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MRT hood struts 2020 Bullitt

Gjesion

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Anyone use these? Opinion?

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Jerry
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Elp_jc

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Absolute crap. Don't waste your money. Nobody buys it for a reason; I found out the hard way. I already did all the grinding needed to clear the battery box, found 2 rubber spacers to put where the struts mount (the brackets extend over the hood bracket, so there's a gap between the front part and the hood, and they flex), so they don't bend, minimizing the stress on both the hood bolt, and the bracket. In addition, the hood extends LESS than the rod, which I found totally unacceptable (I'm almost sure all other kits extend at least the same, if not more than with the rod).

Anyway, you can have mine for half price ($55), and you wouldn't have to spend an hour grinding the right bracket so it doesn't ruin your battery box, even when rotating it as much as possible (almost touching the fender when closed). So yes, the hood brackets can't be mounted straight, so you know. Plus the 'hooks' that are supposed to prevent them from going over the hood, are crap. You can actually rotate the damn thing way over the hood, hitting the fender. But the good news is the way they're mounted, the pressure is towards the inside of the hood, so once mounted clearing the fender, they won't turn outward. Now you have all the info you need to make a decision :). Hit me with a PM if you still want this POS with one day of use, even at my low price :D.

Finally, regardless which kit you use, they ALL the kits I've seen attach to the front hood bolt as the last support place, leaving the rest of the hood unsupported, and it flexes a lot more than I'd like. Since I leave the hood open basically all the time in my garage, I decided to keep the stock rod after adding an insulator piece to it. My other vehicles with hood struts from the factory don't have hardly any flex, since the brackets are mounted further up the hood, like they should be. Just like the manual parking brake, I learned to embrace the 'analog' hood rod too, but to each his own :D. Hope this helps.
 
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npole

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So there's no official optional for our Mustang that actually works good without modifications? I believed that the ones from Ford Performance were OK?
 

Elp_jc

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So there's no official optional for our Mustang that actually works good without modifications? I believed that the ones from Ford Performance were OK?
Nope; they work the same way. And based on my research when I was looking into hood struts, the Redlines were the favorite on this forum, like 'El-Guapin' said. The second choice was the Steeda kit, and the 3rd the FP one. The Roush kit is reportedly the best once installed... BUT it requires removing all 4 hood bolts, meaning realignment is needed, so few want to do that. The top 3 require modification (cutting) of the battery box (the Roush reportedly doesn't), and NONE offer any better upper hood support, unfortunately.

Bottom line is our hood does NOT offer a bolt-on provision to have a properly placed hood bracket, because it was never designed with one in mind. It'd require welding a good support bracket with the strut 'ball' farther up the hood, which nobody would do anyway. So for those hell-bent on hood struts, the Redlines are as good as it's going to get, based on this forum :). And contrary to the MRTs, you'd still reportedly be able to use the rod if the struts failed to support the hood. I consider that (hood extending beyond rod) a must-have 'feature'.
 
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npole

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So redline.. steeda.. FP... etc. all require the modification of the battery box? I don't want to modify anything! :( ...and it looks strange to me that a official optional (FP) ask you to "cut" a piece. Hum
 

npole

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And to add more bits.. i'm interested to add it, not just because of usability, look etc... but also because last time I opened my bonnet and tried to use the rod, I got burned! The thing is f* hot!
 

Bikeman315

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So redline.. steeda.. FP... etc. all require the modification of the battery box? I don't want to modify anything! :( ...and it looks strange to me that a official optional (FP) ask you to "cut" a piece. Hum
The “modification” consists of drilling one little hole. Hardly a big deal. :)

upload_2020-7-23_8-21-12.jpeg
 

el-guapin

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So redline.. steeda.. FP... etc. all require the modification of the battery box? I don't want to modify anything! :( ...and it looks strange to me that a official optional (FP) ask you to "cut" a piece. Hum
Yes. But is such a small, easy cutout of the battery COVER. Can’t even tell is there! The cover is easy and cheap to replace too if you want to go back to stock. But if you set on NO modifications then this might not be for you.
 
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npole

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KK, I believed it was a more important modification. However isn't a little strange that Ford want you (the dealer) to make a hole in battery cover for an original optional? Or the struts aren't designed for the Bullitt?
 

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el-guapin

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KK, I believed it was a more important modification. However isn't a little strange that Ford want you (the dealer) to make a hole in battery cover for an original optional? Or the struts aren't designed for the Bullitt?
Is not just the Bullitt. The mod is needed for all S550s. Minus the GT500!
 

Bikeman315

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KK, I believed it was a more important modification. However isn't a little strange that Ford want you (the dealer) to make a hole in battery cover for an original optional? Or the struts aren't designed for the Bullitt?
Huh? The gas struts are not an original option. They are aftermarket. The small hole in the battery cover is a simple fix for not having to need the old rod. If I remember correctly, Redline even supplies the drill bit.
 

m3incorp

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If you want the hood struts, drilling a small hole in an ugly piece of plastic is a no brainer. I went even farther and just cut out a slit, so I can remove the battery cover whenever I want and not have to remove the hood strut. I had a lot of hood flutter before installing in my struts and now I have none; that is most likely because I tightened the bolts down nice and tight but it is what it is. I have the Redlines.

I can see Elp_jc not wanting them, as he leaves his hood open all the time when parked. I would guess that 95% of us don't leave our hoods open like that. I do pull in and open mine after long runs, but I close it after a couple of hours.
 

Bikeman315

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I can see Elp_jc not wanting them, as he leaves his hood open all the time when parked. I would guess that 95% of us don't leave our hoods open like that. I do pull in and open mine after long runs, but I close it after a couple of hours.
JC asked about the MRT's and after a number of us told him to stay away he bought them anyway. I guess he was so disappointed in them he decided to stay with the rod. I do not know anyone who leaves their hood open all the time but whatever.
 
 




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