Ford Performance Hood Lift Kit Bolt-In With Ford Performance Logo Mustang V6/ EcoBoost/ GT 2015-2023

It's hard to believe that one of our 2015 project cars here at CJ's is still rocking the original hood prop rod. This is usually one of the first modifications we do is to get rid of this and install a set of hood struts, but somehow our convertible never got a set. That actually works out really well though, because Ford Performance just released their hood strut kit for the 2015 through 2016 Mustang. Today we're going to install it on our 2015 GT Convertible.

The kit from Ford Performance is definitely high quality. It includes 2 of these black hood struts with a Ford Performance logo etched in them, and a pair of brackets with retainers for your fenders, brackets that mount on the hood, and then a template to draw out your battery cover. For this installation you'll need a 3/8 ratchet, 10mm socket, 13mm socket, 1/4 inch Allen socket, torque wrench, scissors, punch, drill, and a 1" drill bit.

We're going to begin the installation over on the passenger's side, as this side's a little more involved than the driver's side. Neither side's hard, just a little more to do over on this side here. We're going to have to modify our battery cover for the fender bracket, but the first thing we're going to do is not to the bracket but to the hood by removing this nut here. You'll need to make sure that you grab the correct bracket. When it's put in place the bracket should go over the stud, rotate down, and touch the hood hinge. They are mirror images of each other, so if it doesn't do that, it's the one for the other side, and just grab the other bracket. We'll reinstall the factory nut. Hold the bracket while you tighten to make sure it stays on the hood hinge. Bring the hose back over and put it underneath the stud.

For the bracket mount the next step is going to be to remove and modify our battery cover. To do that, 3 thumb screws, just loosen them, and pull up the screw with the insert. Then remove the cover. Inside the hardware of the Ford Performance kit's going to be this little business card that has a template on it. The template has to be cut out, and we're going to use this to locate the hole we have to drill in the battery cover. What you'll want to do here now is line up the template, make sure that hole goes over that, the edge here comes out. This should line up with the line right there. You'll want to grab something sharp and this little hole here, just going to mark that. That'll be the center punch for your hole. By using that marked punched hole as the center, you'll want to drill it out to an inch. Step bit's going to be the easiest way to do this. It's nice and soft, it'll go through it very easily.

Now comes what's probably going to be the trickiest part of the installation is to mount the fender brackets. This little insert here has to go down through this fender hole. You'll have to get it set up that it's just like this, side to side not front to back. Then you'll want to tighten it down. What you'll want to do is kind of pull up on it once you get it in there, tighten it by hand, and then we'll crank it down once we get it in place. You sort of have to come at it at an angle and sort of have to turn and you'll be able to get it in. Ford doesn't put a torque spec on these. They say 20 foot pound is where you want to be.

Now we're going to reinstall the battery cover. Put it over the bracket first. Now we're going to reinstall the hardware. Next we install the strut. You want to make sure the body of the strut is facing upward, the Ford Performance logo is facing outward. Also make sure here the hose is up against it when you connect it. Then we're going to repeat the process over on the driver's side. The process over here is going to be basically the exact same, just basically no battery cover to deal with. This last step is optional. In my opinion the installation is not finished until you remove the factory prop rod. Your installation's finished.

The Ford Performance hood struts look great under the hood, do a great job of holding the hood up as well. As you can see, you can bring it down slowly, but also when you put it up you get about halfway up, they'll take it the rest of the way for you. The black color looks great as well, which gives it almost an OEM kind of appearance. Installation is pretty straight forward, take you around half an hour, and you'll be back on the road in no time.