
You will not be able to compress the struts by hand. It would be difficult to compress the struts even with tools when unmounted from the vehicle. Install them and use a little bearing grease on the shaft that collapses and try to get some movement. We've never had a set seize up, so unless yours sat out in the rain for a year, they will probably free up easily.can you buy new struts from you guys. I have a kit that is a couple years old. The struts where on the truck but no hood. Bowtie build takes a couple years. Anyway went to put hood on tonight and attached the struts and they are frozen open. I took them off and tried to compress on the bench and no go.