You can easily change out lift supports on your vehicle, toolbox, camping trailer, RV, and more! With the methods and a great supplier DirtFarmer Jay shows you, you’ll save time AND money!

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Changing lift struts on your vehicle can seem complicated, but with a bit of know-how, and a quality support supplier, you can easily do this remove and replace - with only a few simple tools.

Lift supports operate because of compressed nitrogen and oil in the cylinder body that exerts extreme pressure on the lifting rod. If you get a lift support, and you can compress it by hand, you’ve got a defective unit. The rod should retract into the support body only when it is loaded with the weight of the liftgate, lid, or hood it is attached to.

You’ll only need a few simple tools to do the job. Gather up a small to medium flat-blade screwdriver, and safety glasses, and you may need needle-nosed pliers if you have “wire-clip” style ball sockets. Some people like to put a spot of high-temperature grease in the ball end as well. Don’t use WD-40!

Of course, you need the correct lift support, and the best quality for the money! Our “go-to” is www.liftsupportsdepot.com. They have a large selection of supports for just about any make or model of vehicle, and supports for RVs, trailers, off-road vehicles, toolboxes, utility access covers, and even changing tables for your baby!

We prefer the Lift Supports Depot line as they are high-quality units, and fairly priced. There are a lot of cheaper Asian units found on Amazon, but they tend to be poor imitations of better gear. You get what you pay for.

Once you have your basic tool kit on hand and the correct supports, the job goes quickly. The basic steps are:
Lift the gate and place a step ladder under it to support it securely. Because the lift supports lift so well, you may well underestimate the weight of the tailgate. Have the ladder take the load as you proceed. Don’t use a single piece of wood or PVC pipe. This is asking for trouble. If you don’t have a ladder, use a strong-armed person to assist!
Take a picture or make a note of which way the lift supports are oriented. The goal is to have the end of the support body that the lift rod comes out of being oriented in a down position when the lid is closed. This is because the oil in the cylinder needs to continually bathe the sealing gasket in the cylinder so it won’t dry out and crack. Having the lift supports installed in the best position will make them last longer!
Remove the support from one side. Do this by inserting the flat blade of the screwdriver behind the u-band that secures the support to the vehicle ball mount. Pry the band back slightly enough to release the support and pull it away from the mount. Repeat the same process on the other end.
Install the new support. No screwdriver is needed. You can simply push the ball end on for “u-band” types. If your unit has a wire clip, you will use the needle-nosed pliers to rotate the clip around to release the end from the ball mount. For further instruction, visit https://www.liftsupportsdepot.com/how... If you want to, you can put a small dab of high-temperature grease inside the end or on the ball mounts. Some lift supports come with a small amount of grease already and others use self-lubricating materials. There has been some report of squeaking when the liftgate is raised and lowered, but we’ve never had that occur, and neither has the Team at LiftSupportDepot.com.
Repeat the process on the other side. If the ball end doesn’t line up with the ball mount on the rod end of the support, simply rotate it until it does.
Remove the ladder, and test the installation.
Smile at the realization you just did this yourself, saved a lot of money, and installed top-notch gear!

Isn’t it great when you can JUST DO IT YOURSELF?


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