How To Replace Liftgate Lift Cylinders
It’s common for car owners to put off replacing liftgate lift cylinders. It’s an easy and straightforward job, but shops and dealers charge a lot of money to get the job done. It usually doesn’t take any more than 10 minutes to replace liftgate lift cylinders. Yet, shops will likely charge you for a full hour’s worth of labor.
What if we told you that you could replace your liftgate lift cylinders right at home? It’s an easy DIY job, and you’ll save so much money. You will only need:
- A 10mm socket ratchet and extension
- A helper or an object that can hold the liftgate open (like a broom)
- About 10 minutes of your time
We’ll walk you through the process of replacing the liftgate lift cylinders on your Toyota.
Why You Should Replace Your Liftgate Lift Cylinders ASAP
Image Credit: WorseThanChiggers
Nothing will happen to the car itself if you leave a bad liftgate lift cylinder in place. Yet, it can create two big safety or security issues:
- A bad liftgate lift cylinder can’t hold up the liftgate. Let’s say an unsuspecting person opens the liftgate. The cylinder will fail to hold up the liftgate and make the heavy liftgate fall back down. It can seriously injure the person.
- Sometimes a bad liftgate lift cylinder will make it hard or impossible for you to close the hatch. If your liftgate is ajar, the inside of your vehicle is exposed to thieves, moisture and/or rodents.
So you want to replace both of your liftgate lift cylinders ASAP.
Why Replace Both Liftgate Lift Cylinders?
We always recommend replacing both liftgate lift cylinders. It’s still a good idea even if one of your liftgates is still good. Replacing both at the same time will keep the hydraulic strength even on both sides.
If you replace only the bad lift cylinder, the force won’t be even. The other lift cylinder may still be good, but it won’t be as strong as the new one. This puts extra pressure on the brand new lift cylinder. It’ll fail faster because it’s doing more work than the old cylinder.
If you want your lift cylinders to last as long as possible, replace them both at the same time.
Ordering Replacement Liftgate Lift Cylinders
If you're looking for replacement lift cylinders, look no further than us. We offer wholesale pricing for genuine OEM lift cylinders for a variety of makes and models. We even have cylinders and other components for:
- Manual liftgates
- Power liftgates
- Hands-free liftgates
Take a look at our catalog of lift cylinders and see if we have a set for your Toyota model!
Replacing Your Toyota Liftgate Lift Cylinders: An Overview
Image Credit: WorseThanChiggers
The liftgate lift cylinder replacement process is quite similar across all Toyota models. Here's how the process goes:
- Open the liftgate and then prop it up. (You can use a friend to hold it up, or a tall object like a broom. Make sure it's secure. You don't want the liftgate to slam back down and injure you.)
- There are a few bolts at the top of the lift cylinder, and a few at the bottom. The top of the cylinder connects to the vehicle. The bottom of the cylinder connects to the liftgate. Remove all the bolts.
- Remove the old lift cylinder.
- Put the new lift cylinder in place of the old one, and then bolt it in place.
- Repeat with the other lift cylinder.
That's all! Easy, isn't it?
You're welcome to contact us with any questions about finding the right lift cylinders for your Toyota.