Spitfire1500 Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Hi everyone,I am considering fitting some bonnet struts to decrease the lifting effort required and to prevent the bending, flexing and cracking that occurs as a result of lifting the bonnet from one side (when lifting with one person). There is a good guide on the Teglerizer web site, but being a US web site from 2002-2003, the part numbers quoted are no longer available and of course, shipping would be quite high for the UK.Has anyone done this to their Spitfire and could they confirm what parts they used from what car and if there were any fitting problems? The idea is I can then go to a local scrapyard for a pair of struts.I'm doing a lot of bonnet lifting, whilst I fiddle with the Carbs, so I'm getting concerned about the flexing.Kind regards,David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sideways Tim Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 TSSC shop does a gas strut kit with everything included. Be interested to know if anyone has fitted one myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spitfire1500 Posted July 12, 2011 Author Share Posted July 12, 2011 Many thanks for your reply Tim,I would be tempted to go for the TSSC ones, if they weren't £118 for the pair :(I might need to do some investigating to find a cheap pair of the right size at a local scrapyard and with a bit of luck they'll be the correct size for my car. I ought to measure things up really and go from there!Kind regards,David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 You can do it yourself very easily with a bit of fabrication — I did it with some angle iron and a drill on my Spit 1500 years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Cureton Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 I saw a pair of the TSSC ones in operation just yesterday evening on a GT6. They do a good job and look correct as the bracket at the bottom is designed to fix to existing points. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GT6MK3 Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 http://www.rockauto.comSachs Struts, part number SG123002UKP 10.92 each plus shipping. (shipping to Australia cost me less than $US30)http://sideways-technologies.co.uk/forums/index.php/topic/4593-gas-struts-for-bonnet/page__view__findpost__p__56611C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gt6s Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Steve_Curton wrote:I saw a pair of the TSSC ones in operation just yesterday evening on a GT6. They do a good job and look correct as the bracket at the bottom is designed to fix to existing points.The TSSC have a patent pending on those.I know the guy who sent them the drawings for the brackets and provided source for the struts. He got nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spitfire1500 Posted July 12, 2011 Author Share Posted July 12, 2011 Many thanks for your replies,The TSSC ones do look like a nice, professional fit, I just wish they weren't so much money! Plus, in response to the above, I have a moral obligation *not* to support TSSC if they haven't given anything back to the original designer as I don't agree with their behaviour.The Sachs ones from the Rockauto web site end up becoming £42 shipped to the UK - which isn't a great deal of money and is nearly three times less than the TSSC ones.I'll keep everyone posted with what I decide to do as I ought to get the Carburettors sorted first! Although Rockauto looks tempting, instead of the trial and error of going to a load of scrapyards and maybe not finding anything.Kind regards,David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarryH Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Have a look at this link for Graham Stolady's solution.http://homepage.ntlworld.com/l.benfield/norfolk-tssc/gasstruts.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Gt6s wrote:The TSSC have a patent pending on those.I know the guy who sent them the drawings for the brackets and provided source for the struts. He got nothing.If he can back that up, then he need do no more tha write to the Patent Office as unless he had a confidentiality agreement with TSSC, then by so doing he made them public and so no patent is applicable.John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spitfire1500 Posted July 12, 2011 Author Share Posted July 12, 2011 Many thanks for your replies Barry & John,I'll have a look at getting some Rover 200 tailgate struts from a scrapyard, otherwise, they're cheap enough from the likes of eBay. Regarding the mounting brackets, I will have to knock something up, but I have limited tools so I'll have to bodge something together!Many thanks and kind regards,David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lancepar Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 David,Have you seen this site?May be useful.http://www.sgs-engineering.com/shop/categories/search/gas-struts 8) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spitfire1500 Posted July 12, 2011 Author Share Posted July 12, 2011 Many thanks for your reply Lance,It looks like they have the Rover 200 struts in for £12.99 each. I gather the Rover 200 Saloon is the correct one (rather than the Hatchback one).Kind regards,David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimW Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 I would guess that the rover struts are the hatchback not the saloon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeyb Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Gt6s wrote:The TSSC have a patent pending on those.The cheek of it! Re gas struts, TSSC are marketing something that many individuals on both sides of the pond have already made/bought/fitted many times previously! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
molten Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 HelloInteresting thread. I am considering this too. What length (opened) & strength is the correct ones to go for?Seems to me that I should be able to pick up some alternatives.Anyone got any pics of how /where they mount at each end?Thanksscott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gt6s Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 JohnD wrote:If he can back that up, then he need do no more tha write to the Patent Office as unless he had a confidentiality agreement with TSSC, then by so doing he made them public and so no patent is applicable.JohnJohn he just marked it down to experience.I do think the patent was going a bit far though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Paterson Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Gt6s wrote:John he just marked it down to experience.I do think the patent was going a bit far though.Pretty sure I remember the events on the TSSC forum where the chap mentioned here posted pics etc of his efforts and the TSSC eventually put into production.Shame if no credit is being given - although I doubt all that many are sold.I don't really like the idea of them and having heard about how they can push bonnet back when in closed position - I won't be trying them any time soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gt6s Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Doug_P wrote:I don't really like the idea of them and having heard about how they can push bonnet back when in closed position - I won't be trying them any time soon.A Spit Gt6 bonnet can lift at 70 or over when catches are released (which they are fond of doing) due to under bonnet air pressure, my yellow Gt6 used to do this all the time.I dont see the point in asisting this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 The point of the struts is to create equal lift when opening the bonnet,reducing the stress cracks around the headlights.CheersAlex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug Paterson Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Alex wrote:The point of the struts is to create equal lift when opening the bonnet,reducing the stress cracks around the headlights.CheersAlexCorrect - that is the point of them.Unfortunately, the point of them is not to put constant rearwards pressure on the bonnet whilst closed - leading to the bonnet pivot bolts moving out of adjustment and screwing panel gaps. However feedback from owners seems to show that they do that too.LIfting the bonnet correctly (by the wheel arch as opposed to by the latch) will keep the stress cracks to minimum too - IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Velocita Rosso Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Talking to some who have fitted the gas struts, and they wished they had never bothered.A lot of money being charged from some `suppliers`for such an `improvement` Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Mmm now I have different views to consider...... :-/I have some struts and a NOS bonnet that I'd rather not damage.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willows40 Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 The best way to lift the bonnet is like the early heralds with the handle in the middle of the bonnet, Never understood why triumph stopped putting them on later heralds.cheers andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beefertoo Posted July 12, 2011 Share Posted July 12, 2011 i have some struts fitted to my spit (rover 200 i i r c) and would say its a good idea. i modded my struts to fix further up the inner arch so as not to bend said arch. piccys tommorow.craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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