How to Change the Lift Struts in a Jeep Cherokee
- 1). Open the lift gate of your Jeep Cherokee and support it with a large pole or 2 by 4 plank of wood. Once you pull the struts off the lift gate, you must support the lift gate or it will fall and it is extremely heavy.
- 2). Locate the clip on the outside of the ball joint at the lower end of the strut. Pry the clip loose from the ball joint with a small flat screwdriver. Discard the clip, the new strut will come with a new clip.
- 3). Pull the lower half of the strut off the ball stud and let it hang. Remove the two mounting bolts that secure the top of the support strut using a socket and ratchet. Turn the bolts counterclockwise, removing the bolts and the strut from the Jeep.
- 4). Position the mounting bracket on the new strut in place on the lift gate. Install the two original mounting bolts in the holes and tighten them with a socket and ratchet. Snap the lower end of the new strut onto the ball stud, making sure the retaining clip snaps around the ball stud to secure the strut.
- 5). Repeat the process on the second strut, replacing it as well. Change the struts in pairs whenever possible.
- 6). Remove the pole or the 2 by 4 you used to support the lift gate. Close the lift gate, making sure the struts travel properly and do not bind.