hold the weight up, they should hold for a bit (at least 5 years).

I have been looking into something like this or reverse hinges. Thanks for the write up!

 

[skysurfer]

Over the years I've had fairly good luck with gas struts. I've gotten into the habit of including them in my regular maintenance routine by wiping them down with some silicone spray on a rag to remove dirt from the piston rod. Dirt and corrosion can damage the inner seals and shorten the life of the strut. Just had to replace the oem pair on the wife's Honda and they were 14 years old. The new pair cost $25, so $1.75 per year works out to be a pretty reasonable expense.

 

[vkh]

Alright, I'll give them some more consideration now.

 

[smoothandlow84]

Does anyone know how struts like that hold up in lighter applications like a hood? My only experience with them is the back hatch on my parents jeeps and they always sag in less than a year so I kinda writ them off in my head as a junk product.

The struts that I bought and installed come with a 3 year warranty.