Date:         Tue, 5 Mar 2002 09:54:31 EST
Reply-To:     JKrevnov@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Rico Sapolich <JKrevnov@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Rear hatch struts revisted. Why do they fail?
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

In a message dated 3/5/02 8:24:20 AM, vanagon@BUSDEPOT.COM writes:

<< The lower its rating, the less weight it can hold,

which will mean the hatch will close more easily and it will probably wear

out sooner. >>

The load rating of a gas spring has nothing at all too do with its
durability.  They also do not "wear in".  They fail because their nitrogen
charge leaks.  To make them last longer, manufacturers of such things
recommend mounting them with the cylinder up when they are in their normal
position.

Mounting gas springs which exceed the load rating of those originally mounted
is a foolish thing.  The "heavy duty" struts make it, in the least, a
nuisance to close the hatch and they may exceed the capacity of the body
attachment points.  Whenever you are hanging from the hatch to close it, you
are adding your weight to the weight of the hatch which is already borne by
the strut.  The struts from VW allow the hatch to be opened AND closed with
ease year round whether in Death Valley or Nome, so, they may very well be
the temperature compensating type.  Remember, auto engineers are not paid
merely to come up with new part numbers.

Rich