Hood struts from the Far East

[grumpyunk]

Got a set from aliexpress.
From here:
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256...2aa6pVn&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa&_randl_shipto=US
It took a couple weeks, but they seem of decent quality. Included are: two struts, two upper brackets, two lower brackets, and two flat washers. Also one picture of struts installed under hood.
Essentially useless instructions. The brackets in the picture should be reversed top to bottom to match how they install.
For less than half what the out-of-stock vendor wants, they meet the need.
As you can see in the pictures, the lower brackets want to rotate in place, but seem to work.

When you pull the hood release, the hood pops up a short bit, and then if you give a slight assist, it opens the rest of the way by itself.
tom

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[Chris_G]

Mounting brackets on fenders look flimsy. I hope you got a great deal on them.

 

[Darnon]

For about the same price the Klutchtech ones seem like a much better knockoff design. For anti-rotation they encircle the nuts on the underside of the bolts these are mounted to. Of course there is the slight finnickyness of having to remove both hood hinge bolts and maintain alignment, but I suppose one could cut the bracket down to a single hole mount like Redline does.

 

[grumpyunk]

Mounting brackets on fenders look flimsy. I hope you got a great deal on them.

The brackets themself are not flimsy. At least so far, but I don't think they are junk.

I had searched multiple times for this type product, and the only ones that came up were the MRTech, and they seemed to be priced as if they were made of unobtainium.
I figured give these a shot, and see what they turn out to be. I have no problem with parts quality, but their instructions(chuckle) were essentially 'look at this picture', and they had the upper and lower brackets reversed in the picture. I think.
The lower brackets twist,. but that may be by design as the two studs align better with the bracket twisted. Had I found(I searched Da RIver..) the klutchtech, I would likely have gone with them. Time will tell.

 

[grumpyunk]

The vendor left a message on aliexpress offering replacement lower brackets. I just had to measure the openings on the inner edge of the fender. I took some pictures with a measuring tape lying on the edge and sent them off.
I received a package with two new brackets, some washers, and a couple bolts. The new brackets used to fasteners and stayed aligned properly after installation.
I realize the hood is very easy to open, but wanted to add some custom things, and this set worked well. I have worked on vehicles with prop rods since 1984, a Ranger, and it was always a bit of trouble to reach past the prop rod when changing the oil filter. When I saw these, I wanted them.
All other brands were 'out of stock' at the time, so I ordered.
They work well, and the vendor took the extra time to make them work on his own initiative.

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