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Gas Strut Trunk Tower to Only Allow Trunk or Decklid to Open
I have installed the CC gas shock hinge tower and while it is slick and quiet, it has one flaw. The trunk and deck lids can both open and hit each other.
Has anyone come up with a way to replicate the original safeguard feature that only allows either the trunk or deck lid to open, but not both simultaneously?
Sorry. I have since learned that the originals are not adjustable and I tried to modify the title but could not, but it did allow me to change the text in the body of the post. My question on the aftermarket CC hinge tower assembly stands, as above.
The CC product information clearly states " Use your original deck and truck lid arms.", yet the picture shows the arms with the "safety feature" removed. Unless it might be possible to re-fit the original arms with the safeties, looks like you will have to rely on common sense to NOT lift one when the other is open.
Charles
Njfi,
I added the hydraulic pistons to my 58 , and ran into exactly the problem you are having. I called and actually talked with the designer of the unit ( at least that is what I was told) and he verified that the trunk lid would hit the deck lid if both were opened at the same time. I know as some will say that common sense says only open one at a time , but real life says at some point be it by accident or alcohol they will both open and damage will ensue. So I set about to fix the problem. The original set has a banana shaped slide that you must re use with the new piston set. I had to remove and replace the pins in the new set with longer pins to accommodate the banana clip . I bought the parts at Tractor supply . I will look for pics as no one had done this before I did it so I took lots of pics. Apparently no one else has done it yet either.
Nick
Hope the above pics help, on my 58 because of the trunk Spears I used to have to use a prop to hold trunk open , Now it opens and closes effortlessly, one of the best fixes so far .
Nick
I know as some will say that common sense says only open one at a time , but real life says at some point be it by accident or alcohol they will both open and damage will ensue. So I set about to fix the problem. The original set has a banana shaped slide that you must re use with the new piston set.
Thanks Nick. After Charles suggested using the originals, I went out and looked as I have the originals AND CC even sent me a set of the U brackets for the original arms to work with the gas shocks (currently I have their arms installed).
It looks like the original arms will work, but as you found out, I need a longer pin/C clip to accommodate the banana slide. I also have spoken with their designer, Mike. Nice guy, but he never suggested what you did. I'll let you know how it turns out.
I added the hydraulic pistons to my 58 , and ran into exactly the problem you are having. I called and actually talked with the designer of the unit ( at least that is what I was told) and he verified that the trunk lid would hit the deck lid if both were opened at the same time. I know as some will say that common sense says only open one at a time , but real life says at some point be it by accident or alcohol they will both open and damage will ensue. So I set about to fix the problem. The original set has a banana shaped slide that you must re use with the new piston set. I had to remove and replace the pins in the new set with longer pins to accommodate the banana clip . I bought the parts at Tractor supply . I will look for pics as no one had done this before I did it so I took lots of pics. Apparently no one else has done it yet either.
Nick
When I first read the original posts, my first thought was "would it be possible to add the hydraulic pistons to the original towers"? So, Nick, based on your experience, what do you think? Do those pistons have any part numbers on them?
Charles
Last edited by cbernhardt; 10-22-2018 at 07:58 AM.
I replaced the complete unit , removed the original towers and replaced with the new towers and pistons. I carefully removed the punched / flattened end off of the banana clip and removed from original spring and left the original pin in one end as you can see in pics. the pin just slides into the second hole in the arm on the deck lid side , I was worried it would slide back out , but it has been two years now and it hasnt moved after probably a couple of hundred open and close cycles. will try and find pics of that end as you cant see in above pics. Trunk works great with weight of spears and added leather liner on inside of trunk lid
I replaced the complete unit , removed the original towers and replaced with the new towers and pistons. I carefully removed the punched / flattened end off of the banana clip and removed from original spring and left the original pin in one end as you can see in pics. the pin just slides into the second hole in the arm on the deck lid side , I was worried it would slide back out , but it has been two years now and it hasnt moved after probably a couple of hundred open and close cycles. will try and find pics of that end as you cant see in above pics. Trunk works great with weight of spears and added leather liner on inside of trunk lid
I understand what you did with the CC unit. I was just wondering, based on your experience, if you think the cylinders could be fitted to an original unit?
Charles
I understand what you did with the CC unit. I was just wondering, based on your experience, if you think the cylinders could be fitted to an original unit?
Charles
If anyone could retro fit them, it is you, but the approach that CC took was to completely redesign the tower with the lower portion of the shock threading into an adapter at the bottom of the tower whereas the OEM tower spring mounts are almost midway up the tower. To keep the same geometry using the original towers I think you would need shorter shocks.
If anyone could retro fit them, it is you, but the approach that CC took was to completely redesign the tower with the lower portion of the shock threading into an adapter at the bottom of the tower whereas the OEM tower spring mounts are almost midway up the tower. To keep the same geometry using the original towers I think you would need shorter shocks.
I was thinking more along the lines of removing and replacing the lower mounting brackets so longer pneumatic cylinders could be installed. Do the cylinders have any identifying information on them?
Thanks,
Charles
I was thinking more along the lines of removing and replacing the lower mounting brackets so longer pneumatic cylinders could be installed. Do the cylinders have any identifying information on them?
Thanks,
Charles
Here is one of them. That's the only picture that I have available right now. The deck lid shock is 40 pounds, the trunk lid is 100 pounds. They
are both the same series and length. When you see them online, they have plastic mounts on them that are removable to reveal threads that CC replaces with their mounts.
Update. As Nick pointed out, I was able to use the original limiter and original arms with the gas shocks and it works, and looks a lot cleaner. I was able to get the two pins with e clips off eBay (3/16" x 1 1/4" long). It came out great. Thanks for the help.
I recently installed some gas struts on the trunk lid on my '59. I used the original hinge mechanism and did not have to remove the hinge towers from the car. Here is a webpage showing what I did: http://www.carols62.com/59/trunk
10-18-2018, 07:37 PM
Gas Strut Trunk Tower to Only Allow Trunk or Decklid to Open
