Bolt on Hood Struts?

I don’t think you need to justify it. If you like them then they are worth the 100 bucks.

 

Just an alternative you could get one of the rivet style nuts to drill and put a nut into the body and then just bolt the hardware to them. Has anyone used them? On aircraft they work slick but haven't seen then since retiring. I wish there was some sort of manual to tell you where each bracket goes . How long the struts are so we can alter out own

 

So instead of drilling a small hole for a rivet you would drill a much larger hole for a nutsert and then add a bolt.

 

I love my redline struts every time I pop the hood. BOOM, SHWING!

 

As an Aircraft Structural Mechanic I can tell you the reason for the use of a Blind Rivet is because of the inability to access the backside.Using a Rivnut would probably be something you would like because you can use a screw once the rivnut is installed. Pull through rivets their using for install still has a nice clean look IMO but I hear you wanting it as a bolt on option to simplify things.$.02

 

Man, I'm all over the place on this one.

1. The Redline kit is well liked, hold up well and has no complaints regarding quality etc.
2. Haven't heard of the other kits, so while they may not require the rivets and drilling, the things that matter, quality and reputation are an unknown.
3. Rivnuts make sense, when the fastener requires the ability to remove, and reinstall which I don't think this application does.
4. The obvious choice is to leave the truck as is if indeed the kit with rivets is too intrusive.
5. Rivets are sometimes the best solution, and this is one of those times. Bolt on is nonsensical for this application.

 

Good point. The main advantage of the rivet over the rivnut is the ease of replacing the rivet by drilling out. Not a likely scenario if installed correctly, but how often would a bolt be used anyway?

 

Agreed. For the number of times I open my hood, I would be looking at about $5 per opening. Seems to me that if you have the guns to open your hood, that it really isn't a struggle to lift the hood. Not to mention that my experience with struts on a hatch back is that in two years you will be using that hood prop again to keep your hood open.

 

Since installing mine, I’ve gotten down to about 50 cents per opening.

 

I purchased a set of those on ebay. They are actually on Amazon too but the price and shipping was better on ebay.
They are fine and very easy to install. I had no issues with them in 2 months. I put them on the week bought the truck home. Yes both sides are not the same length. I really wanted the Spiker ones but didn't want to drill in to my new hood. The surprise was the the Solkie tech ones lift the hood higher than the prop rod by 3 or 4 inches too like the previous version Spiker ones did and they are only like $60.
I think that in some years down the road when the supports wear out as they all do replacement might be tricky. If you take it to a good parts store they should be able to match them up with something or you might need the Solkie kit over.

I think that if you do your own maintenance that not having the prop rod in the way is good. Plus they make dealing with the heavy hood easier for some.

 

We have designed our Hood QuickLIFT systems for over 350 unique vehicles and always prefer a Bolt In system for ease of installation however there are too many compromises that have to made geometry wise to have a bolt in system on the Taco. The hood is too heavy and when you try and lift it from the hinge point you have to use a very strong gas spring. This puts a large amount of stress on the hood/hinge area and doesn't provide very good lifting leverage.

We have had a Hood QuickLIFT application for the Tacoma for over 15 years and our quality and performance has been proven with positive reviews on Tacoma World for almost as long.

As a thank you to all our loyal Tacoma World supporters we are currently running a group buy that gives you a 20% discount until Nov. 6th:
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...p-buy-ends-november-6th.691127/#post-24422412

 

We have our Max Lift system that raises the hood 7 inches higher than stock available here:

https://www.redlinetuning.com/2016-Toyota-Tacoma-Hood-QuickLIFT-PLUS-p/21-27016-02.htm

 

I have the standard height Redline hood struts and I can totally understand the hesitation to install them.
Decided to just do it one day. The instructions were great and I also measured like 5 times before doing any drilling; found that sticky notes were useful to mark up both sides and make sure it all lined up.
It was the first time I ever used rivets for anything, but a year later they still work great.

 

Sokies for the win. Good price and quality is good.

 

Can you provide the part number of the rivets used with your system or can you provide detailed size data?

 

Sokietech Bolt on no drilling holes

 

I have the Redlines and although I hate drilling more holes into the truck, in this application it was worth it. Not having the prop rod in the way when working in the engine bay is worth it alone. I found the normal Redlines lifted the hood enough for me. I am not digging in behind the engine enough for me to look at a kit that lifts the hood higher.

 

Good idea to have two versions. Those of us with low garage ceilings can't use the taller struts.