After two other attempts at gas lift hood struts, I have succeeded! For a total outlay of about $32 (including the two failed attempts!)

Most gas struts have about 50 lbs of force, WAY too much for the 'little-girlie' hood of the '8......I found some more delicate ones at my local surplus joint, with around 20 lbs of push.

They mount to a bracket from the hinges, and anchor to the body at the panel bolt by the shock tower. The brackets and mounts are a little over-built, but better that way than flimsy.

More importantly, they are 100% BOLT ON! The stock struts, and all the aftermarket kits I've seen, need new holes, rivets, threaded inserts etc.

The cheesey hood prop is GONE!

S

The struts are probably going to be the hardest parts to find.......

The Symbol on them looks like a christian cross in a circle, don't know what company that is. Writing is the usual 'warning:high pressure, do not bite' stuff....Logo says either "STABILUS" or "STABIL U.S." (very small) Colmar Pa. USA.
#'s on strut - 9L28630 C239/94

S

The hinge end is cast aluminum, cut to extend forward over the rubber seal between engine compartment and wipers.
Bolt holes to match the hinge bolts. The stock bolts are huge, over an inch long, lots of room for added metal.
The hinge bracket is the only complicated bit to make, the bottom bracket is just a pivot and a bolt hole.

You could probably do a lot better job of matching color too, it is the only red I had, and is ALMOST, but not QUITE, exactly the wrong shade.....

S

I cut the bracket out of of piece of alloy computer scrap. Just used a piece with a 90 degree bend at the end. You need a minimum 150mm length, to reach over the firewall lip into the engine side.
Two holes to mate with the hinge, 60mm apart, then a smaller third hole to go over a little stud in the hood, 45mm from the top hinge bolt (see pictures).
I put a small 'pad' of metal under this area, supported by the 'stud', for a bit of strength.


S

The strut I used was 450mm, hole centre to hole centre, about 17¼ inches. Anyone who wants to make one will probably have to vary the measurements to fit their struts.

Again, I cannot get any more of these parts, they were surplus, and I think I bought the last two, and any brackets I made would be useless if you found different struts, or ball/stud/clip type connections.

S

Very, very nice mod. Now if we can just source those hood struts....

Not too optimistic in finding more at Princess Auto, but will rifle thru their shelves next visit to the 'city'.

We need someone with connections in the strut business......

S

http://www.stabilus.com/

also same site http://www.stabilus.com/englisch/Anwendungen/gasfedern_daempfer.asp? click on "The gas spring for Hood" at the bottom of the page.

Sales Office Automotive
36225 Mound Road
Sterling Heights, MI 48320

586-977-2950

better yet found this that also has mounting hardware for them:

http://www.casterpro.com/gaspage.html

Those hood struts were so 'yesterday'!

I redid them with real ball/bolts from a junkyard. (ball/bolts......mmmmm!)

The 10mm bolt on the fender came from a Taurus, and the top hinge bolt, from some kind of Pontiac stationwagon.

New slightly stronger lifters from my usual outlet have boosted my total outlay for the project to over $56! (Canadian, about $13, U.S.!)

I feel my phoney CF look gives it the final touch! Nice & Ricey!

S

I saw the same kit for $250 somewhere. I went to try and find it and then I saw this thread. Thanks, you guys, for saving me a bunch of dough.

Charles.

Vivid Racing (one of our sponsors here) sells this setup for $280 plus shipping. StealthTL's method is a wee bit more economical. ;)

Very true. We've sold a set to a forum member who wanted thema and they weren't cheap. Personally I'd rather pay you to get the set up for me.

They are amazing! I have seen the factory fitment, drilling holes in the aluminium hood, threading inserts with a tool, and the result not looking so good!
felix

An update for those who are still trying to source the parts for this,
I finally found commercial hood struts for this mod -

they are the rear glass supports from a 1988 BroncoII, :o

-Motormite95090 ($27@)
-JC Whitney ZX125893R ($25@)
and Strongarm 4423 ($24@)

they are delicate little 'girly' lifters that won't bend the alloy hood!

S

StealthTL do you think the hood struts that they have at AutoZone will work I went their and their was a lot of them for like 30$ max they are universal is what they said I wanted to make this work but they hade different size's in length of the struts. they hade fat, short, tall and all kind, so i did not know what to get LOL i was like crap !!!!

StealthTL do you think the hood struts that they have at AutoZone will work I went their and their was a lot of them for like 30$ max they are universal is what they said I wanted to make this work but they hade different size's in length of the struts. they hade fat, short, tall and all kind, so i did not know what to get LOL i was like crap !!!!I believe they were all too strong... I think he tried to source these through places like AutoZone first.

An update for those who are still trying to source the parts for this,
I finally found commercial hood struts for this mod -

they are the rear glass supports from a 1988 BroncoII, :o

-Motormite95090 ($27@)
-JC Whitney ZX125893R ($25@)
and Strongarm 4423 ($24@)

they are delicate little 'girly' lifters that won't bend the alloy hood!

SVery cool, Stealth! One of these days I'll be tackling this one... hafta add it to the to-do list! :D

A project the wife and I can do together. Also one that's in the budget too ......

I wonder if the struts that holds our trunk open would work on the hood?

Wow, thanks for all that info! This is an easier DIY project that I can do! LOL

AH.... Looks like your struts will block the access to take off your oil filter.

That's where I stand and put my arm in there. hand fits over filter and it comes off easy everytime. I don't need to be working my arm aound the strut or my move my face.

Let us know, please?

^ I know what you're talking about. I was thinking about doing this until I realized that the spot I usually lean into will be blocked by the strut piece. Not worth the trouble.

It takes about 10 seconds to remove the strut from the balljoint.

so if i get them from jc whitney is this everything i need? can you explain in more detail about the thing you had to cut?

wait didnt you actually replace them and get different ones? im lost can someone explain.. and your ricey CF is that a sticker or real outer layer.. i like it. even if its rice. lol tell meeeeeee thanks. =D

You need to get the struts and four 6 mm threaded ball joints. Also, you will have to fabricate a mount to attach the struts to the hood. There is none available to buy.
It is not a quick bolt-on job.

That's a lot cheaper than the TEIN set, $113.00, but you don't have to cut anything out with the TEIN's.

Using the lifter part number from JC Whitney and 4 stainless steel brackets w/ 10mm ball studs ordered on line from TJTrailers.com, hood modification was completed in less than 30 minutes.

There were no fabrications required, it was all bolt on. The only thing I had to do was to increase the diameter of the existing holes in the ball stud bracket to accommodate the stock bolts from the hood and frame. I also chose to add a couple more self tapping screws for support. (this was mostly for the benefit of any service tech that might not be as careful and deliberate with my car as I am)


JC Whitney part # for Gas Filled Lifters manufactured by Strong Arm: ZX125893R
Cost $25.00 for 2 lifters

TJTrailers.com: Angle bracket w/10mm ball stud in stainless steel part # 49837.
The brackets are manufactured by AP Products and described as:
3/4" L Gas Prop Bracket (AP079-2)
Cost $9.40 for all 4 brackets

^^^ Thats pretty inexpensive. Cool too.

galleychief, could you measure the compressed length and the extended length of your gas props, maybe we could order the gas props from TJ Trailers also?

Thanks :yelrotflm

TJTrailer Gas Props and brackets (http://www.tjtrailers.com/store/gas-props.html#13605)

Great approach, Galleychief!
...and the price is certainly right!

I measured my struts, they are 17 1/4", and about 10 1/2" commpressed.

Several of the trailer site's models are that size, the only difference being the #s of "push"...I would have to GUESS that the most delicate, lightest push model, the 35#, would be the one.

One more point - if you could find the 10mm threaded ball-stud for the fender, (it is a Ford part) you could eliminate that bottom bracket, it screws right into the fender bolt's place.

S

Stealth,

I actually ordered two straight ball posts from TJ trailer, hoping to do what you described. Problem is the bolts that hold the hood on have 10mm threads. The fender bolt is something closer to 4-6mm. Also, if you find and use a straight post, the lifter ends up being about 1.5 inches too short. It would still work but the hood would not open to the "standard" height.


Woody,

My lifters are the same measurements that Stealth gave. Difference between what TJ Trailers sells and the Strong Arm brand I purchased is the closing /opening pressure. Mine are 25 (lbs). I think the TJ Trailer ones are 35 and should work just fine! One stop shopping, even better :yesnod:
GC

Check out McMaster-Carr (http://www.mcmaster.com/), then search "gas springs". Tells you everything you need to now to size the right spring.

They have the gas springs 17 1/4" x 10 1/2" for $19.51,

Search "threaded ball stud" and then click "(Continued on following page)" at the bottom of the frame, and they have 10mm threaded ball stud part that eliminates the bracket on the fender for $1.96 each, and the brackets needed on the hood hinge $4.48 each.

$19.51 + $1.96 + $4.48 = $25.95 x 2 = $51.90 :rock:

galleychief,

Did you have any problems with the gas props hitting the plastic windshield tray when you close the hood? My gasprop seems to be binding there.

Yeah, I trimmed off about half an inch of the plastic tray and attached gasket on both sides.

Has everyone had to trim theirs? If not, what did you do different?

I took a piece of steel (1/8" x 1 1/5" X 9") and drilled out some holes so I didn't have to cut out the plastic tray.

Hmmm, not bad. that long peice insn't too flexible???

Hmmm, not bad. that long peice insn't too flexible???

No it doesn't twist if that is what you are asking. There is more metal in the fabricated flat piece than is in the entire hood hinge itself. It does flex up and touches the hood, but that is like an 1/8 of an inch.

Just finished this mod following woddysjh's advice. I chose to use aluminum 1/8" x 1" and only tied it off to the first bolt on the hinge so I used a much shorter piece. One thing I didn't notice until now (but found out the hard way). You need to use the center hole of the bracket for mounting to the fender.

Also, the flex is not noticable if you mount the hood bracket just past the little metal protrusion (look at the extra hole in the pic...).

Great mod everyone!! One other note, JC Whitney now sells the gas springs individually, not as a pair so the cost is a bit more, but still less than the kits.

I am going to have the parts painted to match when I mount the MS spoiler. My wife is hounding me about that now.

FoxyRoxy's mechanic...

One follow-up note: DON'T USE ALUMINUM!!! Lynn and I were at VIR this past weekend and after the first session we had extreemly soft aluminum (so soft it just folded over...). I had to remove them at the track.

Just finished this mod following woddysjh's advice. I chose to use aluminum 1/8" x 1" and only tied it off to the first bolt on the hinge so I used a much shorter piece. One thing I didn't notice until now (but found out the hard way). You need to use the center hole of the bracket for mounting to the fender.

Also, the flex is not noticable if you mount the hood bracket just past the little metal protrusion (look at the extra hole in the pic...).

Great mod everyone!! One other note, JC Whitney now sells the gas springs individually, not as a pair so the cost is a bit more, but still less than the kits.

I am going to have the parts painted to match when I mount the MS spoiler. My wife is hounding me about that now.

FoxyRoxy's mechanic...

Yeah your right, I could have made my metal pieces shorter and then there would be less flex. Maybe some lonely saturday I will remake them.

wow this looks like an awesome mod, i think i wanna do it!

sorry to revive an old thread, but if anyones interested in cheap hood struts..here ya go.. ebay link to the struts you can use, and the brackets to bolt on. Total I just paid, $40 shipped

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/RR-GLASS-LIFT-SUPPORTS-STRUTS-1984-1990-FORD-BRONCO-II_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1638Q2em118QQcategor yZ33647QQihZ006QQitemZ160194963481QQrdZ1QQsspagena meZWD1V --- STRUTS

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NEW-3-4-L-Gas-Prop-Bracket_W0QQitemZ190183529424QQihZ009QQcategoryZ50 070QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem?_trksid=p 1638.m118--BRACKETS

Stealth,

Can you tell me what thread size is the fender bolt? will 5/16"-18 fit?

hey, just to give you a heads up on this thread, dont bother trying the bronco rear window struts like were suggested. I went through the whole process just to find out that both of them just barely WONT hold the hood up.

shakeyourbrakes,

Thank you for the heads up, where did you find the ball studs?
If not bronco window lift, what would you recommend?
do you know how many lb of force is there from each bronco lift?

no idea what would work. They were long enough, that wasnt the problem..somewhere in this thread theres the length, but they were just barely too light. The ball connectors I got off ebay from a company, theyre called
3/4" L Gas Prop Brackets.
heres a old link
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NEW-3-4-L-Gas-Prop-Bracket_W0QQitemZ190183529424QQihZ009QQcategoryZ50 070QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem?_trksid=p 1638.m118

cant help ya with the struts, sorry. It was actually a really tricky and frustrating project I thought as far as having to cut the platic shroud on top and drilling holes in the hood. In the end I spent around 45 or 50, and I have a few holes to show for it.. you can get a kit made for it for around a hundred i think, probably worth it.

http://www.autopartsbylou.com/lift-supports-product.php?item=10215&qty=2&make=FORD&model=Bronco%20II&year=1988&type=Rear%20Window%20Glass

According to the site above, they carry the StrongArm type (generally found in Autozone or other auto part store), bronco lift are 30 lb each side.

http://www.truckoutfittersplus.com/store/topper_parts_gas_props_toppers.htm