Attwood SL37-30-1 Gas Spring Lift Support, 30 lb

When the gas spring on a boat hatch gives out, you know it right away. The lid won't stay up, or it drops on your hand while you're reaching into the storage locker. The Attwood SL37-30-1 is a direct replacement lift support built to put that hatch back to work. It's a gas-charged strut rated at 30 pounds of output force, with eyelet ends top and bottom and the dimensions you need to match a common mid-size hatch or seat base.

Here's what you're getting. Compressed, the strut measures 16.1 inches from eyelet to eyelet. Fully extended, it runs 26.3 inches, which gives you 10.2 inches of travel. That travel is the number to watch when you're sizing a strut to a lid. It's the distance the rod actually pushes out, and it sets how far your hatch swings open before the spring tops out. The 8 millimeter rod rides inside an 18 millimeter cylinder, and the eyelet ends take a 10 millimeter socket, so it drops onto standard eyelet mounting hardware without any adapting.

The 30 pound rating is the spec to pay attention to. Gas springs are matched to the weight of the lid they hold and how it swings. Too little force and the hatch feels heavy and won't stay up on its own. Too much and it flies open or fights you on the way down. Attwood rates this one at 30 pounds, which suits a moderate hatch, a livewell lid, a rear seat base, or a small engine cowling. If you're replacing a strut that's worn out, the easiest path is to match the numbers you already have. Measure the old one compressed, measure it extended, and check the force stamped on the cylinder. When those line up with this one, you're in business.

A quick word on mounting, because it makes a real difference in how long a gas spring lasts. Whenever the geometry allows, install the strut with the rod pointing down and the cylinder up. Gas springs seal better and last longer when the oil inside sits around the piston seal, and rod-down orientation keeps it there. If your hatch design forces a different angle, the strut still works, you'll just get the best service life from the rod-down setup. Give the eyelets a little room to pivot too. They're meant to articulate slightly as the lid swings, and binding them dead-straight puts side load on the rod.

This carries the marine pedigree Attwood has built over more than a hundred years in the boating business. And that matters on the water. A strut that lives under a console or in a splash-prone locker sees salt, humidity, and UV that a car strut never deals with. Buying a support that's built for the marine environment from the start is cheaper than chasing rust down the road later.

So who's this for? Anybody replacing a failed lift support on a boat where the original measured close to 16 inches closed and 26 inches open with around 30 pounds of lift. It's also a solid pick for a custom hatch, a homemade rod locker lid, or a battery box cover where you want a clean assist that holds the lid up hands-free. It is not the right part for a heavy engine hatch that needs 60, 90, or 120 pounds of force. Attwood makes higher-force versions in the same body size for that, so match the force to the load and you'll be happy with it.

The listing covers the gas spring itself. If your old install used ball studs, brackets, or eyelet pins, plan to reuse that hardware or confirm you've got the right mounting fittings on hand before you start. Swapping a strut is usually a ten-minute job with a couple of hand tools, and you're back to a hatch that stays right where you put it.