What are the Hood Lift Support Shocks all about?

Hood lift support shocks are energy storage devices that work by means of compressing gas in a cylinder. When they’re closed, energy is stored, and when they’re opened, energy is released. You might think of them as shock absorbers or struts, but this is erroneous. Shocks absorb energy and do not release it.

Almost all vehicles use pneumatic struts to hold up the hood. They’re filled with inert gas that hold structures open. The lift supports store the energy when closed, and when they open, the energy is released. If the hood lift supports are weak or leaking, the hood may slowly close when opened or may slam down unexpectedly.

Keep in mind:

• Any hood lift support will eventually fail.
• Hood lift supports will operate more efficiently in warm temperatures than in cold ones.
• Frequent use can cause failure of a hood lift support.

How it's done:

• The vehicle's hood is opened and supported manually
• The defective hood lift support shocks are removed
• The new hood lift support shocks are installed
• The hood manual support is removed
• The repair is verified and the hood lift support shocks are tested for proper operation

Our recommendation:

You can extend the life of your hood lift shocks just by keeping them clean. Dirt and debris on the cylinder arm can nick the seal, causing a leak. If you’re experiencing problems with your hood lift support shocks, have one of our expert mechanics replace them.

What common symptoms indicate you may need to replace the Hood Lift Support Shocks?

• Hood slams down unexpectedly
• Hood slowly lowers when lifted

How important is this service?

It’s very important that your hood lift support shocks work properly as you don’t want to have your vehicle’s hood come crashing down on you. This is a problem that has happened to more backyard mechanics than we could recall. Have weak or failed hood lift support shocks replaced as soon as you can.