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Reply to "Deck lid struts"

I have a standard decklid (no wing).  The first replacement strut came from one of our vendors and was rated at 120 lbs.  I quickly discovered that I had to hang on to the decklid until it was fully open.  If I let go, it would "slam" open.  Not a good thing.  I never had any issues with the hinges or the structure.

When one of those struts died, I found a supplier near me that let me try different spring ratings.  I tried a 90 lb first.  The decklid was much easier to "handle" than the 120 lb struts.  With the decklid fully open, I hooked a spring scale (luggage scale) to the decklid latch and measured 7 lbs initial force to start the decklid moving.  I really liked the 90 lb struts, but a light gust of wind would slam the decklid shut.

Next, I tried the 100 lb struts.  These made the decklid "feel" heavier, but not as heavy as the 120 lb struts.  With the decklid fully opened, I measured the breakaway force at 15 lbs.  That appeared to be a good number to counter moderate wind gusts.  What I really liked about these struts is that they have a "soft open" feature, meaning that the opening rate slows as the strut reaches full extension.  That feature allows me to open the decklid part way and let go of it.  No more having to hang on to the decklid until it is fully open.

YMMV

John

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