The answer's straightforward: it's a tubular arm, usually bolted or clipped in, that makes opening your vehicles hood or trunk easier. Having one is helpful for when you're doing regular or seasonal inspections, taking care of repairs, doing upgrades, or loading or unloading cargo.

Lift supports use compression to prop a panel up. One kind charges gas inside a cylinder, storing pressure of up to 1,500 pounds per square inch (psi). Open it, and it releases that pent-up energy, holding up the car body part it's installed for.

Over time, however, a lift support can wear one out, usually from extreme temperature exposure or just plain frequent use. If yours has difficulty holding up this hatch or that decklid, it's likely not holding its pressure, and its struts are probably faulty. In that case, it's best to replace the whole thing.

When Do You Change a Lift Support?

The answer's just as simple: when it no longer works as well, or at all. Otherwise, you should take care of it every 5 years or so.

Just be sure to reinstall the right type -- a hood lift support for your engine compartment, a trunk lift support for your cargo hold, and so on. Doing so is a snap - all you need is a pair of pliers and a few different screwdrivers and wrenches.

As for which lift support to order for your Honda and Acura, choose nothing less than genuine OEM. These lift supports get made for your make and model specifically, so they'll come guaranteed to fit it. You can order one online at our auto parts store. Buy it today and we'll ship it right away, right to your door!