Hello everyone,
I just started having an issue with my hatchback/tailgate gas struts and checked at my local Nissan dealer here in Nanaimo BC for some replacements, Newcastle Nissan could get them for me but the price was a little steep at $107.50 each, so I checked on eBay UK and found them being sold by a Seller named:
ziggy-a2z The price was £45 plus £40 to ship to Nanaimo which worked out to around $155 Canadian, cheaper than the dealer but I thought still a little high. So I started looking for a shop that would recharge the old ones for me and found a place in Saskatoon called LS Technologies, I talked to Owen and he told me that to recharge my old ones it would cost $50 - $75
each or he could give me new ones which he would attach my old brackets to for around $50 - $60 each. I will be sending them to LST tomorrow and will let you know how they turn out.
Gas Struts - Hatch
April 1, 2009 - 12:57pm
#1
Gas Struts - Hatch
i have a few dents in my skull due to similar problem...
i used to keep a stick in my crx to hold up the hatch. hardware store wooden stick 5$
holy smokes, something that actually has use has come out of our city!
RNN14
lol nice burn. but thats good to now man i have the same problem and its nice not to have to use a stick. there is just something aboput having a sexi car that also has class and then you get out and use a stick to hold up your trunk?!?!?!
why drive any car.... drive your dream car!
i guess, but im just saying ur driving a gti-r. you're going to have other and more expenses and the gas struts would be the last thing on my mind. just a forewarning.
Okay I have finally installed my new hatch gas struts from LST and they are a perfect fit. Cost was $156 Canadian. Great service from this Canadian company. They repainted my old mounts and attached them to new hydraulics. I saved money here and hope this thread will do the same for other GTi-R owners. I mentioned Newcastle Nissan at the start of this thread and although I chose the cheaper route and had my old struts rebuilt I have to say that Newcastle Nissan will do their best to get you any part you need. Many Gti-R parts are already in Canada and they will happily bring them in for you. Other parts not in Canada they will import for you from Japan with about a 30 day delivery.
LS Technologies use a proprietary process whereby they can recharge the 'unrechargeable' type gas struts; they are the only place in north america that can do this is claimed. [I will get my other JDM car ('90 Toyota Sera)'s door struts recharged there for sure.] Cost to recharge a strut in good condition was quoted as $50 plus shipping on a three day turnaround.
Lift Support Technologies out of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan can set the pressure of gas struts to suit customer requirements for a wide range of applications. My GTIR's rear hatch struts hold ok in warm weather but sag quickly in the cold where I use the car most so it will be due in the fall.
CHEAP STRUT FIX:
On the ultra lo-cost fix front, ..one step past a pointed stick, lol! (broom handle/ski pole works for me too) ..is a sleaved tube the length of the ram fitted over the strut, still a kludge but:
A guy with an Mazda Autozam AZ-1 gull wing kei car on U-tube with a weak door strut, had a plastic pvc pipe sleaved over the body of the shock tube, and when the ram was extended with door lifted, he would slide the plastic tube [cut to the just short of the length of the extended ram] down past the body over the ram part, and he would simply set/push the top rim of the plastic tube a bit ajar under the gas strut body [leaning against the side of the ram where it meets the strut body] in order to hold it up. Seemed to work fine in video but i wonder how it would hold in a wind with the door being buffeted.
To lower down again, the door is lifted slightly and the sleave is slid back over the strut body to let the door sag down as before. As a side benefit to the sleeved tube fix is the 'stick' is always in place ready for the next time.
Noticed anything "funny" with the exchange rates and parts prices lately:
New Scarier Insider Information: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPg4qTNTP-E
Save Real Money for your Nissan Pulsar Gtir Upgrades!
http://www.canadagtir.com/gallery/user/91gtirgrey/wont-last-long-buy-physical-silver-now
***** "May you live in interesting times."
156$ to fix hatch struts, nuts if u ask me. i think i open my hatch maybe once every month.
I have weak hatch struts in the cold too, but I'd rather have fun fabricating a sleeve system like GTiRGrey describes, spending the money on fixing something much more useful (from my car's perspective). It's pretty cool if they are the only place that can do it...
I'd say maybe for 50$, but 150$ is a good amount of money for something else.
Love the PVC tube fix, that's a great idea.... except that if the tube is substantially larger in diameter than the gas strut, it may rattle around on the strut while your driving (with the hatch closed, of course), which would drive me crazy if I didn't already have 10 rattles in my car when I drive.
All go, no show
new struts, $156? i'd sport a $5 stick to hold it up and save 150. my car does this too, i've just learned to hold it up. or hurry up and put whatever it is i'm putting in the back, then get the freak out of the way..
They are around $16 new from rockauto.com
RNN14
Thanks canadianR, wish they had them or I knew that before I spent the amount I spent for mine, your comment is one of the more worthwhile replies to this thread.
Sorry to bump an old thread, but I just bought 2 of these. 55 shipped. I'll let you know how they work.
Hey Lynx, did you buy them from rock auto ? If so what is the part number because I cant seem to find them ...
611209
Thank you let me know if they fit good
i would like to know how they work also
They shipped today, When i fit them I'll let you know. It should still be "cold" here (0-10 deg C) so It will at least give an indication if they have the power to lift the hatch.
I found another alternative to using a stick that doesn't look "as" ghetto. Keep a set of vise grips in the hatch, when you open the hatch and the hydraulics are fully extended, clamp the slider/chrome part so it can't physically go anywhere. Just another option.
Drive it like you stole it
Yeah that works too, but at only 16 bucks a side for the struts, I'd rather not have to buy a set of vice grips to haul around with me.
Well obviously a new set of struts would be ideal, but it's an alternative to getting bashed in the head if you don't have $55 to spend. Purely informational for other people reading this thread.
Drive it like you stole it
so Lynx did you recieve them yet ?
Got them. They are wrong. The ends are just ball socket ends, but they are the right length, I'm going to see if I can get some strut mount bolts with the balls for these and just mod the brackets for the pulsar. I'll let everyone know if it works, and I'll post a small write up if successful.
did you get them to work?
No I didn't order a set, I just looked up the cost since mine are slumpy too.
RNN14
I have some ball studs on the way. It should work ok, I'll keep everyone posted.
These Are the wrong Struts. Just so everyone knows. I got all the ball studs and proper hardware to make these work, but I realized when I tried to put them on that they are about 1.5 inches too long, and the hatch doesn't open far enough to attach them.
Lynx maybe you can shorten the piston arms and re thread them?
Mine isn't bigger than yours.. I just like to drive
Just taking a look at the #'s likely a confusion as the part # details lists 'y10' as the chassis in the listing. http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/x,carcode,181648,parttype,1404,a,www.google.ca%2BSearch%2Bfor%2BTUFF%2BSUPPORT
..post #34 in the windshield replacement thread shows the two cars Tsubame & Pulsar side by side and the roofline apprears taller than our N14 3-door chassis.
http://www.canadagtir.com/sites/default/files/old/user412/gtir_window.jpg
The SPARTauto # SP6205 out of NY cross refs with the TUFF SUPPORT Part # 611209.
i've no idea if spart works or not but xrefs as to sunny model; would be good if it all went by chassis.
Noticed anything "funny" with the exchange rates and parts prices lately:
New Scarier Insider Information: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPg4qTNTP-E
Save Real Money for your Nissan Pulsar Gtir Upgrades!
http://www.canadagtir.com/gallery/user/91gtirgrey/wont-last-long-buy-physical-silver-now
***** "May you live in interesting times."
I just ordered some new stuts. Measured the proper length, and ordered them that way. If it works, I'll post up details of where to get them, how much, and how well they work.
I could shorten them and get them rethreaded, but the cost would likely be as much as new stuts that are the proper length.
http://www.autopartsbylou.com/
CHEAP! I'll give everyone the part number that I used, and the part number that everyone else should use. The ones I used are WAY too powerful, and they practically launch the hatch off the car when I pop the release handle, lol. One strut lifts the hatch by itself so I'll look up a part with 50-60% the power that I have and the same dimensions and post it up. I'll also post up pics when I can, I'm on vacation for a week, but when I come back.
The install was fairly easy. you NEED the brackets that are attached to the OEM struts. The rivets need to be ground off so you can free them, then you need to take the ball studs (there are 4 included with the struts) and attach them to the brackets, ball part facing to the outside of the car. The you need to grind the stud and nut side down to make that part thinner. Then attach the struts, and bend the hatch brackets towards the inside of the car slightly. If you do it just right they should fit in there PERFECTLY!
The best part if they ever blow they are about 15 bucks to replace. Shipping was fast for me too.
Good luck with your install!
p.s. this is the way to go for all you broom stick/vice grip hatch guys It was under 50 bucks for me and I got an extra set of ball studs.
http://www.autopartsbylou.com/lift-supports-product.php?item=10509
There is the part I would try I I was going to do it over again.
This is the part I used and they are WAY too powerful.
http://www.autopartsbylou.com/lift-supports-product.php?item=30578
thanks- any pics
Sure I'll post some up tomorrow.
Here are the pictures. You can see how tight the fit is in the last two pics. The upper brackets do need to be bent slightly in towards the inside of the vehicle to compensate for the fact that the ball socket sticks out further than the stock riveted connection.
I made sure I sprayed everything down with lube too to stop corrosion.
[IMG]http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa126/MrLynx17/Pulsar%20GTiR/P1080901.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa126/MrLynx17/Pulsar%20GTiR/P1080902.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa126/MrLynx17/Pulsar%20GTiR/P1080903.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa126/MrLynx17/Pulsar%20GTiR/P1080904.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa126/MrLynx17/Pulsar%20GTiR/P1080905.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa126/MrLynx17/Pulsar%20GTiR/P1080906.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa126/MrLynx17/Pulsar%20GTiR/P1080907.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa126/MrLynx17/Pulsar%20GTiR/P1080908.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa126/MrLynx17/Pulsar%20GTiR/P1080909.jpg[/IMG]
good pics, thanks alot for the effort
Hope it helps someone out.
ordered a set, didn't come with the hardware- which hardware did you order
http://www.autopartsbylou.com/lift-supports-acc-products.php?cat=10HW
Take your pick. If you go 10mm you will have to use a rotary tool to ream out the holes on the oem brackes. 8mm will work without reaming. Either way you have to grind the bolt off on the nut side and bend the bracket slightly.
PS you will need 4 :)
Great man! Glad I could help. Did you use the 10509 that I suggested? How well do they lift the hatch?
i used the 10509 as suggested, when you put one lift on the hatch drops, when you add the second the hatch will hit you in the face, it is really good
Perfect. Because the ones I used, with one strut it lifts the hatch with the parcel shelf, and with 2 it opens automatically and you have to use body weight to close it lol!
used these on mine. worked well. no mods.
http://www.autopartsbylou.com/lift-supports-product.php?item=10377
really? no mods? how did you mount them? bolted straight to body and hatch? I don't see how that would work. Unless you did do mods....
used bolts and lock nuts on the ends. had to grind the old brackets off the old struts. so far so good.
ahh ok, so basically the same thing as the ball and socket style, just with a different mounting scheme. personally I'd rather have the articulation of the ball and socket, but that's just me.
lynx, which shipping option did you use? for two struts to saskatoon shipped, cost is $68.xx. Does that sound right to you?
RNN14
same but i didn't want to have to force it down to close. shipping was free to toronto for me.
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