Hatch Struts

[rednucleus]

Good eve my friends!
How do you remove the hatch struts? I am tired of being bonked in the head as my OEM's just don't cut it anymore, especially in colder weather.
Thank you!

[deucekazoo]

They just pop off when you bend/twist them off. Well they are supposed to. The new ones have a metal clip that holds them on. Those are easier to replace because all you need is a flat screw driver to pop the clip. The original ones have a snap on fit and they are harder to get off. You can use a trim fur tree removal tool to get under the socket and pry up on it. I would do this to the bottom ball joint. Just make sure you have something on the interior trim so you don scratch it. But be careful of the ball joint on top of the pillar. I bend/twisted the hole strut to get it off the top ball and actually bend the sheet metal the ball is screwed into. So they hold on pretty tight. If you can find a small open end wrench I would unscrew the top ball joint and then put it in a vice to pull the strut off. This way you don't bend the metal. I hope this makes sense.
So the original ones are pressed on and they will pop off with enough force. The fur tree removal tool is a large flat looking screwdriver that has a fork look to it that will go around the ball. So just pry up on it. You can do this to the bottom and top one but I would just unscrew the top one. I don't think there is enough room to unscrew the bottom one.

[Cajun1guy]

Dave, I threw a short broom stick in the back to use as a prop rod. Downside of the louvers is they are heavy, and slightly cool weather means head knocks. I have replaced mine twice and they just don't last. Now I still have the OEM struts on my 2006 Honda Odyssey, and that rear door is heavy. They have not failed yet, I should see who made those and see if the have ones that will fit my S-12's.
Last time I replaced the struts, it was actually a struggle to close the hatch. Once I did not properly secure the hatch and when I got on the interstate the air stream pulled the hatch open, had to stop to slam it closed! As I recall, one set I replaced was like deuce said, you had to pry them off and snap on the new ones. Another set came with new ball ends already installed, so you had to unscrew the existing ones.

[rednucleus]

lol I have a stick already as back up. A buddy has a bunch of different struts at home that he says can have pressures adjusted; that's what I will try and report back. Just didn't want to break off what's already there.

[warrenhls3083301]

I payed 80$ to have my struts rebuilt by a local guy, he does everthing from ferrari to ford's,  he said the original's were good quality made in Japan,  but after a year the hatch doesn't stay open, so I bought a new set front rock auto