I'm changing my hood struts but the new ones are so hard I can't compress them enough to get them on. Is there a trick I'm missing?

 

You shouldn't have to compress them at all. Hold the hood up with a broom handle or something and install them fully extended.


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82 camaro--original steering wheel, brake/gas pedals, seats--everything else modified
82camaro

 

Ditto.


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'82 Firebird, dead stock, 9 bolt disc rear, over 200,000 miles and still going strong, more to come...
http://www.spinfrenzy.com/stingerssx...easures.html#4

 

It's easier if you have someone holding the hood up for you. But it can be done solo if you have to. No special trick. Just as with the rear hatch struts, it must be in the fully extended position. The retaining clips can be a pain sometimes though.

 

Push the hood all the way up as far as it'll go and clamp a vise grip ont he silver part of the old strut so the black part can't slide down. Change the opposite sides strut and it should hold the hood up by itself, change the other and you're done. If this process takes longer than 5 minutes you're overlooking something.

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Drew
The lone Thirdgenner of the Apocalypse
predatorman@hotmail.com
My Website
87 Iroc
91 Formula 14.3@98mph
91 RS Convertible
91 Firebird V6
92 S10
98 Grand Am GT

 

I'm doing this as well. How are the clips meant to come off? Do they just pull in the opposite direction as the pins, or is there some kind of release on them?

Mathius

 

they should just pop off

 

Yes , look very closely, there are special ways of releasing each end