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Aftermarket Hatch Struts

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Den49, Mar 18, 2012.

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  1. Den49

    Den49 Member

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    As others have posted, my OEM liftgate struts have weakened and no longer raise the liftgate to its fully open position. Since I am out of warranty, I just installed aftermarket struts/lift supports to replace the OEM struts. They are "STRONGARM GAS CHARGED LIFT SUPPORTS", part no. 4686 and were on sale at Advance Auto for $21.59 each. They fit perfectly, are easy to install and have a limited lifetime replacement warranty. As the name implies, they are stronger than the OEM struts. When you press the liftgate opener, the new struts open the liftgate themselves without any additional manual effort, which I like. It does take a bit more effort than the OEM stuts to close the liftgate. Some may not like this, but it is not objectionable to me or my wife, so they work for us. Below are two pictures.
     

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    #1 Den49, Mar 18, 2012
    Robert Holt, Jennifer B, clamrade and 2 others like this.
  2. adamace1

    adamace1 Senior Member

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    Cool. When i googled them i found a 1 year limited warranty. Are you saying advance auto will replace them for free if they fail to work?
     
    #2 adamace1, Mar 18, 2012
  3. spiderman

    spiderman wretched

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    Hard to choose between auto-lifting and auto-closing. I like the fact that the hatch will close completely about a 2/3 of the way down. hmm.
     
    #3 spiderman, Mar 18, 2012
  4. Den49

    Den49 Member

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    My receipt says "Limited Lifetime Replacement". At Advance Auto, that usually means they will replace it once for free if it fails, if you return it to the store and show your receipt.

    One more point of information, the Advance Auto website does not show a fitment for the 2010 Prius and actually says the STRONGARM 4686 does not fit the 2010 Prius, even though it does fit. I went to the Advance Auto store with one of the old OEM struts, compared it to the selection of struts they had in stock and found the 4686 to be a match.
     
    #4 Den49, Mar 19, 2012
    Robert Holt likes this.
  5. Den49

    Den49 Member

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    I also liked the auto, or at least easy, closing of the worn OEMs. With the Strongarm strut it does take a strong effort to bring the liftgate about half way down, then it closes easy, but I can't grab the handle and "throw" it closed like I could with the worn OEMs. I am thinking that the liftgate will get easier to close with the STRONGARMS after they get used for a while. My wife opens and closes the liftgate at least twice per day.
     
    #5 Den49, Mar 19, 2012
  6. Den49

    Den49 Member

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    One additional note: The liftgate would rattle sometimes on rough roads. The liftgate no longer rattles since I replaced the worn OEM struts with the Strongarms.
     
    #6 Den49, Mar 19, 2012
    SFO likes this.
  7. cossie1600

    cossie1600 Active Member

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    I had my OEM arms failed twice already (both replaced under warranty) (One at 34K and they replaced it again within a year at 45K). They are stupid expensive like $80 each or something
     
    #7 cossie1600, Mar 19, 2012
  8. revhigh

    revhigh MPG Enthusiast

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    I had them replaced at 25K under warranty and I think they were $117 EACH if you had to buy them.

    Yeah .... riiiiiight .....


    REV
     
    #8 revhigh, Mar 19, 2012
  9. cossie1600

    cossie1600 Active Member

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    You might be right, all I know is that they are crazy expensive
     
    #9 cossie1600, Mar 19, 2012
  10. The Critic

    The Critic Resident Critic

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    http://www.amazon.com/StrongArm-4686-Hood-Lift-Support/dp/B000ALIS9E
     
    #10 The Critic, Mar 20, 2012
  11. MarcSmith

    MarcSmith Active Member

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    just did this "mod" this weekend. the rear hatch would fall down on its own accord or during a light breeze. I figured it was cheaper to do the mod, than to risk decapitation or a broken golf club.

    these strong arms when I open the hatch. the hatch will raise all the way up on its own... my 13 year daughter is able to pull the hatch down with no problem.

    getting the clip on the lift arm to firmly attach on the car side is a bit tedious... but doable..

    took longer to drive to the parts store...

    and they do not have any struts listed for any prius....

    just give them the strong arm number. and they had it..
     
    #11 MarcSmith, Apr 14, 2014
  12. Den49

    Den49 Member

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    Good to hear that they worked for you. My Strongarm struts are still working good after 2+ years.
     
    #12 Den49, Apr 14, 2014
  13. FroggyTaco

    FroggyTaco Member

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    I bought these Strongarm 4686 struts after a garage incident broke the OEM struts.

    They do "auto" open the hatch but since I have a bad shoulder they make closing the hatch considerably harder than stock.

    The stock struts would need "help" until about 1/2-2/3 of up travel & then would open the hatch on their own.

    StrongArm says the 6244 strut is the correct model for our lift gates. I'm going to order a pair & see how they compare to the 4686 struts.
     
    #13 FroggyTaco, Feb 17, 2015
    Den49 likes this.
  14. Den49

    Den49 Member

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    Thanks for posting that StrongArm now has a fitment (6244) for the Prius hatchback. Hopefully the 6244 will be more to your liking. After about eighteen months of operation the 4686 allowed the hatch to close easily like the OEM struts. After about three years of operation the 4686 is still operating well.
     
    #14 Den49, Feb 28, 2015
  15. FroggyTaco

    FroggyTaco Member

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    Finally taking a moment to respond back.

    The new Strong-arm 6244 struts are a GREAT option for those wanting a OEM style lift back opening experience.

    I would even go as far to say it's smoother than stock & lifts "more" at the mid-point so it's easier than OEM while being far easier to close than the Strong-arm 4686 struts.

    Anybody in the market for some slightly used 4686 struts? ;)
     
    #15 FroggyTaco, Mar 3, 2015
  16. FroggyTaco

    FroggyTaco Member

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    #16 FroggyTaco, Mar 3, 2015
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  17. m.wynn

    m.wynn Senior Member

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    For those of you running the Strongarm 4686 or 6244, do these dampen at the top of opening travel so the hatch doesn't slam and bounce into the fully open position? I figured I'd try the Stabilus SG329044 and they dampen nicely at mid-stroke then just kind of let loose, slamming the hatch into the open position. It's disconcerting enough that I'm immediately back in the market for a better solution. Thanks for any feedback.

    Mike..
     
    #17 m.wynn, Aug 24, 2015
  18. FroggyTaco

    FroggyTaco Member

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    They both slam at the top end. The 4686 slams a LOT harder however. If I just kind of hang onto the hatch as it fully extends using the 6244 it's very calm & doesn't slam at all.
    The 4686 sorta took you on a ride when you held onto it as it lifted the hatch. I was actually "fighting/controlling" the hatch rather than just leaving my hand up there.
     
    #18 FroggyTaco, Aug 24, 2015
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  19. FroggyTaco

    FroggyTaco Member

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    I still have the "old" 4686 struts so I could make a video showing the difference.
     
    #19 FroggyTaco, Aug 24, 2015
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  20. Den49

    Den49 Member

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    After 3.5 years my StrongArm 4686 struts operate smoothly in both directions, are easy to close and open all the way up by themselves without any "slamming". I don't remember them ever "slamming" at the top.
     
    #20 Den49, Aug 24, 2015
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