Date: Wed, 17 Mar 1999 21:04:48 -0500
Reply-To: The Bus Depot <ron@NETCARRIER.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: The Bus Depot <ron@NETCARRIER.COM>
Subject: Re: rear hatch
In-Reply-To: <199903180127.RAA11103@gull.prod.itd.earthlink.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
> Another idea:
> To hold the hatch open, it is usually enough to replace
> only the OEM weaker strut on the right with one new
> stronger strut from Ron.
> The left and right struts have a different rating from the factory.
> Make sure to get the C 07 (?)
> Those things lose their charge after a while anyway.
> Later you can always replace the other one with a
> fresh strut, if needed.
Harald is right that the original VW design uses one "strong" and one "weak"
strut, which is part of the reason they fail easily. Replacing the weak one
with a strong one makes sense, which is why I sell pairs of strong "right
side" struts rather than a "strong/weak" pair like VW did. But I'm not sure
I agree with Haralds idea of replacing only the weak side, and leaving the
used and somewhat worn right strut in place. As one strut begins to wear,
it puts additional strain on the other one which is having to do more work.
When you replace only the most-worn strut (assuming you can tell which one
it is; it may not always be the left one), it is a safe bet that the one you
*didn't* replace is also not performing up to spec. Its reduced performance
will only make the one you *did* replace work harder, and fail sooner. By
replacing only the left strut, and using one new and one worn strut, you are
still ending up with a "strong/weak" combination, even if not as severe a
mismatch as the combination that VW originally used. You are likely to
continue to experience somewhat premature strut failure.
The bottom line? If you replace the struts one at a time there is a good
chance that they will fail more frequently (alternating one at a time), than
if you replace them in pairs. It's kind of like replacing front tires one
at a time or replacing batteries in your flashlight one at a time rather
than in sets. It's just easier and in the long run cheaper to get them on
the same "schedule" so they will wear evenly with eachother, and more
slowly. Of course I will sell them singly if you prefer, at the same $19.95
each price.
- Ron Salmon
The Bus Depot
http://www.busdepot.com
- Ron Salmon
The Bus Depot
http://www.busdepot.com
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