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Car: All A3 Golfs and Jettas.
Cost: $30 for the strut, $6 for the hole-threading tools.
Required Tools: Open-end wrench set or socket set (metric & english), drill, 5/16" drill bit, hole thread tool with 3/8-16 tap bit (See picture), rubbing compound, rags. Note: Make sure the strut you purchased has a 3/8-16 thread! Some do not!
Time: 20 minutes.
Note on purchasing the strut: I was only able to find the correct hood strut at TrakAuto and not anywhere else... most parts stores now sell only the strut w/o the mounting hardware which you will need. The brand is "Mighty Lift" and the part number is D95211. If you don't live near a TrakAuto, or can't find that part, you need to find a "hood" strut that is approximately 15" long and has a ball-joint on each end. One ball joint-bolt should be 3/4" long and the other should be a standard length. Click the picture below to see what I mean, and see what the strut end should look like. *PepBoys may also have the strut: Part # 92516.
Procedure:
- Pop your hood (bonnet) open.
- Remove the bolt from the hood first. You'll need a socket to remove the bolt closest to the front of the car on the hood support hinge. This is where the 3/4" ball-joint nut will go with it's washer. Depending on the brand of strut purchased, the new bolt may thread right in or it may not. If it doesn't, you may be S.O.L. and have to get a different strut with a different thread pattern.
- Remove a screw from your fender (look at the picture at the top of the page to see which one.) You will have to drill a larger hole in order to fit the tap tool in. NOTE: It is up to you to make sure you have the correct size tools that correspond to the bolts you are using! Just because it worked for me doesn't mean it will work for you! Be careful tapping the hole, take your time because there isn't a lot of metal there. If you want to be extra careful, you may want to put a nut on the inside of the fender, but the bolt I had wasn't long enough to do that and I didn't want to rip my fender apart.
- Thread the small bolt into the fender hole... you may need to use a larger washer than what came with the strut to fill the hole where the old bolt was.
- Remove the foam pad on your hood... it just snaps off with a flathead screw driver. You can cut it to fit around the strut, but it's not worth the effort.
- Snap the strut on. NOTE: The "fat" end of the strut snaps onto the fender!!!! If you mount the strut upside-down, your hood won't shut!
- If your strut has some ugly white text all over it, take some mild rubbing compound and rub it off and then slap on your favorite sticker.
- Remove your old strut but twisting it out of it's rubber holder. You may want to keep it on "just in case" but it looks better w/o it.
Some people say you should use two struts, one on either side, to keep the hood from warping over time. I don't know if this is true or just a sales gimmick to get you to buy two struts. My one strut holds the hood just fine and my hood isn't warped. However, the single strut isn't strong enough to keep the hood open when it is winding outside, which may be a problem if you need to make a roadside repair on a windy day.
Impressions:
For a measly $30, it's a modification definitely worth doing. If you're like me, you spend a lot of time under the hood for various reasons and you will no longer have to worry about bumping into the hood prop and having the hood land on your head!
Bradley Butzke - 96 Jetta GLS
Todd Taylor - '97 GTI VR6
