Technical Gas struts for hood- quick query

Currently reading:
Technical Gas struts for hood- quick query

Professorwho

Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2015
Messages
95
Points
69
I've been reading all the threads I can on hood struts because I am having trouble. The struts on my hood are shot and I got some of the updated struts from henk but the replacements appear to be 5mm or so longer. When I have removed the old struts it looks like they are compressed slightly when the hood is fully raised because they are the same length as the replacements when I pull them to full extension.
Should the struts be slightly compressed as described?
How hard has it been for others to replace the gas struts?
 
Hi Professorwho,
I changed the gas struts last year and I remember I had to compress them a bit to get them in place.
I first fixed the upper part of the strut and then it was easy to fix the other part. Moving the hood, not totally closed, was helpful.
The gas trut of the boot took some more time and work.

Good luck.
 
All this talk about replacing the hood struts has made me wonder whether mine are shot. How easy should it be to put the hood up & down if the struts are OK? My hood always needs a real heave to erect it, but it's been like that since I bought it, and I'd always assumed it was supposed to be like that! I've never played with the hood on another B. Maybe my struts are shot? :(
 
Last edited:
Thanks for that, Steve - in that case, mine are well and truly b*ggered! Not a huge problem, in truth, as I rarely put the hood up anyway. :D

Think I'll leave it until I finally get around to replacing the hood.
 
Last edited:
Hey bumble, I read your thread in its entirety!
Did you have to compress the new struts at all?
 
Thanks for that, Steve - in that case, mine are well and truly b*ggered! Not a huge problem, in truth, as I rarely put the hood up anyway. :D

Think I'll leave it until I finally get around to replacing the hood.

I may well have a spare pair once I am done as I have ordered another pair of original pressure struts!
 
There is a good guide for the job but it tends to concentrate more on the options. I don't recall having any difficulties at all with the job. When fitting any gas strut it is usual that some slight compression may be required. Fit one end first then you can 'compress' the strut and pop the other end in place. It is possible to make a strut compressor - I had to do this to fit the boot struts when I had my SLK - I used two wooden clothes pegs and two lolly sticks. The pegs have semi circular cut-outs and simply clip on the each part of the strut to protect it, then the lolly sticks connect each peg and are held with a couple of pairs of vice grips. It looks clumsy and the pegs will be crushed but it will hold the strut compressed. You could try a piece of very stiff tube and the vice grips but remember to cut it along one edge first or it will become part of the car! Hope it goes well - Steve
 
Last edited:
I used two wooden clothes pegs and two lolly sticks. The pegs have semi circular cut-outs and simply clip on the each part of the strut to protect it, then the lolly sticks connect each peg and are held with a couple of pairs of vice gripS.

Love this. This ingenuity of a born engineer!
 
Back
Top