Date: Sat, 26 Dec 2015 07:29:47 -0800
Reply-To: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: vanagon rear hatch
In-Reply-To: <567E2910.5050500@turbovans.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
I think that IS just the way the strongest ones are. I have them on my
84 to support the hatch when I have bikes on the rear hatch-mounted
rack....The strong ones will hold up the hatch with two racebikes and 3 or
4 spare wheels. I did make some of those secondary tubes Scott mentions,
to slip over the struts to catch the hatch, mechanically, when it it
extended to wide open...I used some PVC white tubing ?Schedule C? I only
need to use these when it's super windy and the hatch may blow shut with a
person in the way....though this has never happened. those tubing catches
are a great idea...A bit fiddley to cut to the proper length, but once
installed, they will do the job automatically if you push the hatch a
little beyond where the struts take it on their own....
I'll tell a Friday (since it was xmas yesterday ..someone mentioned
Astro...I got one recently for an awd work van, quite the traction and
cheap....about $2k for the one I bought with all the bells and
whistles...and that stuff all works, too........a poor mans syncro. It has
some Godzilla-grade doorcloser springs....I mean it takes a strong push to
open the large heavy doors...(unlike the wimpy springs that let my VW doors
hit me in the legs and feet all the time)
I thought it might be possible to adjust those door-closer springs, so I
was fiddling around, holding the door almost closed, trying to look in at
the mechanisim, and the spring "took over".....without warning. It pulled
the door shut on four of my fingers.....I mean right-shut closed!....I
heard the latch click (over my surprised cries of pain) I had to open the
door with my other hand to get my fingers out....Ooooh, that hurt.....
BTW....the older smaller GM vans are an excellent value... Somewhere
around 1/10 what you would spend for a poor condition Syncro, They also
have a 5300lb towing capacity and 190hp plus the low deck rear dutch door
entry is quite handy...but they only get around 18mpg if you drive them
"like a VW"....if you rip down the freeway like all the other cars and
truck, you may see 15mpg...and working on them is NOT Fun...with any work
demanding patience due to tight working space...Still....If you may need a
van for what it can do rather than what it IS, the smaller GM vans are
really plentiful and inexpensive. The driving experience in a small GM van
is what you might expect....mundane....
On Fri, Dec 25, 2015 at 9:43 PM, SDF ( aka ;jim lahey' - Scott ) <
scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:
> on the other hand ...
> I always order 'medium ones' ..
> and do all right.
> I've never seen one get damaged easily,
> although I'm sure a fualty new one is possible, and of the last 70 of
> them I bought, they were all good.
>
> for sure, extra low temperatures make them weak.
>
> I think I would investigate where the poster actually has the strongest
> ones ..
> tell them you have a rear wiper blade system .
>
> I find that 'too strong' ones make it hard to close the hatch.
>
> you could also do this ..
> there's the old 'strut in a tube' trick.
> You find a metal tube ...just big enough to fit over the fat part of the
> strut.
>
> you cut it to length so that it can be captured between one end of the
> strut and the end of the fat part ..
> if you have the type of strut where the fat part is one the door ( and
> not the body ) end ..
> the tube will just drop into place, when you raise the hatch, holding
> the hatch up.
>
> you do need to remember to reach up and disengage it, before you pull
> down hard on the hatch ..
> but this method works just great.
>
> Scott
> On 12/24/2015 4:54 AM, Dennis Haynes wrote:
>
>> The gas struts being new doesn’t always mean they are good. These are
>> also very easy to damage. Just takes on pull on the strut itself let some
>> of the gas out, Extreme temperatures can also mess them up. I miss the days
>> of real torsion or tension springs being used to hold up hoods, trunk lids,
>> and hatches. I know so many people injured by walking into sink hatches
>> that I think all of them should be recalled.
>>
>> Dennis
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf
>> Of Dan N
>> Sent: Thursday, December 24, 2015 9:36 AM
>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>> Subject: Re: vanagon rear hatch
>>
>> yes... according to Van Cafe I have 2 strong ones... but I am talking
>> about opening the hatch. I don't feel it's hard to close it.
>>
>> thanks
>>
>>
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