Review on Maxpow Liftgate Tailgate Supports 2001 2007 by Tony Ledbetter

Just finished fitting their kit into an old van and it was NOT a 5 minute job - took about an hour but the new racks are no mistake. The new struts fit great but be careful when putting the bolts back in - the strut needs to be lined up properly for the bolt to fit properly or you could snap the bolts or worse, damage the bolt hole in the car. I did it as a one man job and it probably doubled the time it took me. I ended up using a push broom to open the door as I didn't have the right length wood. When I replaced the jambs I also used a vise on the second old jamb to make sure the door stayed open and didn't slam me shut. This will destroy the old rack (leaves dents in the old rack slide rail) so make sure you have the correct size new racks before doing this. DO NOT use a vise on new racks. I worked on a 2005 van that never had the struts changed and they're taped as good as a weld. I used penetrating oil, a TORX wrench and a rubber mallet to loosen them a bit, then a medium 3/8" ratchet (with a screw extension on the bottom) and I mean I thought I'd rip the door open . the end. As soon as they gave even a little, they reluctantly walked out. I was glad the new struts included the new bolts. Removing the old racks was a HUGE job, so plan accordingly just in case. I removed the left strut and then immediately installed a new strut. You will need to save the flat washer and small plastic lock washer from the old strut to use on the new one (there are two sets of flat washers per strut). Installing the lower new strut bolt was syncronized, but make sure you line it up correctly. It should screw in easily to the last turn. Make sure it's tight, but again don't use too much force to remove the new screw. It was more difficult to screw in the top screw. At first I couldn't understand why he just wouldn't go in, but then I discovered he was trying to go in at a slight angle. I had to press hard on the tailgate to align the top screw. Once screwed in, it went in fairly easily (but not as easily as the bottom one because there is some weight on the door). The only thing you can screw up at this point is inserting the screw at an angle - don't do that. Once the first new spacer was in place I checked the door and in fact I no longer needed the vise. on the second old rack. I left the strut in place just in case, but was able to replace the second strut with little effort other than getting the old bolts to turn. With both new jambs in place I'm really struggling to get the door down and it's a chilly rainy day - so my wife might (or might not) enjoy closing it this summer. With a newer car, my time would easily have been halved. With the help of a friend, cut the time in half again—so under the circumstances, that's a 15-minute task. (I assume you'll need to find the tools, bring them to the car, set them up, etc.) If you have an old car and you're alone, plan for the worst - about an hour (multiple trips). to the shop for MORE tools, time to CHECK for screws that won't loosen, fight a little fight, etc.)