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Phase 2 tailgate gas struts
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Dave-M
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 15, 2021 1:24 pm    Post subject: Phase 2 tailgate gas struts Reply with quote

Am about to tread the path of fitting a pair of gas struts to my Olympic.

I am fairly certain this has been attempted before, and I hope someone will be kind enough to point me in the direction of where and how. I imagine that the club magazine is where it will be found as I don't recall ever seeing it discussed on here. Unfortunately I don't have a full set of magazines so Please help if you can.

Thanks in anticipation, Dave
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Gary Tipping
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 15, 2021 5:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Following this with interest Dave.

Gary
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keith hamer
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 16, 2021 9:09 am    Post subject: Gas struts Reply with quote

I am fairly sure that Roger Coupe wrote a piece about this subject in one of the very early magazines. When I get a chance I will root through them to see if I can find it.
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Dave-M
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 16, 2021 12:22 pm    Post subject: tailgate struts Reply with quote

Keith, no panic, keep working. I have found the articles I had a vague memory of.
They are in Mag 93 Page28 and Mag94 Page 18.
Perhaps as Webmaster you could tell me if it's OK to copy and paste them into
this post?

Just in passing, these mags on the front page of the website don't open.

I will wait a day or two, to see if anyone else contributes, before I start with my thoughts on the job.

Regards, Dave
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Gary Tipping
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PostPosted: Tue Feb 16, 2021 2:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Dave,

I've used this site before to calculate gas struts, it worked ok.

https://www.gasspringsshop.co.uk/gas-spring-calculator/

Gary
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keith hamer
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 17, 2021 9:11 am    Post subject: Gas struts Reply with quote

I can't see any reason why this article written by Roger can't be put into this thread.

The reason why any magazine pre dating magazine 96 won't open is down to the nature of the content not being in a format which is easily uploaded onto our web site.
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Dave-M
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 17, 2021 10:51 am    Post subject: tailgate struts Reply with quote

Gary,
Here is another link for us, they will even do the calculations for us.

https://www.sgs-engineering.com/gas-struts

What I have in mind is a twin strut installation that will use the existing steel tube that is bonded in the roof and the tailgate. This should prevent any distortion / flexing due to the strut loads.
The idea being that the installation would look like it was / is original equipment by avoiding bits of bent tin and self tappers for the mountings.
After selecting the mounting points to provide a reasonable amount of strut travel I had intended to submit the drawings to the link above for them to calculate the requirements, but even better now thanks to your link we can run the calculations ourselves to check.
Is the headlining fitted to your car? If not we can compare dimensions to see if the steel in the roof is fitted accuratley or to + or- Rochdale tolerances.

Regards, Dave
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Dave-M
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 17, 2021 10:56 am    Post subject: tailgate struts Reply with quote

Keith,
Thanks for your reply and conformation that it's OK to put bits from past magazines in the forum. I am sure it will help to increase the knowledge base in the forum.

Regards, Dave
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Gary Tipping
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 17, 2021 4:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi Dave.

No headlining in mine at the moment, happy to take some measurements.

Do you know the wall thickness of the steel tube, wondering if it could be drilled and tapped to take the struts?

Gary
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Dave-M
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 18, 2021 2:20 pm    Post subject: tailgate struts Reply with quote

Gary,
A few thoughts on the strut mountings.

1) The wall thickness of the roof tubes is around 3mm, this will only give 3 or 4 full threads engagement for the ball mounting for the strut. Is this enough ??

2) Another option would be to use Rivnuts, Great until they come slack and just spin.

Both of the above do not take any consideration of fitting the interior trim at a later stage of the build.

Below is a not very good sketch of a possible solution. It will need removal of some of the GRP covering the tube and some careful welding and rapid cooling to prevent damage.
The advantage of this solution is to provide full thread engagement of the Strut fixing ball and also to provide a gap between the interior trim and the Glassed in tube.



Opinions welcome

Regards, Dave
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keith hamer
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 19, 2021 9:24 am    Post subject: Struts Reply with quote

Why not make the plate square/rectangular and rivet it in place at the 4 corners. This will alleviate the need to weld it and can be re-riveted if it comes loose, you could always use some araldite to glue it too, as well as rivets.
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Gary Tipping
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 19, 2021 9:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dave,

I'm sure your method would work, I hadn't really thought it through that way, because I don't weld. I also hadn't given any thought to interior trim.

Picking up on Keith's Araldite idea and thinking out loud, I'm wondering if a section of tube with an I/D similar to the O/D of the existing tube could be bonded or welded in place, to give enough thickness to drill and tap?

Gary
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Dave-M
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 22, 2021 1:13 pm    Post subject: tailgate struts Reply with quote

Well there we go three perfectly good solutions. All derived to suit the abilities of each builder.
So now it's on to sorting the geometry of the installation.
Below is a picture of the steel tube fitted to the roof as mentioned above:-




Now it's time for some measuring and an accurate drawing.

Regards, Dave
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TonyS
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 28, 2021 10:41 am    Post subject: tailgate struts Reply with quote

Hi Dave and Gary,

“Duffy” has Gas Struts fitted to the bonnet and the rear hatch now for 23 years and 98,756 miles (how many Olympics have done 99,000 miles in the last 23 years?) They were supplied by RS Components Ltd.
At the moment “Duffy” is in storage while my new garage is been built, so not easy to get to take photos. Also, the trim is glued down over the brackets which I do not wish to disturb.
You adjust the pressure in the struts by letting gas out of a valve, but if you let too much gas out you cannot replace it.
The attached photos may be of some use.

Regards, Tony.






























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Gary Tipping
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PostPosted: Sun Feb 28, 2021 6:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks Tony, great to see a working solution.

Regards

Gary
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