How to compress gas hood strut?
 

I'm out of ideas. I want to put on new gas hood struts but the new ones came fully expanded. Usually they have a wire on them that compress them a little so you can get them on.

My vice is not big enough to compress them. I tried a hydraulic jack with the strut under my bench but it lifted the bench! I tried using a heavy wire wrapped around it and twisting the wire but it kept slipping off.

I only need about 1/4" compression so I can slip it on.

Any ideas?

Maybe put them in your refridgerator freezer for an hour or so ?

Or if its cold outside, set the gas charged hood struts outside for a while.

Maybe the cold will cause the nitrogen gas charge inside of the struts to decompress some.

And then you can collapse them by hand or in an Arbor Press more easily.

Get that 1/4 inch you need to install them onto your Corvette.

With a helper, disconnect the main strut and have your helper open the clamshell high enough to install the small strut(s). Mine only came with one small one so I installed 2 new ones. Now the clamshell will stay still almost anywhere between open and closed.

Doo'h!!! Thank you so much. That worked perfectly!

What brand strut did you use and do you have a photo?

This should give you all the info you need:

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c4-t...-absorber.html

Make sure you buy the $8 ones, unless you rather spend $66 :ack: