Automotive Aftermarket
The largest single group of buyers: someone whose hood struts have failed and who needs the same size again. Beyond direct replacement, this covers custom truck caps, service body doors, tonneau covers, and food truck serving windows — builds where nothing off the shelf fits and the force has to be calculated.
Typical force
200–900N
per spring
Typical stroke
100–300mm
travel required
Material
Steel with black oxide, or stainless 304 for road-salt regions
Under-hood springs run hot but stay dry. Anything on the outside of the vehicle sees road salt through a Canadian winter.
Common applications
| Application | Typical force | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hood / bonnet strut | 300–700 N per spring | Replace in pairs — a new spring beside a tired one twists the hood |
| Tailgate / hatchback | 400–900 N per spring | Heaviest common automotive fit; measure the old strut before ordering |
| Tonneau / bed cover | 200–400 N per spring | Wind lift at highway speed matters as much as panel weight |
| Service body / food truck window | 250–600 N per spring | Opened many times daily — specify a high cycle-life seal pack |
What goes wrong
Specification mistakes we see most often in automotive aftermarket work.
- Under-hood temperatures reach 100 °C or more. Standard seals are rated to 80 °C, so a high-temperature seal pack is often needed.
- Replacing only one of a pair is a false economy — the mismatch in force loads the hinges unevenly.
- For a direct replacement, measure the extended length pin-to-pin, the stroke, and the rod diameter, then use the Replacement Finder.
Size one now
The calculator has presets for automotive aftermarket work — they load typical dimensions so you only have to adjust what differs.
Products for automotive aftermarket
Working on automotive aftermarket?
Tell us the panel dimensions and the environment. We will size the spring, specify the right material, and come back within 1 business day.