Rear Door Lift Pistons Replacement at your home or office.

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Rear Door Lift Pistons Replacement Service

What is the Rear Door Lift Pistons all about?

Being able to access all areas of your vehicle is important. Your hood grants you access to the engine bay. The doors give you access to the interior. The trunk or rear hatch gives you access to the rear cargo area. When it comes to rear cargo access, many different systems are used. Some cars use a system of metal springs that will hold the trunk lid up once it is open. Others use pistons or support struts – most liftgates use this system.

Rear door lift pistons are better known as hatch support struts or trunk lid support struts. They work just like the struts on your suspension, and are essentially hollow cylinders filled with a fluid. A piston runs through the center of the assembly, creating fluid pressure and ensuring that the strut does its job (holding the hatch open unaided, but allowing you to close the hatch as well).

Over time, rear door lift pistons are subject to a considerable amount of wear and tear, just like your car’s suspension. Using your rear hatch a lot will hasten the process, but all hatch support struts will eventually need to be replaced.

Keep in mind:

  • If your rear door lift pistons fail, the hatch will only open and close manually and will need to be supported when open.
  • Hatch support strut failure is very common.

Our recommendation:

Rear door lift pistons do not require any regular maintenance, they are subject to normal wear and tear and will eventually fail. Their failure can be an annoyance but will not cause any safety hazards while you are driving.

What common symptoms indicate you may need to replace the Rear Door Lift Pistons?

  • Fluid on the body of the strut
  • Significant buildup of dust and dirt on the strut (adhering to leaking fluid)
  • Hatch or trunk lid will not stay up without a prop
  • Hatch slowly closes under its own weight

How important is this service?

To be clear, your rear door lift pistons are a convenience feature. They’re not critical to safe driving. However, failure can be a significant annoyance, particularly if you regularly need to access the rear of your vehicle. For that reason, we recommend having the struts replaced as soon as it is practical. Since replacement can be difficult, have it done by one of our expert mechanics to ensure that removal and installation are done correctly.Additionally, have both replaced at the same time.

Fast and easy Rear Door Lift Pistons Replacement service at your home or office.


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