Lift gate struts

Anyone know if a shorter lift gate strut is available for a fifth gen? I would rather risk bonking my head then have the rear hatch bonk my garage door. Just need about 2” of less lift.

 

Want a super cheap solution? Paracord tied from the cargo area D ring to the lift gate handle. Tie it to the correct length to stop the lift gate opening all the way.

Want to make it fancy? Run a small bungee to the center of the paracord from another D ring (T shape) and it'll self retract as you close it.

But yeah, you can buy other lift gate struts. Measure yours, Google the length you need and boom.

 

What i like about the suggestion from @PVT Pablo is that if you use a carabiner, you can easily disconnect it when youre outside the garage to easily use the full height.

But I do agree that it sucks not being able to open the hatch when the vehicle is in the garage for fear of paint /trim damage.

Years ago I bought my wife a Tahoe and it had a messed up rear emblem. I bought a new one from Chevy for around $60 and right after installing it, I opened the rear hatch right into the garage door. Fortunately, all I messed up was the new emblem I had just installed 5 min prior. Could have been worse but I learned something that day.

 

Already got the para-bungee solution, looking for a strut replacement that will solve the problem. Thanks for your response.

 

$30 StrongArm 6331 Pontiac Grand Prix 2005-08 Hood Lift Support, Pack of 1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003O0YN8I?ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title

These were close to a 2” difference on mine. They have a catalog you can compare stock to desired new lift strut specs.

https://strongarmliftsupports.com/media/wysiwyg/StrongArm_Lift_Support_SALS-M3-2023_02.16.23_1.pdf

 

So the Pontiac struts fit your 5th Gen 4Runner liftgate fittings? Just so I am clear.

 

Tape foam to the portion of the garage door it will come in contact with.

 

I used a section on foam pipe insulation to my garage door where the hatch touched.

 

I have a similar need to reduce the open height by ~3” for my garage. Lift Supports Depot came to the rescue for $50 w/ free shipping.

Open your lift gate to the height you want it, then measure the strut’s extended length from mounting pin to mounting pin. For me, the new extended measurement was 21.75” (vs. 22.5” with the gate open completely). Call LSD ask for Jessica, give her your measurement, and she will search their database to find a strut that matches. For my application, that turned out to be the Strong Arm 6315-W.

https://www.liftsupportsdepot.com

OEM spec replacement strut:





Strut with shorter extended length and similar lift force:

 

Excellent. That’s what I will do.

thanks AJK

 

Please report back when you receive and install the new struts. My lift gate hits one of the cross beams on my carport, and although I "solved" this issue by putting carpet on the two cross beams (one on each end depending on whether I back in or pull in nose first), I wouldn't mind the lift gate topping out a bit lower to prevent it from going that high.

 

Here’s the spec on that Strong Arm 6331 mentioned by 4RUnderground. Looks like the 6331 is a bit shorter on the extended length than the 6335 that I ordered, so it would restrict the gate open height even more. Good to have options!