How To replace Tailgate Lift Support Struts
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- čas přidán 27. 08. 2024
- Save money, fix your own car! Here's a basic DIY show you how to replace liftgate struts, demonstrated on a 2012 Subaru Outback wagon, but this is the same procedure on most vehicles.
Here are the struts for the 2012 Subaru: amzn.to/3iAmQy5
Basic tools: amzn.to/3pLBEvh
With the help of your video, I was able to change out the struts on my 2010 Outback without any do-overs or cussing. Appreciated the comedy at the beginning, and nice to see the Royals hat (grew up in KC)!
Glad to help with the struts and a laugh. Go Royals!
I just got done replacing my lift struts on my Outback, just like you showed. The only thing I did differently was using a rake instead of a shovel to prop the hatch open! 😀. THANK YOU for the clear instructions !
A rake! Perfect haha whatever gets the job done!
I didn't expect comedy when looking for a DIY car video... love it! Thanks
Thanks for watching! Gotta have fun with a boring topic 🤣
The intro is great. Got a chuckle & had to re-watch. The actor who played the leg-wiggler should be nominated for an Emmy! Same for the director; slow-mo and B&W works perfectly for the scene.
I'll let the actor know haha!
I watched 5 videos for this job - this was the very best: a clear, accurate, uncomplicated, well-produced video. I, a total amateur, repaired my liftgate in 30 minutes (I had to find an adjustable wrench and a socket wrench for tools, and use a plastic snow shovel to keep the liftgate open while I was working on it), everything worked exactly as demonstrated in the video. Thank you - I'll be looking for more of your videos!
Thanks for the kind words! I appreciate you watching
Giving the size of wrench/socket needed was a huge help.
Glad to help!
Thanks!! Just finished replacing mine and I have your video to thank for it.
Thanks for the video. I ordered the replacement struts from Subaru and they didn't come with new ball stubs. But it was easy to remove them from the old struts with a flathead screwdriver and reuse them. Whew! There's a metal retaining band that you can lift from the back and then it is released. Also I found that a stepladder worked really well to prop up the tailgate. Mine was the perfect height for this job.
The parts I ordered were 63260AL03B (left) and 63260AL02B (right) and fit a 2015 Outback just fine. Alternates might be cheaper.
That's awesome, good feedback. Thanks for watching and I'm glad your car is working again!
Answered all my questions in under five minutes, great job, thanks for making the video, now I just have to make sure I don’t got two of the same side!
Awesome, Glad to help out. Good luck!
Thanks. You are very good at conveying instructions and with positive attitude and a smile. And you're not in the way which is often the case on the net. Dave, Naples Fl. PS I used a painters adjustsble extension pole to hold up door. 😂
Thanks for watching! Lots of funny items being used as props haha
Omg thank you for this. I have a 2018 forester and as I went to close my tailgate the other day one of these things SNAPPED at the ball joint. Apparently it rusted out on me. I’m happy this seems to be such a simple fix.
Very simple, I'm sure you can do it. Thanks for watching!
After this I also found out that they extended the warranty on these parts to 8 years/100k miles on 2014-2018 foresters!! 🙌😩
Had to forward the service bulletin PDF to them and it was no problemo.
@@caitlynbabin1592 even easier!
First video I stumbled upon, and this was all I needed to haul ass to the parts department! Thank you so much!
Good deal, thanks for watching!
Well explained without a lot of extra stuff. And moderately funny too :)
Haha thanks 👍
LOL. this was funny. Both my 23yo daughter and myself had similar experience with the rear deck. I have the bruise to prove it! Great easy to follow video!!
Those liftgates will get you!
Nice. Well presented.
Thanks for the help
Awesome thanks for the how do.👍🍻
You're welcome, thanks for watching
Great Job! Clear and concise, helped me repalce mine! Thank you.
Thanks for the kind words!
Has anyone had the strut bust through the interior molding next to the taillight? The strut came off the ball. It is bent and stuck.
Thank you!
You're welcome!
What if the ball point has snapped off? Can I replace just the ball point? Thanks
Sure thing. If you don't have a ball joint press you can rent one from the auto parts store
Nice Miata
Just put some sweet reemz on it
Hi there, you said you would show some useful tools below in the comments. Sorry I am not sure what you mean. Thanks Bob
Hi Bob, I just have a couple of links to buy tools in the video description in case people need some basic hand tools to accomplish this job. Thanks for watching!
Word of warning. My struts had a very small wire clip in the ball receptacle. Almost impossible to see. Tried with a hammer to get the strut to seat properly. Eventually looked in the other old strut to see no wire. Took it out and it slipped on in a jiff. Thanks for the video.
Glad to hear you got it figured out, good tip thank you
Hi there, wow are you quick. I am in NZ and a reply here is likely to take a week or no reply. Thanks again
Why can't the original gas struts be removed from the ball? I'm trying it now and I'm struggling, so stupid there isn't a release pull tab that most have. I got new gas struts but they of course don't come with a new ball pivot bolt, I need to get the old struts off them.
It seems like a one-way street once they're in. I'm sure they could be coerced out somehow, with the right amount of leverage in the correct place. Luckily mine came with new ones so I did not have to mess with it
@RiggsGarage yeah I took it off the car and it has no gas anyway left, had it on the ground, my foot near the end, used a claw hammer to slide in between and pulled with decent force but carefully, it does not come out. Factory ones are like pressed or made together some how. I have to get the ball joint bolt separately >:(
@@Davo_1991 I didn't notice this before making a comment, but I was able to release them fairly easily with a flat head screwdriver. It looked like there was even a small notch designed to make this easy.
@keithevans6450 yours wouldn't be the same as mine then, this is a year old comment. I replaced them as you have to unbolt the bracket from the body for the tailgate gas struts. My factory ones I found you cannot separate the ball joint whatsoever. Even tested at work after I already had replacements with a vice, they designed it to be a permanent ball joint, all other normal ones have a tab you use a flat blade screw driver and it pops out.
@@Davo_1991 I figured it might help someone else and save them another order or trip to the store. I was a little worried when I found that they didn't have the bolts included. My factory struts were from 2015 and they must have been different than yours. The replacements I bought 63260AL03B (left) and 63260AL02B (right) were slightly different than my originals too. Hopefully they last even longer.
You reuse the bracket that goes on the car side correct?
Depends - some of the struts come with brackets, some do not
@@RiggsGarage would the bracket be able to come out if I needed to reuse it? Or like you said once it’s in it’s in? I’m confused.
if you’re alone and don’t have anything to hold the trunk up are you out of luck?
Use anything you can find, a chair, somebody else, etc. Good luck!
@@RiggsGarage thank you!
Most cars are 50 times easier than this and can be done with one hand holding it up and only a flat screwdriver as a tool
Sounds good, make it so