The major difficulty is getting one of the right strength - the length is fairly easy to sort, and the way the strut would operate in place of the originals isn't an issue. But get the wrong strength and either we end up with a bonnet that won't stay open, or a bonnet that pops open without being lifted.Chris Spencer wrote:Jack - Surely if you find the length of strut required - its then a quick visit to the local breakers yard - most modern vehicles have gas struts both on the tailgates and bonnets - if look at the size & weight of the tailgates on some of the van / mpv's there is going to be something that fits the bill - I would have thought that you could sort this for £30ish using this route - its certainly what I shall be doing once I get around to my Jupe Bitza project
From previous experience with Capri boot lids, they also degrade over time, losing their pressure - so even if we found one on an existing car that does the job, it might not be any good if it is more than 10 years old.
We shall see if we can find the right amount of force and measure the appropriate length. Then a scoot around the scrapyard may bring up some possible candidates, though with so few breakers now keeping a decent stock of cars this might be fun!
I can't find a good guide to vehicle make and model and the size and strength of gas struts fitted, but wonder if such a thing does exist. I suspect that the big manufacturers don't make their own gas struts, and a few suppliers will cover most of the market - the question is whether we can find someone useful at one of those suppliers that is prepared to help.
Jack.