Lift Support

What Are Lift Supports?

Lift supports — also called gas struts, gas props, or hood/trunk shocks — are the unsung heroes of everyday vehicle access. Lift supports are pressurized cylinders that hold your hood, trunk lid, liftgate, or rear hatch glass open so you can work hands-free under the hood or load cargo without worrying about a panel crashing down on you. Without them, you'd be reaching for a prop rod every time you needed to check the oil.

How Do Lift Supports Work?

The mechanism is elegantly simple. Each strut is a sealed, gas-charged cylinder — typically pressurized with nitrogen — that stores energy and releases it in a controlled way as you open a panel. The gas-filled struts counterbalance the weight of heavy panels, making them easier to open and close with minimal manual effort. Over time, seals degrade and gas pressure slowly escapes, causing that familiar frustrating sag where a once-firm hood begins to droop or drop without warning.

It's worth noting that temperature plays a role in strut performance: lift supports become notably weaker in cold weather and stiffer in heat. If you've noticed your hood or hatch struggling on a winter morning, worn lift supports are likely the culprit.

When Should You Replace Lift Supports?

The signs of a failing lift support are hard to miss. Difficulty opening a trunk, hood, or hatch, or a panel that slowly lowers — or slams — without warning, are clear indicators that replacement is due. Beyond the inconvenience, a failed lift strut is a genuine safety concern: a trunk lid or heavy hood dropping unexpectedly can cause real injury or damage to the vehicle's locking mechanism. For applications that use two struts — which is most common — it's best practice to replace both at the same time so they work in tandem with equal gas pressure.

Top Lift Support Brands

Sachs is one of the most respected names in the lift support category, with a heritage spanning well over a century as a top OEM supplier to European automakers. Originally known as Fichtel & Sachs and now part of the ZF Group, Sachs lift supports are engineered to OEM specifications, making them a trusted direct-fit replacement for a wide range of vehicles.

Stabilus is the originator of the iconic Lift-O-Mat gas spring platform — a design used as original equipment on vehicles from Mercedes-Benz and Volvo to a broad range of domestic and Asian makes. Stabilus is widely recognized as a leading worldwide supplier of original equipment lift supports, with coverage spanning Asian, domestic, and European vehicles, as well as farm, fleet, and heavy-duty applications.

What to Look for When Shopping Lift Supports

• Vehicle fit: Lift supports are highly application-specific. Always verify the correct part for your year, make, and model before purchasing.
• OEM-grade quality: Low-quality replacements may bend or fail under the weight of heavy hoods and trunk lids. Opt for reputable brands with proven OEM credentials.
• Replace in pairs: For dual-strut applications, replace both supports simultaneously to ensure balanced gas pressure and equal holding force.
• Consider climate: If you live in an area with extreme temperatures, prioritize struts engineered for consistent force output across a wide temperature range.

Whether you're doing a quick weekend maintenance job or keeping a fleet vehicle in safe working order, a quality set of lift supports from a trusted brand makes the job safer and keeps every panel operating as the factory intended.