i found a working pair at the junkyard but i have no idea how to get them off any suggestions and what tools do i need?

 

all you need is a small flat tip screw driver. Pry the little metal band thing back and it will pull off.

 

The cross section would kind of look like this:


The black part being the ring you need to pry off, the brown part being the gas strut, and the red part being the ball stud.

 

Keep track of what you pull off (keeper and circlip) and use them upon reinstallation.

 

thanks for your help guys!

 

You may have to knock them loose. One sharp blow from a set of vise grips did it. I just got back from Pull-A-Part to get these for mine. They get a little gummed up sitting with the liftgate open.

 

I pulled some a couple weekends ago. They came from an older XJ so they won't fit my 2000. Anyone in the Denver area that need a pair, look me up cause I can't use them.

 

While the junk yard struts are a great deal, beware that if your lift gate struts are old and worn, the same year in the junk yard are probably just as old and will not work any better. My 96 Jeep cherokee's struts worked well during the summer, but would not hold the rear hatch open in the cold of winter. I got tired of getting hit in the head with the hatch that I broke down and picked up a set of new struts for $35 and no more head aches.