I bought dampers similar to these:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/03-07...spagenameZWDVW

Got them on a few minutes ago, but they seem locked and I can't figure out how to close my hood. I tried twisting them back and forth and nothing seems to work. Am I missing something here?

 

anyone?

 

just press down hard. If they haven't been compressed since they were made and shipped, they may just be sorta stuck like that. Some good force should compress them.

You can take them back off, rest the end on a block of wood, and hit the other end with a rubber mallet until the shaft moves.

 

When new, there pretty stiff. But be careful just in case. They'll break in over time, where you wont notice it. Try spacing your hands on each side of the hood and close with even pressure on both sides. Instead of just in the middle, like usually. Siverstone-Z had a good suggestion.

 

dampers were super stiff out of the box. The suggestions above will work and be patient...

 

Thanks for the help fellas. Got my rubber mallet in hand...

 

update? did it work?

 

That thing was a *****... I tried the mallet for a while, then sprayed some WD40 and pushed down on it using a folded up towel and it finally worked... kept doing it till it was easier push and put them back under the hood... Works like a charm and certainly worth the 60 bucks... I appreciate the help!