DIY short hood struts just like WOT, but like 1/3 the price

[LookAtMyHorse]

A shining prince named Aaron Kinnunen (with an FL5) posted this parts list on Facebook, so I'm putting it here too.

Parts:

• Lower mounting bracket option 1: https://a.co/d/03bnnnS5 or Lower mounting bracket option 2: https://a.co/d/019nzKeC (I got this one)
• Hood Struts make sure you select 40LB 8.5" https://a.co/d/0i72YKvE
• Upper Strut Mount (attached to factory hood hinge) https://a.co/d/00GkMJZt
• 2x M5 rivet nuts (came with the kit below for me)
• 2x M5 x 20mm bolts https://a.co/d/0aAUMQ7I
• 2x large flat washers (the lower mounting brackets have big holes. I had some extras from a TV wall mounting kit)

Tools:

• Rivnut tool https://a.co/d/02VbYYXl
• 12mm wrench (for upper mount)
• 13mm wrench (for upper mount)
• Small flathead (for if you need to release the socket mounts on the struts)
• Hex wrench for the M5 bolts

Instructions:
Put your hood up in service mode and follow the video (but you don't need to release the sockets mounts on the struts, they just pop on).


You want to have the mounting balls pointing inwards like the FL5 instructions. That's it, pretty inexpensive and works great, very solid, very human, yadda yadda.

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[UWU-mancer]

Damn. I bought the kit last year and felt it was overpriced for what it was. Took an eternity for me to install too

 

[Dvs1270]

I realized after I bought them I could used a strut similar to my underbed gun vault. Oh well, next time.

 

[UWU-mancer]

I realized after I bought them I could used a strut similar to my underbed gun vault. Oh well, next time.

Gun vault pics plz?

 

[goobax]

How’s the resistance when closing the hood shut?

 

[LookAtMyHorse]

How’s the resistance when closing the hood shut?

The resistance is at its fullest when the hood is completely open, then gradually diminishing as it gets closer to being closed. The last foot of swing you can basically drop it to close the hood. You have to get the hood about halfway open before the struts can hold it up unassisted.

 

[mugendc4]

dang.. i knew WOT was overpriced but I still bought it since I couldn't figure out what those brackets were called when I was searching for it.

If you let the struts do the work and open the hood, does the hood bounce at the end? I'm not sure if it's a WOT struts supplied or it's just the nature of it since it's small and where the struts are mounted.

I know these struts are popular (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D2PS1MS5/?coliid=I1HBAL1AX70EQ5&colid=2HS0X68QE0ZBS&th=1) and it opens the hood nice and smooth but location doesn't look as clean.

 

[UWU-mancer]

How’s the resistance when closing the hood shut?

Hardly any once you bring it down from its highest point about four inches. Maybe 5.

 

[LookAtMyHorse]

dang.. i knew WOT was overpriced but I still bought it since I couldn't figure out what those brackets were called when I was searching for it.

If you let the struts do the work and open the hood, does the hood bounce at the end? I'm not sure if it's a WOT struts supplied or it's just the nature of it since it's small and where the struts are mounted.

I know these struts are popular (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D2PS1MS5/?coliid=I1HBAL1AX70EQ5&colid=2HS0X68QE0ZBS&th=1) and it opens the hood nice and smooth but location doesn't look as clean.

The geometry and length of the struts that I used means that the struts can’t impart any upward force on the hood until it has opened a ways. When the hood is closed these struts are almost parallel to the ground, when fully open they sit at a 45 degree angle.

 

[Dvs1270]

Gun vault pics plz?

https://a.co/d/0iSBdW50
The strut is smaller, but it made me think about the hood struts after I bought the WOT.

 

[ModJPB]

Wow! That's awesome. To late for me, I bought the WOT kit and installed last year. Nice to know if either strut goes bad, we can get individual replacement parts.

 

[UWU-mancer]

https://a.co/d/0iSBdW50
The strut is smaller, but it made me think about the hood struts after I bought the WOT.

Dang yeah it’s about that size. Dope safe

I go raw with my ar15, 9mm FN and 380 hellcat. Kids are all adults, out of the house and doing god knows what

but I’m in Colorado. So if someone breaks in I gotta make sure to remove my magazine and just use my rifle like a bat.

I miss Florida. U could shoot a mf in the back and be all like “I felt threatened” and the shit would fly.

 

[UWU-mancer]

Wow! That's awesome. To late for me, I bought the WOT kit and installed last year. Nice to know if either strut goes bad, we can get individual replacement parts.

Didn’t think about that. Good point.

 

[Dvs1270]

Dang yeah it’s about that size. Dope safe

I go raw with my ar15, 9mm FN and 380 hellcat. Kids are all adults, out of the house and doing god knows what

but I’m in Colorado. So if someone breaks in I gotta make sure to remove my magazine and just use my rifle like a bat.

I miss Florida. U could shoot a mf in the back and be all like “I felt threatened” and the shit would fly.

I'm in GA, but yeah I have my ARs in a gun safe. I keep a TTI Combat & CZ Scorpion with a can by the bed in a small safe. That's 52 rounds of get back & if I have to go into the closet an escalation of violence will occur. My kids are adults & know how to operate. They go with us old soldiers to run drills at the range.

 

[UWU-mancer]

I'm in GA, but yeah I have my ARs in a gun safe. I keep a TTI Combat & CZ Scorpion with a can by the bed in a small safe. That's 52 rounds of get back & if I have to go into the closet an escalation of violence will occur. My kids are adults & know how to operate. They go with us old soldiers to run drills at the range.

Same. My kids have been shooting since I was enlisted. No safe here. As I don’t plan to ever use a firearm to defend my home. Ever. Cuz Colorado. And when traveling I take my weapons to my gun smith for storage and safe keeping.

such bullshit. Even in Texas U could kill someone execution style and all is well as long as U drop the “I felt threatened” line

I just don’t want to fall into a thing a lot of folks fall into in Colorado. They defend themselves from someone with a firearm with a firearm (force matching force) and still go to jail for murder. It’s not worth it. Maybe I’ll just get a samurai sword or something.

I hate this place. Oh well. Might as well defend myself with a set of hood struts or something

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