Frustrating boot struts

[chrisc]

Hi,
just thought id relate this little story for you. fed up with the broom handle approach i went to the scrapyard to get some boot struts that might do the job. typically there wasnt anything there that met all the requirements (strong, similar length, adaptable fittings), so in the end i came away with some struts of a fairly new clio. nice and easy to adapt the fittings but in the end upon offering them up to the car they were too long, even with the boot open past the range of travel normally offered by the original struts. So i cut through the shaft of the strut to the right length, cut off the fixing from the original strut and welded it onto the shaft of the new strut. Repeat for the other strut. Upon offering them up to the car they fitted perfectly. They arent strong enough!!!!!! :evil:

Presently thinking that maybe i should shell out the £72 for the repro struts from omicron.... then again, so far have commited £15 to the quest - £10 for some good struts from a standard hpe - not strong enough for the vx one, especially filled with loads of waxoyl, and £5 for these. not strong enough.... and now knowing i can adapt about any boot strut to fit, maybe next time ill pick up some from a car with a heavy boot, even if they arent a close fit.

Expressions of sympathy or hints appreciated....

[Duncan]

Boot struts are a pain in the "£$%. I've been told that the first thing I should try on my Honda was to take it to a citroen garage and see if they could re-charge it. 'cos apparently citroen suspension uses similar technology. Dunno if it's a pipedream, but you could try it with your original VX struts?
Good luck, whatever you choose...
Cheers
DM

[Shant Fabricatorian]

Your position is well sympathised with...

Oddly enough, my HPE is currently getting its struts repressurised as I type. This will be of negligible help to you but I took it to my local Lancia specialist who then passed the struts on to another specialist.

Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is that if you haven't tried that approach, of repressurising them rather than finding new ones, it might be an avenue worth trying. It's my understanding that most of the time it'll do the trick, having to find new ones is a fairly rare occurrence. Hope this helps.

In other news, the reason it was out of action in the first place is a bolt coming loose in the gear linkage, thereby enabling a very hit-and-miss approach when it came to selecting reverse, unfortunately more miss than hit...

While it's there, I'm taking the opportunity to put a proper air filter on it...because it's an Australian-spec delivery car, it has a whole heap of emissions stuff. That's all blocked off with the new setup... :twisted: - plus I'm looking forward to a snarling induction noise. :D Oh yes, and it's getting some exhaust work done, hopefully eradicating the slightly noxious smell of fumes in the cabin...

[omicron]

We had similar problems, so got them made. They're made in the UK and available in standard form or slightly heavier duty Volumex form.

How about two really big magnets set to repel?

[Will]

I get my struts for all my crazy stuff from the world of marine supply. Tried that yet? Usually have nice SS brackets with ball fittings that the ends of the struts snap on to. Different lengths and weights available.
-Will

[chrisc]

Im going to pop down the road (handy having a lancia specialist less than a mile from the house!) and see about repressurising the originals... then ill explore marine supply. Ive no idea how youd repressurise struts though?

[omicron]

Repressurising the struts is a hit and miss affair. You have to force gas past the seal the wrong way and hope that the seal is in good enough condition to retain it for any length of time.

We've got VX ones on the shelf should all attempts fail...

[Will]

Ones I used on my custom deck lid were Attwood brand.(marine supply)
-Will

[rossocorsa]

I believve that some people have used Saab 900 hatch struts which are designed for a similarly heavy hatch, I think it means making a new mounting on the hatch but the results are good......this is all from memory, i think that (on this group) 'Sir Lancialot' is the man to ask about it

[A1.6HPE]

I once saw an HPE that had VW Golf struts fitted. The top fitting used the existing ball on the tail gate and the lower end used the small brackets from the Golf fitted in to the hatch surround. The overall length was greater but they worked well. I fitted VX struts to mine and they lasted about 1 year and I only use my car about 10 days in a year! Perhaps it is better if they are used more frequently though. I use an LMC umbrella.

Leo Capaldi

[chrisc]

Ive found it to be a bit tricky to find saab 900s in scrapyards - they clearly last too well! Havent found anyone able to help with repressurising so ill just have to wait till i find a suitable scrap car. Ive got my eyes open for audis and saabs (hugely heavy tailgates) appearing but nothing yet.

On a different topic that isnt quite worthy of its own thread, l am urgently looking for a pair - maybe 2 pairs if a little hope of mine comes to fruition soon - of good coupe doors and door cards (the upholstery on the cards isnt important, just the card itself). All those with any idea let me know!

I may be getting hold of a coupe vx and a 2000 coupe.... the bug has taken hold..

[omicron]

We've got a pair of reasonable Coupe doors as well as brand new VX HPE tailgate struts, correct fittings and all...

I'll have a closer look at the doors.

Andrew