Yesterday I fitted a set of QuickLIFT gas-spring struts on the bonnet of my '08 Limited. It was a little more challenging than I thought, but I ended up with only one Band-Aid! Here's the before picture with the old prop rod:
And the after picture with the new struts:
Ordered them from here:
http://www.redlinetuning.com/QL-TOY-RAV4-06+.html
I got the basic kit for $69.95 and painted the brackets satin black. To install you need a tape measure, fine point marker pen, utility knife, center punch, drill with #11 and 5/32" drill bits, Pop rivet gun, and a ratchet with a 5/16" socket. You have to measure and drill 10 holes, remove and trim the weatherstripping on either side, install the hood brackets with 6 pop rivets and the fender brackets with 4 self-tapping bolts. Re-install the weatherstripping, then just snap the struts onto the brackets and remove the old prop rod. Keep an old towel or cloth on the fender to catch the metal shavings, and put tape on the drill bits so they don't go too deep. If you take your time, you can knock it out in an hour or an hour and a half.
I made a short video to show how it works:
