Liftgate struts

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bjcrosby

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Looking for some help. I have looked all over. The gas struts for my liftgate / tailgate on my 2004 SR5 4runner are shot, the liftgate no longer stays up at all under its own power. I am looking for new ones that are not the $100+ ones directly from Toyota. I have found plenty of options that are for the years before and after 2004 and from what I have been told they will not work. Can anyone point me in the right direction.

Thank you in advance for the help.
 
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Buyer Beware. Do not get these struts from PartsAvenue on Ebay. I did and they do not fit the 03 and 04 4Runner. I'm returning my parts to them for credit currently. Your only option for our years are OEM struts. Our design is slightly differnt from later models....I don't know why.
 
Thanks for the thoughts. Looks like I might just get them from Toyota to make sure I get them right. Kind of a bummer they had to change things up for 2004.
 
the dutch man said:
Buyer Beware. Do not get these struts from PartsAvenue on Ebay. I did and they do not fit the 03 and 04 4Runner. I'm returning my parts to them for credit currently. Your only option for our years are OEM struts. Our design is slightly differnt from later models....I don't know why.
Click to expand...

Not sure why you're saying that, I have those struts on my '03 4runner and they work great.
 
Sorry to revive an old thread.

Anyone have experience with LiftSupportDepot.com liftgate struts? I installed a pair of high-lift struts back in Feb, and one failed about a month ago. They sent 2 replacements, and right after I got it replaced, the other side failed. Replaced it, and both failed. It seems the metal they use for the ball sockets is not strong enough, and the retention pin rips right through it.



 
jeech said:
Sorry to revive an old thread.

Anyone have experience with LiftSupportDepot.com liftgate struts? {snippage}
Click to expand...

FWIW, I've been running a set of Strongarm 6107s from Lift Supports Depot since mid-2016 without issue. Obviously, they could have changed suppliers sometime in the past 5+ years.
 
How about new OEM struts for ~$34 each + shipping? (Or get free shipping by adding something to get you to the $75 free shipping threshold.)

I can personally vouch for Cobb County Toyota and these parts (I replaced my aftermarket hatch struts with OEM a while back). I get any OEM parts I need there by ordering online and picking them up. Even with shipping, you still get new OEM parts for about what the aftermarket ones cost.

Before their online parts store was available, they provided a generous veteran's discount. They're so good that I go out of my way to give them my business despite passing right by another Toyota dealer on my commute. To be crystal clear, I have no affiliation with Cobb County Toyota other than being a loyal customer.
 
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riverwolf said:
FWIW, I've been running a set of Strongarm 6107s from Lift Supports Depot since mid-2016 without issue. Obviously, they could have changed suppliers sometime in the past 5+ years.
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The 6107s don't have the bolt bracket required for the top of the liftgate. How would you take the bracket off the original strut to get it to fit on the insertion joint of the new strut? More generally, How do you remove the old,/original struts from the balls? I"ve broken one 12mm wrench and burned some paint around the ball with a torch trying to get this thing off. Any help? or link to a video on youtube? I can find very few things for my 2004 4Runnner.

Does anyone else have a 4th gen 4runner and find parts that fit 03 or 05 but not 04?
 
Bluesky 07 said:
How about new OEM struts for ~$34 each + shipping? (Or get free shipping by adding something to get you to the $75 free shipping threshold.)

I can personally vouch for Cobb County Toyota and these parts (I replaced my aftermarket hatch struts with OEM a while back). I get any OEM parts I need there by ordering online and picking them up. Even with shipping, you still get new OEM parts for about what the aftermarket ones cost.

Before their online parts store was available, they provided a generous veteran's discount. They're so good that I go out of my way to give them my business despite passing right by another Toyota dealer on my commute. To be crystal clear, I have no affiliation with Cobb County Toyota other than being a loyal customer.
Click to expand...

I just ordered 2 struts from Cobb County Toyota and added an air filter to get free shipping and tax free. That's a good deal, Thanks! Are they easy to replace?
 
I just today put new OEM struts on my '03. What a difference! I would say, it's often worth the price to use actual OEM stuff. Toyota quality is pretty much unbeatable and many aftermarket parts are so so shoddy. It was about $100 for the pair but well worth it.








bjcrosby said:
Looking for some help. I have looked all over. The gas struts for my liftgate / tailgate on my 2004 SR5 4runner are shot, the liftgate no longer stays up at all under its own power. I am looking for new ones that are not the $100+ ones directly from Toyota. I have found plenty of options that are for the years before and after 2004 and from what I have been told they will not work. Can anyone point me in the right direction.

Thank you in advance for the help.
Click to expand...
 
orstevenson said:
The 6107s don't have the bolt bracket required for the top of the liftgate. How would you take the bracket off the original strut to get it to fit on the insertion joint of the new strut? More generally, How do you remove the old,/original struts from the balls? I"ve broken one 12mm wrench and burned some paint around the ball with a torch trying to get this thing off. Any help? or link to a video on youtube? I can find very few things for my 2004 4Runnner.

Does anyone else have a 4th gen 4runner and find parts that fit 03 or 05 but not 04?
Click to expand...

Sorry, just now seeing this.

When the rain stops, I'll take a look at how things are mounted. Don't remember it being that big of a deal. Hardest part is finding a brace you trust to hold up the liftgate while you're swapping parts.

Don't recall transferring any hardware from original strut to the replacement. The OE balls should have a retaining clip, that once released, will let the ball pop off with maybe a little persuasion if there's any corrosion or dirt in the ball socket.

Pretty sure part fitment for the 4th Gen is consistent for all years...nothing special about 2004.

This guy has a video of a Strong Arm 6107 replacement on an '05...admittedly, I didn't watch every second of it, but skipping through seems pretty straightforward...except when he gets out a torch. I definitely didn't need heat or even Liquid Wrench to remove the body side ball posts, assuming they had to be replaced...maybe that's a regional environmental issue, but I do live in a salt air climate.
Toyota Lift Gate Piston Replacement - YouTube

As you can see in the video and on the Lift Support Depot 6107 Product Page, it does include the liftgate mounting bracket already attached to the strut.
 
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riverwolf said:
As you can see in the video and on the Lift Support Depot 6107 Product Page, it does include the liftgate mounting bracket already attached to the strut.
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I am considering this but confused on one point...my OEM tailgate struts clearly indicate LH and RH (left/right), but the Strongarms are a single model number (same for both sides) with, as you point out, the brackets attached. It's the brackets, though, that account for the difference in L vs R mounting. Can someone explain what I am not understanding?
 
aa040371 said:
I am considering this but confused on one point...my OEM tailgate struts clearly indicate LH and RH (left/right), but the Strongarms are a single model number (same for both sides) with, as you point out, the brackets attached. It's the brackets, though, that account for the difference in L vs R mounting. Can someone explain what I am not understanding?
Click to expand...
Lift Supports Depot has accounted for this. I didn't buy that exact strut, I bought the cheaper set linked below, and it fits my 2006 4Runner just fine. I did reuse the rubber washers from the OE ball studs, as that seemed to be a better fit than not using those washers. I also added loctite, as there was loctite on the OE ball studs

PM1030-W my results:
- mounted fine, reused OE ball stud rubber washers
- works better than the 17 year old OE units when cold, but still needs some assistance to lift the final foot when below freezing temperature
- when warm, the liftgate shoots up! Be careful it doesn't hit you in the chin!
 
shootersanks said:
Install was pretty easy and they are working well
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I am trying to install a pair of these currently. For the last step, the ends of the struts with the ball socket just won't go on the stud. I measured stud...it's 10mm diameter, and I measured inside of ball socket...also 10.? mm. I've pushed on them, pushed harder, taped with a wooden mallet, and then with a small hammer...they just won't go on.

I see a wire (as opposed to a clip as strong-arm shows in an installation video) that is clearly a retainer. Does this need to be removed to install? I am hesitant to do it unless it's normal to do so as it then would need to be replaced which could be a challenge.
 
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