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Ford Hood Struts
MRT is home to the original no-drill hood struts!Give your hood the lift it needs for maintenance, projects and shows by upgrading your engine prop rod to a handcrafted MRT hood strut kit that uses factory attachment points. We make our no-drill hood lift kits in the U.S. for the automotive community's favorite Ford cars and trucks. Add them to your OE hood for a clean show-worthy look that also makes it easier to work on the powerplant.
Why Use Hood Struts?
Whether you're tuning your engine or just doing a scheduled oil change, you need a solid way to hold the hood up as you work. MRT hood struts are the original no-drill hood strut that is functional, rugged, stylish and ridiculously easy to install. Replacing a single flimsy factory prop rod with two sturdy lift supports improves garage safety while adding a low-profile performance look that is sure to impress at racetracks and car shows - and you won't have to sully your machine by drilling holes in the hood. Visit our blog to learn more about the benefits of hood struts and why they're worth installing for gearheads.
Ford DIY Hood Struts
Get a set of MRT hood struts for your Ford car, truck or SUV and see why they are an effective aftermarket upgrade over OEM. Get an MRT Mustang hood strut kit for models past and present, including rarer models like the GT350. We carry handcrafted hood struts for almost every generation of Mustang along with newer Focus, Explorer, Bronco and Maverick models. Whether you prefer a car, truck or SUV, MRT no-drill hood struts let you flex your mechanic muscles and will help you Get Noticed.
The strut brackets are made of high-quality steel that will last through countless maintenance and modding projects. If your vehicle has an aftermarket hood, call us at 734-455-5807 and give us the hood's weight. We'll supply the right strut cylinder size so it will function like a factory hood strut. The cylinders do have a shelf life, which is why MRT also offers replacement gas cylinders (see our FAQs for more information).
These hood strut conversion kits use OEM hood attachment points and can be installed in 30 minutes or less using just a 10mm wrench. You don't even need extra bolts. We provide full step-by-step instructions and video guides, and you can use our Hood Strut Installation Tips & Tricks to look out for common mistakes.
Handcrafted Custom Hood Supports
A set of no-drill hood struts is an affordable DIY way to raise the performance and style of street and show cars. All MRT lift support parts are made in the U.S. at our Plymouth, Michigan headquarters for car guys like us. We inspect our products at least four times before shipping so you know they're high-quality.
The struts and brackets come standard with a durable matte black powder coat finish - but for an additional fee, we can custom-paint your brackets in more than 30 colors from school bus yellow to sonic blue. We can even match the original factory paint code. Simply select the "Factor Paint Color Code" option in the Bracket Color dropdown menu during checkout. Click on the strut for your model year to find detailed installation instructions and much more. We have more than 35 years of automotive engineering experience that we put to work on every set of aftermarket hood struts.
Hood Struts FAQs
What are the benefits of adding a hood strut kit?
A no-drill hood strut kit gives show cars and track cars a clean underhood appearance. Their easy-open and easy-lift design is excellent for performing routine maintenance. You also don't have to work around the engine prop rod or worry about hitting your head on it.
Will removing the engine prop rod provide weight savings?
Not necessarily. You are replacing a simple rod with four brackets - two for the hood passenger and driver side and two for the fender passenger and driver side. Although this may not reduce the overall weight, vehicle hood struts have many other advantages that make them worthwhile.
Can I use a kit designed for the OE stock Mustang, Explorer, Focus or Bronco when I have an aftermarket hood?
No - the kit uses pressurized gas cylinders to support the hood weight. Too much pressure on a light hood could cause bulging or alignment issues and too little pressure could cause the hood to fall. Contact us if you have an aftermarket hood; we can custom-build the correct gas struts for your hood based on its weight. Aftermarket caster camber plats can also interfere with installing hood struts.
Does hood alignment change when you add hood struts to replace the prop rod?
It can - it depends on when the car was made. On older vehicles (think pre-2000) where variability was less controlled, OE manufacturers used a slotted hole design on the hoods for adjustment to maintain hood-to-fender alignment. The resulting dimensional variability stack-up of the hood to the A-pillar to the cowl to the fender intersection point could potentially cause an alignment issue. On newer vehicles, computer modeling, Six Sigma techniques and craftsmanship models have significantly reduced the dimensional stack-up variability and therefore hood alignment issues.
What makes a good hood strut or hood lift?
An OEM-grade material finish and gas cylinders are the starting point for a good hood strut kit. You should also look for a design that doesn't alter the OE metal, change the vehicle load path or modify the performance of OEM components. Finally, look for do-it-yourself installation that doesn't require drilling or special tools. Our hood struts take just 30 minutes to install in your driveway or backyard.
How long do hood struts last?
On average, the cylinders will last around five years or 60,000 miles - it could be more or less depending on how often you open the hood. The gas inside the cylinders will eventually lose pneumatic pressure over time or may develop a leak, eventually reaching the point where it can't support the hood's weight. We sell replacement hood strut gas cylinder kits that can be used with the original hardware when yours have gotten tired.
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