Gas Struts for rear lift gate on '73 - Where do you fin 'em?

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cooney said:
Saw some on eBay, but was outbid ($50). Where do you get 'em? Or does anybody have the specs so that I can order some?
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Not really sure what you're asking about. The rear lift up door on cruisers before '75 (?) had a chromed spring lift strut to hold the upper door up when open, not a gas strut.

I DID change the chromed spring things on our '65 out for gas struts though, and all I did was take the extended length measurement and go to Napa to pick up a pair off their generic replacement rack that extend to the same length. They had a bunch of sizes that went for something like $17. to $30. each.
I needed to do some adaptation of holes and pins but the things work great now. I even painted their little black tubes Freeborn Red to match.
 
honk said:
Not really sure what you're asking about. The rear lift up door on cruisers before '75 (?) had a chromed spring lift strut to hold the upper door up when open, not a gas strut.

I DID change the chromed spring things on our '65 out for gas struts though, and all I did was take the extended length measurement and go to Napa to pick up a pair off their generic replacement rack that extend to the same length. They had a bunch of sizes that went for something like $17. to $30. each.
I needed to do some adaptation of holes and pins but the things work great now. I even painted their little black tubes Freeborn Red to match.
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Yeah, my thoughts were to replaced the chromed spring lift struts for ease of use. I figured the gas shocks would be easier than having to tighten the original springs every time I lift the rear hatch. I will pull one of the springs off and try the Napa route.

I did a google search and found several companies that you can special order the gas shocks the exact length and size you want. You can even pick from about 20 different ends. The only thing is that you have to do some calculations to specify the spring you want. The perpindicular distance from the hinge point, the weight of the gate, the distance from shock mounting point to the center of gravity, etc...

You would think that SOR, CCOT, etc... would sell these things with the right ends and length. Am I the only one who would buy a pair?
 
Check www.mcmaster.com as well. There a bunch of lengths and sizes to chose from.
 
cooney said:
Yeah, my thoughts were to replaced the chromed spring lift struts for ease of use. I figured the gas shocks would be easier than having to tighten the original springs every time I lift the rear hatch. I will pull one of the springs off and try the Napa route.

I did a google search and found several companies that you can special order the gas shocks the exact length and size you want. You can even pick from about 20 different ends. The only thing is that you have to do some calculations to specify the spring you want. The perpindicular distance from the hinge point, the weight of the gate, the distance from shock mounting point to the center of gravity, etc...

You would think that SOR, CCOT, etc... would sell these things with the right ends and length. Am I the only one who would buy a pair?
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Yeah, you'd think so considering the unavailability of the OEM type.
Although I knew that there were several factors involved I didn't bother with any of that when I did the change. I think that the hatch on our '65 may not go up as high as it did, but it's close, and I could bump my head on it either way. My wife neatly avoids such contact and the cruiser was/is mostly for her anyway.
 
I have read there is a Toyota replacement for the spring type. They are said to be gas filled. I will see if I can find the part number, however, they are not cheep.
 
Here is what I found:

"Toyota has begun making gas charged supports for the
lift gate! They aren't cheap ($188 a piece), but I
could have bought 10 sets for what I paid for my
hospital stay for the stitches. So I bought a pair.
Preventative matinence, so to speak...

The Toyota part numbers are as follows:

Right side - 68930-90300
Left side - 68940-90300"

I do not know if this is correct, but something to check out.
 
Shawn Russell said:
Here is what I found:

"Toyota has begun making gas charged supports for the
lift gate! They aren't cheap ($188 a piece), but I
could have bought 10 sets for what I paid for my
hospital stay for the stitches. So I bought a pair.
Preventative matinence, so to speak...

The Toyota part numbers are as follows:

Right side - 68930-90300
Left side - 68940-90300"

I do not know if this is correct, but something to check out.
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Thanks. I'm gonna check it out. If I happen to find a good (cheaper) alternative that seems to be of equal quality to the factory part I'll let ya'll know.

Maybe we could post it in the tech section.
 
cooney said:
Thanks. I'm gonna check it out. If I happen to find a good (cheaper) alternative that seems to be of equal quality to the factory part I'll let ya'll know.

Maybe we could post it in the tech section.
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What have you found out?


This is now in the F A Q
 
Gas lift gate shocks for 40 - I fugured it out!!!!

Well, I searched for a while, tried a few different shocks and finally figured out a solution. I wanted to keep the stock look so I found some gas shocks that fit inside the original lift gate arms. Just remove the original arms, remove the inner springs and misc. hardware and insert the new shocks. Worked like a charm. I shimmed a little on one end to lift the gate about a half inch farther but that was it. I now just pull the handle and watch the gate lift. No more twisting to lock in place! No more wondering if it's gonna come loose and knock me out! No more wrestling to unscrew the gate once lifted! Problem solved!! I'll try to get some pics posted.

Oh yeah, NAPA part#819-5565
 
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Damn cooney! Now that was a hell of an idea! I have added that to my list of things to get. Just this weekend my large cat jumped onto the raised hatch from a higher point and collasped it on my head... The springs in mine are simply not there and yes I had the nut tight... Yeah, yeah, laugh if you must but I had a welder in my hand at the time and after getting my heart under control started considering welding the cat to the nut on the arm!
 
Coolerman said:
Damn cooney! Now that was a hell of an idea! I have added that to my list of things to get. Just this weekend my large cat jumped onto the raised hatch from a higher point and collasped it on my head... The springs in mine are simply not there and yes I had the nut tight... Yeah, yeah, laugh if you must but I had a welder in my hand at the time and after getting my heart under control started considering welding the cat to the nut on the arm!
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I just checked out your website and all I can say is DAMN!!! Keep up the good work. I definitely want a copy on CD when you get to that point. I will be following along in the meantime. I had intentions of a 40 that I would repair while driving because of budget limitations, but I happened to find one within my budget that didn't need a lot of repairs. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. It's just the work you're doing looks like fun in a wierd sort of way. A little overwhelming, but fun.
 
Ooops missed your reply somehow! Thanks for the compliments on the site. I'm still about two months away from being able to daily drive it. My work just does not allow a lot of spare time to work on it. I picked up my cargo floor today from a local sheet metal shop and after I return from a Florida trip next week hope to finish the wheel wells and floor.
 
I replaced mine about 2 years ago, i got them off of my parents 1986 crysler lebaron 4dr. they came of the rear hatch and they were almost the perfect length, maybe 1/2 inch too long when fully extended but they bolted right into the same location. It also holds the door up higher than the original arms which helps me from hitting my head
 
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