I am trying to use gas filled lift supports on the trunk of my 40 Dodge coupe. The lifts I am using will lift my trunk just fine when I push my actuator switch. However, when I close it the struts are so strong they push up the front of my trunk where it closes. I can't put a stop against my hinges because I wouldn't be able to open my trunk since the stops would prevent it from opening.
Does anyone know where I could find any information on installing these gas filled lift supports. I am sure there is a process to follow to use these that should help in situations like mine. I think there should be a way of using linkage of some sort to change the angle of the struts where they would be putting pressure more evenly.
Thank you for reading my post and anything you can do to help me.
I may be mistaken here, but I believe that if you want to raise, & lower a trunk lid electronically, you should be considering linear actuators. Gas struts are typically used to hold a trunk lid in the upright position, (as in OEM applications), and are to be sized for this specific hold-up application.
Others, please correct me here, if I'm mistaken.
Thanks for your input, and I'm sure you are correct. I assume they would have to be designed to bear some of the weight to take some of the load off the actuator. I intend to get an actuator to raise the trunk, and will need to get new struts. The question is how to how to correctly select the struts and the actuator to work with them.
Yes these trunks are very heavy and could use help lifting and closing. Will be watching this post closely. Hopefully Deadbodyman will chime in. I believe he has a 48 Plymouth, they have the same trunk lid or at least very similar.
I have tried with one support and it holds the trunk up when the trunk is down to about 10" from closing. I have some scales at my deer camp which I will get in a week or so. I can weight the trunk and go from there.
I used gas struts in my deck, it took four of them to hold it up but I used ones that hold up a 2000-05 Impala hood which is much lighter but the struts had the proper reach I needed. I also had to use 00-05 grand prix deck hinges to make it all work and have the struts hidden under the rear tray instead of on the side. They work great without an actuator, they'll raise the deck pretty much by themselves and one finger. Its a nice clean look without the struts mounted on the sides. I think I have some pics I'll look through and post them if I can find some.
If you want to save yourself a trip to the deer camp, bathroom scales will also do the job. You can weigh the hood itself with minimal support from you, then weigh both you & your hood for comparison, (subtracting your weight).
That's what I did when I needed the weight of my '37 Ford trunk lid to size a spring-loaded "popper" to work with my electric release trunk lock; it worked great.
I already got them, I don't have any bathroom scales anyway. I weighed the trunk at the bottom in the center by the latch with it mounted. After talking to Liftsupports.com, I weighed it again in position where the struts attach. The first time it weighed 35#, the second time it weighed 70#. I wouldn't have thought it would have made that much difference, but it did. That drastically changed the specs of the struts I need.
post some pics of what your dealing with, I went through all this when I did mine. it sounds like your struts are bottoming out and just need a bit of adjustment or moving the mount.
Heres what I came up with for mine.
I did get it. Did the latches fit ? I'll clean out my PM box so you can get ahold of me with any questions about them.
Before you get started and buy anything try disconnecting the struts and see if it sits properly just to be sure its not the weather stripping holding it all up.
You have electric actuators AND struts? The actuators lift the deck and the struts just help? If that's the case you don't need the struts at all. I thought about actuators for my deck but I don't have the patience to wait for it to open. especially if I just want to grab something quick and close it again. I'm thinking either the struts or the actuator are bottoming out you'll have to disconnect the struts and close the deck to see which is the problem. as big as these trunks are it shouldn't be a problem getting in there and have someone close the deck so you can remount whichever one it is and get it in the perfect spot.
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