We have a 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT hatchback. It’s a little over 5 years old and the back hatch no longer stays up. The lift supports struts had worn out. Five years is a pretty short life for lift supports so I’ve no interest in replacing them with Hyundai parts. I want to find something better.
That’s easier said than done. After a lot of searching I discovered most lift support manufacturers don’t list replacements for the 2013 – 2016 Elantra GT. Getting this sorted out took a while, so I thought I’d post here in case the information helps anyone else.
First thing to know is, they’re very easy to replace. Google or YouTube for info, but it’s just a little clip on each end, easily done with a small screwdriver. Use a friendly helper, or a length of wood, to hold the hatch open while you’re doing it.
Original lift supports are Hyundai partnumber 81780-A5000 (right) and 81770-A5000 (left), length 12 inches (closed) 19 7/8 inches (open) 10mm ball socket at both ends. I’m not sure why there’s a left & right; it doesn’t seem necessary mechanically – they seem dimensionally identical. I suspect there’s a difference in lifting strengths.
From hunting through Amazon reviews, I found that a pair of StrongArm 6799 apparently does the job. Their length is 12.62″ compressed, 19.87″ extended, 10mm ball socket at each end. Force is 96 pounds each. I don’t like that its compressed length is slightly longer than stock Hyundai; that’ll be tight when the hatch closes. But apparently it works.
I ended up installing Monroe lift supports. One each of the Monroe 901270 and 901272. They are both 11.7″ / 19.7″ length, 10mm ball socket at each end, so a perfect match physically for the stock Elantra parts. The 901270 is 56 pounds force and the 901272 is 143 pounds force, for a total of just under 200 pounds, which is about right. I tried two 901270 lift supports for a total of 112 pounds support, and it wasn’t enough. In an ideal world maybe you’d have 170 pounds of support or thereabouts, but in practice a little under 200 pounds using one each of the 901270 and 901272 seems to work pretty well. Monroe seems generally well regarded so here’s hoping these new lift supports last much longer than Hyundai’s 5 years!
It’s been 3 years and a bit – they’re still going strong. Quite strong actually. The lift from this Monroe combination is slightly more than the stock Hyundai, so you need to be slightly firmer in closing the back hatch. Aside from that, they’re going great.
And yes, the clips are trivial to snap on and off using a small screwdriver – just remember to support the hatch (with a length of wood or a helper) while you’re doing it – the unsupported hatch is heavy!
How did the Monroe struts work out?
My wife’s 2013 Elantra Gt struts are shot after 8 years and dealer wants $330 parts and labor.
Were clips easy to work with?
Thanks!