By 
A Simple Fix for an Annoying Problem
When you lift the hood of your ’05 to ’07 Mustang and engage the prop rod, do you feel a little shortchanged? Well, Steeda Autosports has developed a billet hood strut kit designed to replace those clumsy prop rods.
The clear rubber bumpers have an adhesive backing and are installed on the top edge of the bracket to keep it from scratching the paint on the bottom side of the hood.
We watched as the installers at Advantage Performance Center in Riverside, California, installed the hood strut kit (PN 555-0650, $139.95) on this ’07 Shelby GT500. The kit consists of two machined 6061 aluminum brackets, a pair of rubber bumpers, two OEM-quality gas struts, the ball studs to mount the struts, and a one-page instruction sheet. It is a simple installation that took less than 30 minutes, including the time required to pause for pictures.
The machined ball mount has two different contours; the tighter radius (seen on the right side) mounts toward the fender below the fender bolt closest to the firewall, as shown.
This is definitely a project that virtually any hobbyist mechanic can perform in his garage or driveway in an hour or less. The kit bolts into factory holes, and no drilling or modification to the car is required. It will, however, require a second person to help support the hood when the hinges are loosened and when the struts are being installed, so bring along a friend or coax your significant other into the garage.
Follow along as we install the Steeda billet hood strut kit, but remember that this is just an overview of the installation process, so always follow the supplied instructions. If you are not comfortable with your mechanical abilities, have a professional install it for you.
While relatively inexpensive, the Steeda billet hood strut kit is of excellent build quality. It installed easily, and as expected, it makes an excellent addition to any new-model Mustang. With the kit installed, the prop rod can be removed from the car altogether, as it is no longer needed. The Steeda kit also delivers a few unexpected advantages over the factory prop rod; first, the hood lifts higher, making engine maintenance (or engine showing-off) easier; and second, the hood is now square when it is opened, since it is supported by gas struts on both sides. With the factory prop rod, the hood is supported only on the passenger-side front corner, allowing the hood to twist and droop under its own weight.
Steeda developed an excellent solution for a simple flaw in the new Mustang’s otherwise excellent design. If the prop rod bothers you as much as it does some Mustang owners, check it out—you may be happy to lift your Mustang hood again.
Article Sources
Advantage Performance Center
www.advantageperformancecenter.com
951/684-8483
1253 W. LaCadena Dr. Riverside, CA 92501
