vert trunk/tonneau "ball joint" for struts?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 295
Likes: 41
From: Central Texas
vert trunk/tonneau "ball joint" for struts?
Hope someone can help me out here--the tonneau cover on my new-to-me 2003 vert won't stay up, so I after searching here I wanted to look at replacing the struts--but there aren't any on it! So following the procedures from previous threads, I got into the trunk to look at the "ball joints" to secure it--and they aren't there either! Furthermore, I only have one strut holding up the trunk, and the other side also doesn't have either ball joint--there are holes for them there, and there are holes for the tonneau cover ***** in the trunk, but the little ball extensions are gone. I have no idea where the other end of the strut for the tonneau mounts, but they are probably missing also. Looking at the one trunk riser that IS there, it seems the ball joint is riveted on, or some permanent mounting, but maybe (hopefully) I'm wrong.
Aside from now wondering why on earth all of these things are missing, I'm also trying to figure out how I can replace them. Does anyone know where I might find that part, or devise a workaround? I can find the struts themselves on ebay or amazon, but without those joints I can't mount them!
Aside from now wondering why on earth all of these things are missing, I'm also trying to figure out how I can replace them. Does anyone know where I might find that part, or devise a workaround? I can find the struts themselves on ebay or amazon, but without those joints I can't mount them!
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 295
Likes: 41
From: Central Texas
Thanks for the info. Yes, it is a 50th AE and everything checks out against the RPO codes, but it does have some quirks. I know from the carfax that it was hit in the left rear and repaired in 2009; there is no sign of any repair so it seems to have been done well, but maybe it has something to do with that. However, if it was hit hard enough to shear those things off you'd think that there would have had to been some other signs of repair to the tonneau or truck lid, but everything looks 100%, and the body panels all fit together as well as they do on my C7!
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 295
Likes: 41
From: Central Texas
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...id-struts.html
So I just need to replace those struts to keep the tonneau up, and then get another strut to replace the missing one in the trunk, and yet another fix checked off the list!
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 295
Likes: 41
From: Central Texas
I would definitely check the thread requirements of your car for those ball studs before purchasing the studs in the link above. I have yet to find a threaded part on the C5 that was not metric and those in the link provided are SAE 3/8-16. 
Of course you could always drill out and re-tap the holes.
Of course you could always drill out and re-tap the holes.
