Parts:
• 2 X Tailgate gas struts from SGS Engineering (2 X £44.10 inc next day delivery)
http://www.sgs-engineering.com/car-boot-tailgate/lexus/rx/gsc2619-lexus-rx400-tailgate-strut
Tools:
• 12mm spanner/ratchet/torque wrench
• Dremel
• Needle nose pliers
Time:
~30 minutes
Steps:
First off the replacement gas struts don’t come with the ball joint bracket for attaching to the car/tail gate. So you will have to reuse your old ones.
This is probably a two man job as you will need someone holding the tailgate open while you work. I did it by myself using a 6ft step ladder held firmly in place with supports. Do this at your own peril though! I turned off the auto tailgate motors from the little button in the glove box.
With the tailgate open, remove the original gas struts from the car first, then the tailgate by removing the nuts.
The next challenge here is the old struts are kept very firmly on the old ball joint with an o-ring and there doesn’t seem to be any obvious way to remove. I had to grind enough of the outer ball joint away until I could see the o-ring.. then prise this out with some needle nose pliers. It got easier as I did the other joints and I got more efficient with how much I had to remove.
Once you’ve freed all 4 ball joints. Re-attach them to the car and tail gate. Tighten to 8Nm if you have a torque wrench. You can use some locktight on these if you’re worried about them coming loose.
Remove the retaining pins from the new struts and pop them in to place starting with the tailgate end first. Re-insert the retaining pins when done. I put a small bit of grease inside each one.
Try opening and closing the tailgate a few times to ensure everything works and it’s well supported. Then turn the auto tailgate back on again from the glovebox.