There’s a special kind of indignity in watching your car’s hatch give up halfway to liftoff, settling like a lazy elevator between floors. It has one job—so when it fails, the situation feels less like a malfunction and more like a personal slight. You’re no longer just a vehicle owner in a parking lot. You’re now That Person™. The one who silently negotiates with a piece of machinery, gently pleading with it to stay open long enough to unload the groceries, while quietly praying it doesn’t crash down on your head in protest.
We see you. We’ve been you! And the good news is that this one’s an easy fix.
If your hatch, hood, or tailgate has stopped holding itself open, the culprit is almost always a worn-out lift support. These small gas-filled cylinders hold up everything from trunk lids to truck bed covers doors, and like any part with a limited lifespan, they eventually lose pressure and stop doing their job. Here’s how to know when it’s time, and exactly how to handle it yourself.
Signs Your Lift Supports Are Failing
When it comes to lift supports, failure rarely happens spontaneously. Instead, the gas trapped inside the cylinders slowly seeps out over years of use. That means there are warning signs—if you know what to look for:
- Slower to open than it used to be. The first sign is subtle. Your hood or hatch simply won’t pop open with the same eagerness anymore.
- Doesn’t open all the way on its own. The door releases but gives up part way. Often, you must manually push on it for the struts to fully cooperate.
- Drifts back down slowly after opening. Things will hold for a bit, then start sinking.
- Visible oily residue or “goo” around the piston. Fluid or gas is actively leaking, and it’s a clear sign the seal is failing.
- Full weight falls the second you let go. If you’ve started keeping a broom handle in the trunk to prop it open for grocery runs, you’re officially past time for an upgrade.
Keep in mind that many vehicles use two lift supports per opening, one on each side. If one’s failing, the other is rarely far behind—it’s almost always worth replacing both at the same time rather than doing this twice.
How to Replace Lift Supports, Step by Step
Replacing a standard lift support is one of the easiest repairs you can do yourself, with one caveat: if your vehicle has a power liftgate, this isn’t your project. Power liftgates use specialized electric struts instead of simple gas struts, built around a motor and a threaded screw/spindle drive rather than pressurized gas. They’re paired with sensors and control modules, cost significantly more, and often need a reset or recalibration after replacement—meaning they’re a job for a dealer or qualified technician, not a driveway fix.
If your vehicle uses standard gas struts, here’s how to replace them:
- Confirm you have the correct replacement. Lift supports are sold by exact vehicle year, make, and model, and are often side-specific (e.g., driver’s side and passenger’s side aren’t always interchangeable). An easy pro tip is to set an old strut next to the new one it’s meant to replace and confirm they match in length—both open and closed.
- Prop the hatch, hood, or tailgate open securely before starting. A second person holding it, or a sturdy support like a broom handle, 2x4, or garden rake, works fine. This step is important, as a heavy hood or trunk lid coming down unexpectedly can cause real injury.
- Detach the old strut from its ball-socket mounts at each end, usually with a spring clip or a small pry tool like a flathead screwdriver.
- Attach the new strut the same way, one side at a time if your vehicle uses a pair.
- Give everything a test run. Slowly open and close the hatch, hood, or tailgate a few times, confirming it holds evenly if you replaced both sides.
- If you’re in a cold climate, add a light coat of white lithium grease on the rubber weather stripping and hinges. This can help prevent sticking once winter sets in.
If after this process, new struts don’t fix the problem, it’s possible that the mounting brackets themselves may be bent or worn. It’s worth a broader inspection before assuming you just got a bad part.
Small Part, Big Relief
A worn-out lift support is one of those problems that sounds more serious than it is. With the right replacement part, a few basic tools, and about fifteen minutes in the driveway, you can fix it yourself without a trip to the mechanic.
And once you know what to look for, you’ll start noticing lift supports everywhere—truck bed covers, camper shells, toolboxes, and plenty of other spring-assisted lids all rely on the same basic part. So, if something else on your vehicle has started drifting shut on you too, there’s a good chance the fix is similar.
Don’t be That Person™. Parts Via carries lift supports matched to your exact vehicle, from trusted brands like Strong Arms, Crown Automotive, and AP Products/Suspa. Enjoy our fast, FREE ship-to-store option at checkout, and get back to a hatch that actually stays open.