How to install hood struts to your CX-5
 

Anyone wanted to fit hood struts to your Mazda CX-5? Here's a link to where you can purchase them and a link to a video on how to install them:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/KEMi...0-e6588f508d8a

Don't know about the newer ones, but there are nice large holes near where you mount the strut to the edge of the engine compartment and there must be something down there that attracts loose nuts and washers. Be careful where you place those while working. The holes can be blocked with a rag or paper though.

struts
 

Are these actually $20 for the pair or do I need to order 2 sets for $40

I think I paid about $17 per pair two years ago. When they arrived, the mounting hardware was for a different car. I notified the seller and he sent me another set and never responded to my message about returning the other items, so I ended up with a spare pair of struts that I have in the garage in case the ones on the CX5 or the MX5 go bad.

are these for people that pop their hoods open a lot? i think in 4 months i only had my hood open maybe 3-4 times.. to check oil level.. (oil level always been @ full mark). im just trying to see the advantage? i guess you dont have to hood the hood with one hand as you put the bar in place.. but i didnt think that was all to hard? is there something else im missing? like is this for people who wrench on their cars alot or something?

A lot of time it's easier to work in the engine compartment without that hood prop bar in the way. I've got the struts on my MX-5 and will be ordering them for the CX-5. I have been waiting for negative feedback or longevity issues, but I haven't seen any. Inexpensive addition and glad I put them on my MX-5, so much easier when the hood opens by itself.

On the CX5, with its heavier, steel hood, you will have to open the hood, but you will notice that it is much easier with the struts. The MX5's aluminum hood will fly upward on its own with the struts and you almost have to use force to bring it down. You have to be careful with the MX5 so that the hood doesn't fly up so fast that it could be damaged.

Nope, just $20 for the pair and boy do they work well!

Trust me, these things are so strong that even one was holding the hood up - I thought I'd have to keep the "stay" in place until getting the other one on, but when I tested the one on it's own, I first thought it had seized and wanted to uninstall it - but I went ahead and installed both first and then tried to close the hood again and it closed fine, but requires some force to push it down once it reaches below 36 degrees it just flops down - that hood is real heavy!

I would be afraid of using just one as it might put an uneven strain on the hood and its hinges.