The Nissan Path

There really isn't much to say because installing the replacement struts for the rear gate was a breeze. I got a pair of replacement struts from PepBoys for under $60. I needed one tool, an open ended wrench, to complete the install. Total time ~ 20 minutes.

- find a ladder/pole/rod/good friend/your teenage kid to hold up the rear gate.
- prop the gate open and unscrew the factory lift arm ball joints with an open ended wrench.
- remove the rubber washer from the factory ball screws as the replacements I got didn't have rubbers to protect the paint.
- install & tighten the new ball joints with the supplied washer and the rubber from the old arms.
- starting from the top, install the new struts (gas chamber end up) by simply snapping them onto the newly installed ball joints.
- have your helper (if you found one) raise or lower the gate to get the lower part of the strut lined up with the lower ball joint and snap it into place.
- move your beers out of harm's way & release the gate!

If you installed the arms correctly, as I seemed to have, your gate should stay up and perhaps even shoot up as soon as you begin to open it from a closed position.

Yay for a gate that stays open!

Cool, you're lucky in that white is an easy color to match so taking out the side dent should an easy fix as well. From owning a 91 pickup and knowing how badly the first gen trucks rust you might want to look at respraying the inside of the doors and fenders with some rust preventative treatment liquid such as is used on aircraft. Any rust that has started under the vehicle, in the wheel wells, etc should be stopped asap with rust converter and a paint cover coat after.

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thanks for lil write up, I had to do the same recently...well maybe 5 months ago to my maximas hood support. Man when they went bad, those bad boys caught me off guard and just let the hood slam on my head lol.

I second that yay for hood/gate that stays up!

By what did you search for them in pepboys webpage?
I need them!