How To - Tips > Doors

Door gas shocks

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satinta:
It's been my observation that shocks work differently at different temperatures. Especially as they get older.
A shock that works well on a warm afternoon may drop the hatch down on your head the next cold morning.
My point is take that into consideration before letting too much out. Too much gas is better then not enough.

No Bull:
I believe that they come with a little gauge and you can let as much gas out as you want however you can't add gas.  The trick is to let a little out at a time and make sure you leave a little extra in the shock to compensate for eventual leakage that will occur over time.

Chris

notnilc20:
Yeah i saw those Mcmaster shocks and was wondering on the shocks that are adjustable there is one that says 200-249 does this mean the max is 249 and the minimum is 200? Or could you let more gas out to get it to say 180lbs?

No Bull:
A great tip that someone added here once was to use a large rubber band in place of your shocks when doing your mock up.  You can easily move the ends around and test the travel and clearance of the shock in relation to the windows when the windows are up and down.

Chris

No Bull:
This is going to depend on how heavy your doors are.  If you use glass instead of plastic windows (or no windows at all) or heavier interior framing for safety and stability can all make a difference.  Also how you decide to finish the interior (door panels) can have an impact on the weight of the door.  Inexpensive gas door shocks can pop the doors up when unlatched with a door popper when the weight of the door is less than the force exerted by the shock and fulcrum point on the door. 

The issue with using a door shock that is too strong is the risk of door always pushing up on the latch (might lead to a door opening accidental) or more practically, pulling the door back down into the latched position once you are sitting in the car.  Picture yourself standing outside the car and pushing down on the door and how different this is than sitting in a car and trying to pull down on the door.  Ideally the weight of the doors should be balanced with the strength of the shock so they'll pop up nicely by themselves when unlatched but require minimal pull force when trying to pull them closed. 

Some members have suggested using the McMaster-Carr Reducible-Force Gas Springs with Fittings that allow you to let some gas out of the shocks to achieve that perfect balance.

http://www.mcmaster.com/#gas-shocks/=orpmbp

Chris

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