How to Measure your Gas Struts

Ensuring you have the correct-sized lift supports for your vehicle is essential for hoods, trunks, and liftgates to operate safely and properly. Knowing how to measure your gas struts helps ensure you select the correct replacement support for your application.

At Lift Supports Depot, we strive to help you find the right parts with confidence. When measuring gas struts, lift supports, and gas shocks, it’s important to identify the extended and compressed lengths, mounting end types, and shaft stroke length to ensure proper fitment and performance.

Measuring the Extended Length

To measure the extended length of your gas strut, fully extend the support and measure from the center of one mounting point to the center of the other. Depending on the application, mounting points may include ball sockets, eyelets, or rivets used with brackets.

Measuring the Compressed Length

To measure the compressed length of your gas strut, fully collapse the support and measure from the center of one mounting point to the center of the other. Depending on the application, mounting points may include ball sockets, eyelets, or rivets used with brackets.

In some cases, the support cannot be compressed while installed on the vehicle. If this happens, measure only the body of the unit, not the shaft, from the mounting point end to where the shaft begins, then add 0.75" to estimate the compressed length.

Understanding End Types

When measuring gas struts, it’s important to identify the type of end fittings used on your lift support. Several connection styles are commonly used, including 10mm ball studs, 8mm and 13mm ball sockets, eyelets, and bracket-style mounts.

The most common connection size is the 10mm ball stud, though larger and smaller sizes are also used depending on the application. Eyelets can vary in size and should be measured across the center of the opening to ensure the correct fit.

Metal end fittings are typically recommended for applications requiring a more secure connection, especially for heavier lifting applications over 150 lbs.

Stroke Length

The final step in measuring your gas strut is determining the stroke length. Stroke length is the total distance the shaft travels between the fully compressed and fully extended positions. To determine the stroke length, measure the exposed shaft length on your existing support.

This measurement is often overlooked, but it is important for proper operation. If the stroke length is too short, the hood, trunk, or liftgate may not close correctly. If you are unsure of the shaft travel distance, place a rubber band around the shaft, close the application completely, and then measure the distance from the rubber band to the body of the support after reopening it.

If you do not have a metric measuring device available, some common size conversions are listed below:

You can also use a smartphone conversion app to quickly convert between metric and standard measurements.

Trust Lift Supports Depot to Enhance Your Next Project

If you are new to learning how to measure your gas struts, Lift Supports Depot is here to help. We are able to build many different configurations and are here to support you if you can't find the lift support struts you need on our size selection chart. Don’t hesitate to contact us and send us the details — we will gladly quote you on your needs for measuring gas struts.

For your special projects, please keep in mind that we do not have a design staff, nor any qualified engineers or software to tell you what is suitable for your application. But, we have worked with many individuals and had great success. While it may take a little bit of trial and error, our goal is always to work with you and help you with your needs and goals. Feel free to send us a description of your situation and we'll do our best to take care of you.