Well I've been doing a little research and want to know if anybody has tried fitting more powerful gas struts to the hood lift mechanism?
Both me and wifey have bad backs and ideally would like next to zero lift effort. We never use the fitted tie-down-straps as the hood when open is never positively lifted by the struts.
Regarding the research I've been talking to Stabilus here in the UK who make the original Lift-O-Mat gas struts for the Barchetta.
Fiat P/N: 46734809
Stabilus P/N: 2802CS
Tech. Details:
Force: 250 Newtons
Body Length: 138mm
Body Diameter: 18mm
Extended Lenght: 240mm
Stroke: 80mm
Push Rod Diameer: 8mm
Ball Ends: 6mm
Now for the very puzzling part.
The standard Stabilus range for a similar part has and extended lenght of 235.5mm, 80mm stroke but uses a 6mm diameter rod with 6mm ball ends and a gas body diameter of 15.6mm. These units are rated up to 400N force.
The standard fitment for 8mm diameter rods is not the 6mm ends fitted to the Fiat Barchetta part. Also with 8mm rods they are rated to well over 400N force.
So the question is why Fiat specified the design they did. The Fiat part was custom made for Fiat but it would appear that there is some odd design requests going on. e.g. the 8mm diam. rod is well over rated for the force required but then lower rated 6mm ball ends have been fitted/requested.
If anybody has one of these gas struts removed from the car then I would appreciate some actual mechanical/size measurements of the strut.
Meanwhile I need measure all the "angles of dangles", lengths etc. of the strut inactual use.
I'm hoping to be able to find and fit uprated struts that almost make the hood self rise from an open position.
The original Fiat Part Numv
Both me and wifey have bad backs and ideally would like next to zero lift effort. We never use the fitted tie-down-straps as the hood when open is never positively lifted by the struts.
Regarding the research I've been talking to Stabilus here in the UK who make the original Lift-O-Mat gas struts for the Barchetta.
Fiat P/N: 46734809
Stabilus P/N: 2802CS
Tech. Details:
Force: 250 Newtons
Body Length: 138mm
Body Diameter: 18mm
Extended Lenght: 240mm
Stroke: 80mm
Push Rod Diameer: 8mm
Ball Ends: 6mm
Now for the very puzzling part.
The standard Stabilus range for a similar part has and extended lenght of 235.5mm, 80mm stroke but uses a 6mm diameter rod with 6mm ball ends and a gas body diameter of 15.6mm. These units are rated up to 400N force.
The standard fitment for 8mm diameter rods is not the 6mm ends fitted to the Fiat Barchetta part. Also with 8mm rods they are rated to well over 400N force.
So the question is why Fiat specified the design they did. The Fiat part was custom made for Fiat but it would appear that there is some odd design requests going on. e.g. the 8mm diam. rod is well over rated for the force required but then lower rated 6mm ball ends have been fitted/requested.
If anybody has one of these gas struts removed from the car then I would appreciate some actual mechanical/size measurements of the strut.
Meanwhile I need measure all the "angles of dangles", lengths etc. of the strut inactual use.
I'm hoping to be able to find and fit uprated struts that almost make the hood self rise from an open position.
The original Fiat Part Numv