Reply to "Sticky #2: Rear Deck Lid (Bonnet) Struts"

So I'm even more confused now. All of this data, so hard to get my head around.

I have aftermarket struts on my 74 with wing. Always were pretty good, very neutral, slow to lift, would hold well and really easy to close.

Car has been in restoration for a few years and now the struts wont hold up the rear hood at all. Seems the panel shop may have rubbed them down and painted the bodies as they look really good and there are no markings anywhere on them to know what they are.

They have lovely alloy eyes a the ends with nicely machined bushes to fit perfectly. The eyes are removable.

I popped them on the scales and let my hoist down on them. Left 99lb to 143lbs over the length of the stroke getting firmer as they shortened. Right is 110lb to 154lb over the length of the stroke.

Given all the data here, particularly relating to the Sachs SG314005 @138lb and Sachs SG314032 @115lb it appears that mine are right on the money. Yet they wont hold the deck up.

Given that I've just had the body done and car repainted, I'm scared sh1tless that if I get the wrong pressures it may damage things. Wore still, I'm in Australia so can't just try Nappa, or Autozone etc as they dont exist here.

We have strut sellers, but I need to take them a sample, give them a force rating and they will supply. But given that my struts appear to be solid, I have no idea now. Clearly they need to be a little stronger, but how much more is the million dollar question.