Hood strut reviews from those that have them

[kanine]

I'm glad there is a cheaper option now, I got the Redline ones, pretty much same installation. It opens pretty smoothly and no problems closing it. The car definitely feels more premium with the struts.

Sponsored

 

[slowpoke17]

Nice write up Mark. The only thing I would add is be careful along the fender edges. That metal is fairly thin and sharp. I was attaching the bottom pin and my hand slipped toward the fender edge, cut my thumb on the side like a knife. After clean up in aisle 5, I went back and added some U shaped rubber edging I had all along the exposed edges. It's friction fit so no adhesive needed.

 

[kanine]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09SLHKZW3/?coliid=I1O87L41JZTFIL&colid=1V5IZ8PTKNMKG&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

They are on Prime day deal today on Amazon.

 

[JAD67428]

Here's the link to the Sukemichi struts; thanks John (slowpoke17)!!

They appear to be decent quality, but only time will tell. They came with the wrong instructions, but it wouldn't have really mattered because it was such a bad quality photocopy they wouldn't have helped anyway. Luckily, it's a really simple product, so after a bit of noodling even I was able to figure out how to attach them. Here's what I did:

NOTE: Don't tighten anything more than finger tight until ALL the mounting assemblies are in place.

The mounts that attach to the hood are self explanatory. The mounts that attach to the bottom of the strut are two-piece assemblies. The photo below left shows the part of the assembly with the ball you snap the strut to, and the mounting position on the fender support for the left (driver's) side. The photo below right shows the two bolts and the threaded plate they screw into. Once tightened, the bolts pinch the fender support between the top and bottom pieces. Nifty!

​

Recommendation: Don't try to hold the two pieces in position while threading a bolt into the bottom plate. It would be very easy to drop something, and who knows where it might end up. Instead, thread the bolt that goes in the front hole into the bottom plate a few turns, THEN place the assembly in position. The front bolt will assist in holding the assembly together while you thread back bolt into the bottom plate. The two photos below show the assembly and mounting position for the passenger (right) side

​

After all the assemblies are in place with the bolts finger tight get your tools. You'll need a 13mm wrench or deep-well socket for the top brackets, and an 8mm wrench or socket for the bottom assemblies. The instructions do not list torque specs for the bolts, so use your judgement. Be careful with the bolts on the top assembly. You'll see when you install them there isn't much metal for them to brace against.

CAUTION: Do not tighten the bolts holding the top mounts too tight. The sheet metal the brace against is thin and you will pull the back plates right through the holes.

The bolts on the bottom assemblies should be quite snug. You don't need blue torque (that's where you crank until you're blue in the face), but they should be a good deal tighter than the bolts on the top assemblies.

Once you've tightened all the bolts it's just a matter of snapping the struts in place. It should be readily apparent which end attaches where.

One final recommendation: You can no longer use gravity to close and latch the hood, you must push it closed. The hood is made from relatively thin sheet metal which will easily dent if you push on it. Keep your hand flat and push on the bend where it will be hardest to dent it.

And that's it. Here's how good they work:

Wow Im jealous, you have an engine cover and the hood insulator

 

[Carolo]

Installed my new Sukemichi hood struts today. Very easy, seem to work great so far. Instructions are poor and for a Bronco, not a sport, but the struts were correct. I looked at another video for placement of brackets. Instructions said 13mm wrench, but that was too large for my parts, used 5/16 and 7/16 instead. Marks instructions are good!

 

[MNVKSFN]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09SLHKZW3/?coliid=I1O87L41JZTFIL&colid=1V5IZ8PTKNMKG&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

They are on Prime day deal today on Amazon.

How much were they on Prime day?

 

[Carolo]

How much were they on Prime day?

I think I only paid about

How much were they on Prime day?

I paid $45 Prime.

 

[Feint]

Nice write up Mark. The only thing I would add is be careful along the fender edges. That metal is fairly thin and sharp. I was attaching the bottom pin and my hand slipped toward the fender edge, cut my thumb on the side like a knife. After clean up in aisle 5, I went back and added some U shaped rubber edging I had all along the exposed edges. It's friction fit so no adhesive needed.

I did the same thing. Got a nice cut. Then I realized that my 2011 WRX had rubber on the metal edges in the engine bay. Never realized why until then.

 

[Barry S.]

thanks for all the feedback. I think I'll place my order today. Just curious though if anyone has tried the other brands besides Redline. I noticed Amazon has at least 2 other companies selling them at $60 versus $100. Not much to screw up so I may go with the lower priced version.

Go with Redline. I originally ordered the cheaper version and ended up returning them. Couldn't get the struts to snap in place and when I used additional force the connectors bent and broke. Went with Redline and they snapped right on. Very happy with how well they work.The cheap version also came with zero installation instructions. Cheap is cheap. You get what you pay for.

 

[Mark S.]

I originally ordered the cheaper version and ended up returning them. Couldn't get the struts to snap in place and when I used additional force the connectors bent and broke. The cheap version also came with zero installation instructions.

Like Barry, I didn't get suitable instructions with the Sukemichi brand available on Amazon, but neither did I have the installation problems. Mine snapped right in place with no issues. They've been on the car for several months now with no issues.

The lack of instructions could be an issue for some, but I'm fairly mechanically inclined, and these are pretty simple devices. If you decide to go with the Sukemichi brand there are several posts here on the site on how to install them. Here's mine.

 

[Barry S.]

Like Barry, I didn't get suitable instructions with the Sukemichi brand available on Amazon, but neither did I have the installation problems. Mine snapped right in place with no issues. They've been on the car for several months now with no issues.

The lack of instructions could be an issue for some, but I'm fairly mechanically inclined, and these are pretty simple devices. If you decide to go with the Sukemichi brand there are several posts here on the site on how to install them. Here's mine.

I actually used the YouTube for Redline. Concept was the same but I couldn't get the springs to grab the ball. Glad it worked for you. There's another one that just came from a company aptly called Rival with a price point right in the middle.

 

[Horse n Buggy]

I purchased and installed the Rival Hood Lifts after seeing that they were going to making a suite of parts for the Sport. They are technically less expensive then the Redline Struts, but not by a wide margin.

Install was not particularly difficult but I was missing 4/8 of a certain size of washer the instructions called for, but I had substitution at my disposal in my garage. Instructions were fairly straight forward, each step included a illustration as well as a sentence indicating what to do and what tools you need. The bolt receiver that is installed on the hood for the top connection point can be a little unwieldy during install as the bendable metal flanges can scratch the paint on the underside of the hood fairly easily if you don’t secure them well enough before attempting to install the bolt. The only other issue I encountered should have been minor, as that bolt in the instructions is called out as being a 13mm bolt, but mine was definitely 12mm, and despite the wide range of random wrenches in my garage I discovered I don’t actually have a 12mm wrench, but hey, vice grips work in a pinch as mine is no show car.

As for actual function they seem to work great so far, the pressure in the struts is enough to confidently life and hold the hood up, while not being a chore to close. In a different thread a user was concerned about difficulties closing the hood and overcoming the struts if you have a hood deflector installed. With the Rival Struts I find it best to bring it down to just a few inches above latch and throw it down, the struts are not so stiff to make it difficult to close.

The last note I have is, the two stage hood release seems to only be one stage now after installing the Hood Struts, the hood is closed properly and behaves properly otherwise, its just something to note after install and if it actually is an issue ill update this later.

 

[Mark S.]

The last note I have is, the two stage hood release seems to only be one stage now after installing the Hood Struts, the hood is closed properly and behaves properly otherwise, its just something to note after install and if it actually is an issue ill update this later.

Still two-stage release with the Sukemichi struts. You might want to check into your installation a bit more carefully. The two-stage release is a safety feature that's been present on hood latches for a few decades now. It's meant to prevent the hood from flying open and smashing your windshield should the hood latch open while driving. It might open for any number of reasons, including not being fully closed and latched the last time the hood was opened. This (the hood not being fully latched) seems like a real possibility if you have hood struts actively working against you as you try to close the hood.

 

[Barry S.]

Still two-stage release with the Sukemichi struts. You might want to check into your installation a bit more carefully. The two-stage release is a safety feature that's been present on hood latches for a few decades now. It's meant to prevent the hood from flying open and smashing your windshield should the hood latch open while driving. It might open for any number of reasons, including not being fully closed and latched the last time the hood was opened. This (the hood not being fully latched) seems like a real possibility if you have hood struts actively working against you as you try to close the hood.

No problem with the Redline doing two stage release. Mark S makes a good recommendation. Be careful about hood not fully latched.

 

[Horse n Buggy]

I tried to recreate the single stage release after work today to no avail. Two stage every time as from factory. Don't know how it happened, not sad that it's back to normal. Everytime I've closed the hood after Strut install I made sure the latches were fully engaged so I'll write it off as me being tired.

Sponsored