Tis the season to get your head bonked by a Saab!
I bought my Saab a holiday gift of a new washer fluid cap, and my hood lifts decided to give out on my head when I tried to put it in place.
Dang, they are heavy...hood and tailgate. Concussion quality!
I saw someone use a tripod to hold his tailgate in place while replacing struts. Doubt it will work for my hood problem, but maybe that would help with your tailgate strut replacement task.