Sokietech bolt-on hood struts/lift review

So much talk of hinge/ hood failure is a waste of Time.

From my experience with 2 sets of hood struts on two different weak Jeep Cherokee hoods over 6 years with out a single issue. The hood is not going to fail. The hinge is not going to fail. I have yet to see a hood, any hood from any manufacture deform over hood struts with a proper install. Might they cause stress over time yes, however, every single thing you do to the taco to include driving, turning etc... causes stress. You want them buy them, they work. If you spend any amount time under the hood they are amazing. If you open the hood twice a year to read what engine you have no need for them.

Can the hood/hinge deform if you Gorilla close/open the hood, maybe but that's not the hood struts fault. All the hood struts do is the heavy lifting that you already do when you open the hood and soften the closing of the hood. All on the established path the hood already takes.

 

Not a single issue. The grounding point isn’t effected. The hardest part was lifting the hood one last time. After the 15 minute install all eas and has been good

 

You know some folks, a competitor I believe, mentioned concerns about hood flex. Now I know I received my engineering degree in the 70's, and maybe the rules have changed. But looking at the above photo shows a darned well reinforced hunk of sheet metal forming the hood.

 

Has anyone else noticed that the brackets that mount to the hood are the exact length to make them line up with the weather strip barrier of the engine compartment? I’m installing them now and when I close the hood, these rather sharp metal brackets indent the rubber weather stripping downward about an inch. I can see them destroying the rubber in a year or two.

 

Which parts are sharp? I've looked at mine and can't find anything I feel would damage the "rubber" seals.

 

The square corners of the brackets that push into the rubber seal are sharp. After a few hours I checked the weather stripping and there are now indents. Do any of you have cuts where the brackets push into the weatherstripping?

 

I've had mine installed for a few months now, no issue except they cost less. especially for us Canadians that end up paying brokerage fees if we get stuff shipped from the US.

 

I decided to give them a try and installed them the other weekend was very easy. so far working good.

 

I'll try to remember when the wife gets back with the truck. Were the corners of yours not rounded like the ones in my photo?

 

The corners of those brackets are indeed slightly rounded. Still they push down on the rubber trim about an inch when the hood is closed. It has been a full week now, and I don't see any damage to my trim, so maybe its fine. I would have designed it differently if this was my own product design.

 

I like the no drill (return to stock) aspect. Ordered some from eBay. And carbon fiber for $20 more - why not?

 

I must be a dummy because no matter what side the short one goes on they are both too long with the hood open against the stop. Are they adjustable. Model D2R8.

 

Hood opened against what stop? The factory hood bar?

 

I lifted the hood by hand as far as it would go before it stopped opening.
I put the threaded end of the rod against the ground and applied pressure to try and get it to collapse a little bit and that didn’t even work so I don’t know how this is supposed to install. The directions are garbage.

 

Watch this install video.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/sokietech-no-drill-hood-strut-install.693168/

 

So you got your passenger side strut anchor ball in the wrong spot. See pic...

 

Good Catch - yeah it's the hole above the one you have it in.

 

I received the black stokietech struts as a Christmas gift. I do not think or perceive that I am in any way exceptional or an expert on installation of mods.

With that said, I read the short directions twice before installing. The entire install took me about 30 minutes including accidentally loosing and searching for one of the clips I accidentally opened too far and it fell off in the grass. Roughly 20 minutes was spent searching for and reinstalling it on the end of the strut.

I am sorry you did not find the instructions helpful. For me they were concise, direct, and effective.

I love the struts.

 

@poopshute
Odd numbered beers on me! Didnt see that hole under the weatherstrip. Have a great weekend!