Ouch..hood strut help
 

All,

Got bonked on the head today by my hood on my 4.6is. OUCH. Seems the hood struts have finally started to fail. There are so many options out there that I thought I would ask for some input on which ones may be strong enough to properly prop this hood up. I'm open to "expensive" options that are amazing as it's still cheaper than a trip to the hospital for stitches or worse.

Thanks!

If they lasted this long why not use them again? Cheap to...

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...5-51238402551s

I shouldn't laugh but that was me exactly 2 years ago.

Go with factory because it's a known quality and to be honest you aren't trying to lift a different or heavier hood than stack so you don't need some super-duper extra strength one...

Now, a word of advice.... get help when you take the exhaust off for guibos, etc!!

Trust me, that sucker is made from lead..[emoji856][emoji1787][emoji1787]

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I got a pair for about $15 delivered from eBay about six or seven years ago. They've held up well, literally!

I tried finding them in my purchase history, but didn't find the seller. I'd look a the feedback on the seller before purchasing.

Search for something like:

e53 hood struts

I think they're the same for all e53 models. Installing was a bit of a battle. I recommend watching a YouTube video with instructions.

Just support the bloody thing with a pole or somthing when you disconnect one side.... my mate did it on his E90 and turned around........ bang bonnet shut full force onto some
Tools he had on the slam panel......... the language was choice when he saw the hammer shaped dent in his bonnet

I ended up with a pair of Monroe gas hood struts. The old ones were a breeze to pull off...I just yanked them. LOL. The clips broke quickly and quite handily. :). Snapped on the new pair and the hood is no longer a threat to my brain's health. :)

That said, my brain is hurting today as I'm trying to get my MK4 Nav to accept "ece" instead of us and Canada in NCSExpert. I open up my GT ECU...make the change...execute it in NCSExpert...coding ends...and the warning screen disappears...for about 5 minutes...even after a restart. Then it comes back. I know I"m missing something but at 105 degrees outside...I think I'll pack it in for the day.

Even brand-new Stabilus can fail, the hood is heavy.

Open the hood and find suitable points for a broomstick, then cut a piece of broomstick to length and keep it in the trunk.

Most Japanese cars use a metal stick, simple and lasts > 100 yrs.
Euro cars use Stabilus struts, which last anywhere between 2-10 yrs.

Considering that my last struts lasted 17 years...I have no complaints. Lol

Checking oil, adding Windshield fluid...I rely on hood struts bc it is quick.

For repairs lasting 15 min to hours ---> piece of broomstick = peace of mind.

PS: wear helmet next time you open the hood lol...

For those who don't care about spending money on these hood struts, here are the options...

Although my hood struts still work fine, for safety reasons, I sometimes use a stick to support.

For quick job (checking oil, adding WS fluid), I do not use the sticks. For long repair > 30 min or hours, I have the following tricks:

1. A short piece of chopstick + Zip Tie as shown. Once done, hide the chopstick nearby.

2. A piece of broomstick about 28-29 inches would do it. Please see photos...