Safely Support Your Hood: A Comprehensive Guide to Hood Struts

Whether you’re replacing a car battery or refilling your windshield washer fluid reservoir, the hood struts are essential. They ensure a smooth opening of the car hood, safeguarding the engine and vital components from external elements. Moreover, they make repairs easier by securely holding the heavy hood lid open until it is manually closed.

However, we may not even notice their existence since they are of small size and inconspicuous installation in the corner, until one day they wear out and cannot lift our vehicle hood. To keep your hood functioning correctly, it’s essential to ensure your hood lift support is in good condition.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about hood lift support, including What hood struts are, the different types available, how to replace hood shocks( including the step-by-step guide to choose the right hood shocks for your vehicle and install them properly), and how to maintain hood struts.

Introduction: What are hood struts?

The hood struts are lift supports for the hood, they are responsible for keeping the hood for cars open and stable when you need to access the engine compartment. Without them, the hood can come crashing down on you, posing a significant safety risk. A faulty hood lift support can also cause the hood to slam shut unexpectedly, potentially causing damage to your vehicle or injuring yourself.

Types of lift hood support: Gas vs. hydraulic vs. mechanical

There are three main types of lift hood supports available on the market: gas, hydraulic, and mechanical. Gas lift supports are the most common, using pressurized gas(typically nitrogen) to generate force and keep the hood open. Hood hydraulic supports are similar but use hydraulic fluid to keep the hood open, they are more durable than gas struts and can last longer, so they are ideal for larger and heavier projects. Mechanical lift supports hold the hood open by using a spring mechanism. They are generally less common than gas or hydraulic shocks and are often found in older vehicles.

Signs that your hood lift support needs replacing

Over time, hood support struts can wear out, causing them to lose their ability to hold the hood open. Signs that your hood lift support needs replacing include difficulty opening the hood, the hood closing unexpectedly, or the hood not staying open when it’s supposed to.

How to replace hood shocks: Tips to buy replacements and installation

1. Choosing the right hood lifts for your vehicle: Factors to consider

When choosing a hood lift, several factors need to be considered, including the weight of your hood, the size of your hood, and the type of lift support your vehicle requires. It’s essential to choose the right hood lift support to ensure that it can handle the weight and size of your hood correctly. Another direct way is to find out the part number for the old one, then offer the specification to Apexstone customer service, we will help you to buy the perfect replacement for the hood struts of the car.

2. Removing the hood struts

To replace the hood shocks, we ought to remove the old hood supports first. Preparing a flat-head screwdriver or a hook tool, and Start by securing the hood of the car in the open position. Our goal is to get the metal clips facing rearward back off, so we just need to use a flat screwdriver or a hook tool that comes in the metal clip and push it out, please note that we don’t need to pop it all the way off, just out far enough where you can release the ball stud. Once you have done that, go ahead and repeat the process for the other end and another side.

3. Installing car hood struts: Step-by-step instructions

Installing a hood lift support is a relatively simple process that can be done in a few steps. Start by cleaning off any debris on the ball end, and do it to the top and bottom. Then put a dab of grease on each end. Next, take our new lift support into position, put the bottom side in first and it’s going to be a push into place until you hear a click. You can test it to ensure that it’s functioning correctly by opening your car hood a few times just to make sure everything is in place and clipped in.

Maintaining hood lift supports: Tips for prolonging their lifespan

Proper maintenance of your hood hydraulic arms can help prolong their lifespan and ensure that it continues to function correctly. We should clean and inspect regularly.

1. Wipe the dust.

Dust is easy to accumulate inside the front hood since cars often run on the road, comparing to gas struts for furniture, hood struts need to be cleaned regularly to remove the dust on the surface of the struts, at least once every six months.

2. Inspecting.

Regularly inspecting the lift support for wear and tear and lubricating it can help keep it functioning smoothly.

Common issues with hood lifts and how to troubleshoot them

Even with proper maintenance, hood lift supports can experience problems. Common issues include leaks, failure to hold the hood open, or difficulty closing the hood. Troubleshooting these issues often involves inspecting the lift support for damage or leaks and replacing it if necessary. But how to fix them? You can ask a professional person to fix them but the cost would be high. We suggest replacing a new one which would be the best solution since it will both save money and time.

Conclusion

In conclusion, your hood shocks are an essential part of your vehicle’s safety and functionality. By understanding the different types available, how to choose the right one, and how to maintain and install them correctly, you can ensure that your hood shocks will keep your hood open safely and securely.