The average liftgate glass support strut replacement cost for most vehicles ranges between $68 and $145. The parts’ cost varies between $42 and $111, while the labor is typically priced between $26 and $33 total.
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As you can see, the labor required to put the liftgate glass support strut back into a car is fairly easy, simple, and quick. The parts’ cost is around 4x more expensive than the work itself, so if you have DIY Car experience and interior knowledge, you could potentially save money on the liftgate glass support strut replacement cost by doing this fix yourself.
Let’s see what a liftgate glass support is in your car, how it works, symptoms of a faulty liftgate glass support strut, and how to replace this part on your own.
What is a liftgate glass support strut?
The support strut in your vehicle is the long tube that makes a slight noise when raising the hatch, hood, or liftgate. The support strut holds much of the vehicle’s structural weight and is constantly under stress from multiple parts. Due to this constant usage, this part is extremely crucial to your car’s functioning and can help you understand the total liftgate glass support strut replacement cost.
Liftgate support struts are one of the most heavy-duty and durable pieces in your car due to the liftgate’s total weight that it must support at all times. When talking about the hatch, hood, and liftgate, the support strut is by far the strongest.
The support strut is attached to the frame and liftgate. Therefore, when you open or close the liftgate, the liftgate support strut extends and contracts to accommodate the varying changes in angles and weights. The support strut holds the weight of the liftgate to prevent the liftgate from falling on top of the user or mechanic who is checking something under the hood.
Without the liftgate support strut, it would be nearly impossible to keep the hood open while doing work on the car. Furthermore, the support strut makes it much easier to access the liftgate assembly and raise the liftgate without straining. If the support strut was not there, only those who could lift the 150-pound liftgate could access the interior of the vehicle. Because of the added efficiency, this adds to accessing your vehicle, the total liftgate glass support strut replacement cost is well worth the benefits.
How do liftgate glass support struts work?
The liftgate support strut structure is attached to both the liftgate and the chassis of your car. Since they are attached to both ends, this part must extend, lengthen, retract, and shorten according to the constant movement. By doing so, the liftgate support strut prevents any breakage or bending while in motion.
To stay attached to the mounts at all times, the liftgate support strut needs to be flexible and accommodate the changing weights. Due to the weight of the liftgate, the support strut needs to balance the weight it is supporting along with balancing the act of a person pulling the liftgate down.
The strut support needs to hold certain qualities and be made of specific materials to handle the extra stress and weight. The strut support is filled with gas or hydraulic fluid to extend itself and balance the weight accordingly. The internal pressure in the system pushes the two rods against each other, working as a counterbalance.
When the liftgate is closed after visual and internal inspection of the liftgate is done, half of the strut will slide back onto the other half, restoring the original position and counterbalance to keep the right amount of pressure in the system until the liftgate is fully shut. If you find that you have trouble shutting your liftgate, you will have to look into the liftgate glass support strut replacement cost.
Symptoms of a Faulty Liftgate Glass Support Strut
If your liftgate or god cannot stay open without needing an external piece of hardware, like a stick or long pole, you need to ask your mechanic the average liftgate glass support strut replacement cost for your vehicle. Since you have not replaced the support strut for this car, the hood will not have the proper mechanism to remain open while the mechanic does work on the interior of the car.
Additionally, if you tried to open the liftgate or hatch with a failed support strut, then you would immediately feel a heavier weight resisting the motion. If you don’t feel like the liftgate is being aided when you try to raise the hood, then the liftgate glass support strut does not counterbalance the weight and help the driver or mechanic raise the hood with ease.
Lastly, if you hear the end of the liftgate glass support strut moving around during use, causing rattling noises, then the liftgate could be unsecured. If this is the case, the opening may be moving around while driving, increasing the potential for the liftgate to fall off entirely. If the liftgate support struts separate from the designated mounting points, this can increase the liftgate glass support strut replacement cost.
Is it safe to drive with a malfunctioning Support Strut?
Although this is not one of the most serious mechanisms to fail, like the engine or transmission, operating your vehicle with an unsteady and broken liftgate glass support strut is not recommended. A heavy liftgate can make everyday tasks harder than they should be, like opening the hood to get to the back of your car. If this is the case, driving your car and using the cargo space will be much harder than usual.
Replacing the liftgate glass support struts is not immediately necessary, however, if you are trying to save money or you are in a pinch financially. Since your car can still run without a functioning support strut, it will only cause a nuisance and a lack of functionality using the cargo space in your car. However, replacing the support strut will certainly add to the driver and passengers’ quality of life.
How often should I replace the liftgate glass support struts?
Unfortunately for car owners, these parts fail quite often when compared to more durable and long-lasting parts in the vehicle. In fact, many cars succumb to a failed liftgate and broken support strut within five years of 60,000 miles driven. In this case, paying for the liftgate glass support strut replacement cost every few years becomes a part of your “routine” maintenance.
The rate of failure should certainly not exceed 5 years, but sometimes with lots of liftgate use to access the cargo area multiple times a day, the support strut can fail quicker than with other drivers. More commonly, drivers should be able to use the liftgate for at least twice as long as the aforementioned 5-year period. By keeping an eye on how often you use the liftgate, you can reduce the need to pay for a liftgate glass support strut replacement cost every 60,000 miles.
How do you replace the Support Strut?
For almost all procedures that require the liftgate glass support strut to be replaced, mechanics or knowledgeable car owners will follow the same set of steps. Fortunately for owners, this fix is very low in terms of labor costs, with the fix only taking a few minutes in a repair shop.
Some repair jobs could require removing the fastener, but most fixes only involve removing the flat spring curved around the liftgate support strut assembly. The flat spring is located on the ball at the end of the liftgate support strut. To remove this part, owners or mechanics must use the proper tool, typically as a screwdriver, to gently pull back the spring and release the mounting point.
Once the mounting point pressure is released from the inside of the ball at the end of the strut, the strut easily pulls off. Before this occurs, ensure the liftgate has secondary support. If not, this can cause serious damage to the car or the mechanic working on your vehicle. After the step is complete, the new strut will pop on without having to pull the spring back.
When calculating the total liftgate glass support strut replacement cost you take into account replacing both support struts, as they perform best when they are replaced as a set.
The Bottom Line
Calculating the total liftgate glass support strut replacement cost can help you find a good mechanic who will perform this fix on your car in just a few minutes. Although it is not necessary to repair this part to drive your car safely, it adds to the quality of life while using your vehicle and the safety of getting heavy items in and out of the liftgate. Paying less than $200 is worth it to keep the functionality of your car at an all-time high for many years to come.