My car's tailgate gas struts need replacing. One is leaking and the other has a split in the end cover.

I've looked on line and can get two for £40 from SGS.

My Skoda dealer has quoted me £140 to replace them & I'd rather not pay that kind of price.

Has anyone else replaced theirs themselves and how easy or hard a job is it?

I bought struts from SGS and they are are so easy to fit even I could do it.

Best if someone can hold the tailgate but if not prop it open with your head!

Ease the clips off the covers with a flat blade screwdriver and the strut will pull off with ease.

Next... UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES EASE THE CLIPS ON THE NEW ONES  - I did and broke the first one!

They just push on with a bit of a thump from your fist.

The instructions from SGS are very good but if unsure they are very helpful on the phone.

Good luck... Another bit of advice.. Put the kettle on when you start as it will have just boiled ready to make a brew by the time you have finished installation!

Paid £23 quid here for mine, seemingly very OEM (stamped with the part number) if you don't mind a longer wait, and very easily fitted as described by Geoff.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SKODA-Octavia-II-2-2004-Estate-Tailgate-Boot-Struts-Gas-Springs-Lifters-x2-SET-/131203079043?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item1e8c501b83

Paid £23 quid here for mine, seemingly very OEM (stamped with the part number) if you don't mind a longer wait, and very easily fitted as described by Geoff.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SKODA-Octavia-II-2-2004-Estate-Tailgate-Boot-Struts-Gas-Springs-Lifters-x2-SET-/131203079043?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item1e8c501b83

 

Thank you! - I've been watching those for a while but was wary of ordering from latvia...

So was I but for just 23 quid or so, I figured it was worth the risk and they are absolutely fine.

It is part of the EU these days so I figured it was no more risky than Poland or Czech Republic which I had done before.

Thanks guys, I'll do the job myself. I can tie the tailgate up to a beam in the car port.

Can't believe the Skoda place was going to charge £50 to do a 5 min job.

Yup, old fence post has always served me fine.

Spend an extra 6 quid and add springs (5 min job) then you'll have a tailgate that will open on release

Spend an extra 6 quid and add springs (5 min job) then you'll have a tailgate that will open on release

How ? - TIA

Spend an extra 6 quid and add springs (5 min job) then you'll have a tailgate that will open on release

 

Sometimes!

 

It's done by wrapping a cloth around the silver part of the piston so you can grab it with pliers without scoring it, unscrewing the top, then sliding die springs down the piston and screwing it back on, but it only works for a while and then only when the weather is warm after that. And that's as long as you have an estate, the hatchback is too heavy to do this. If you want it on a hatchback, you have to use Laguna struts, and Exeo estate ones for an estate.

Edited 2 April, 201511 yr by blackspaven

The ones on my Scout are the standard Skoda ones, not Exeo

 

Even when the weather isn't warm, the tailgate pops up enough to be more useful than when it doesn't. :)

Yeah, same as mine. I meant that to get the full pop open you need Exeo ones, standard octy ones would never do that, at best they just jump the lock a little, with the springs on they'll either jump the full way in warm weather or pop enough to hang a few inches open so it's easy to flip up by hand.

 

Unless you've got shocks from another model skoda which are strong enough to do the job? The standard Octy ones are 490nm, the Exeo are 510nm, which is enough to pop it right up on the estate, apparently.

Hey folks. Just replaced my Oct estate 09 gas struts with Exeo ones and while it does not pop open up all the way. It does pop open and the slightest nudge and it is up and away.Brilliant.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SEAT-EXEO-GAS-TAILGATE-BOOT-STRUTS-ESTATE-2009/120997717393?_trksid=p3693.c100102.m2452&_trkparms=ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140212121249%26meid%3Da66bd1ae67a14b608d0f69d9885182df%26pid%3D100102%26

 

Seller is parts2clear

Yeah, that's why you need the springs to overcome the initial force and get the inertia. No matter what pistons you put on, without the springs on it'll never pop open automatically, you'll just be left with a boot that's incredibly hard to close then go like an exocet when you open it!! I tried some second hand Peugeot 107 estate pistons and they were VERY aggressive after the springs had given them that initial nudge!!