Can you put gas struts in canopy lid upside down?
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Joined: May 2006
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From: British Columbia
Can you put gas struts in canopy lid upside down?
I have an old aftermarket fibreglass canopy, with a heavy fibreglass door. At the moment, it's held open with those awful sliding metal prop/catches, you lift up and let the door down, the thing catches, lift again and it releases and allows you to close it. Of course, the bottom of one is broken, and the other only locks open one time in ten...plus the door's heavy and I have a rotator cuff injury which makes opening and closing it a pain.
I have a couple of 60lb used gas struts which I hope will be enough to lift it, plus the mounting hardware (if I can remember which is top and which is bottom) but the question is, is there anything wrong with mounting the struts "upside down" so the piston - the shiny chrome rod which sticks out - faces downwards? I saw it mentioned on another forum, the theory is, it allows the oil to keep the seal lubricated and extends its life.
I can't see anything marked on the strut to say you can't do it, and the oil thing seems logical. Moreover, it's a fairly leaky canopy so I can see water getting on the piston which might cause corrosion or seal damage, so if there's no reason not to put them in this way, I will. Chances are I could reverse them after anyway, they're just a ball and socket pop on arrangement so I don't think it'd be hard to change.
I've just never seen them installed this way which suggests there may be a reason. Anybody know?
I have a couple of 60lb used gas struts which I hope will be enough to lift it, plus the mounting hardware (if I can remember which is top and which is bottom) but the question is, is there anything wrong with mounting the struts "upside down" so the piston - the shiny chrome rod which sticks out - faces downwards? I saw it mentioned on another forum, the theory is, it allows the oil to keep the seal lubricated and extends its life.
I can't see anything marked on the strut to say you can't do it, and the oil thing seems logical. Moreover, it's a fairly leaky canopy so I can see water getting on the piston which might cause corrosion or seal damage, so if there's no reason not to put them in this way, I will. Chances are I could reverse them after anyway, they're just a ball and socket pop on arrangement so I don't think it'd be hard to change.
I've just never seen them installed this way which suggests there may be a reason. Anybody know?
Thread Starter
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Senior Member
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 268
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From: British Columbia
Really? Thanks Regal. I've seen more with the body at the bottom, although I noticed tonight the hood on my Jeep has them with the body at the top, so I guess I'm good to go.
Unfortunately, when I put the brackets on one side this afternoon, the force from the strut is so great, it bent the bracket and was making it pop off the ball - it goes a bit sideways, which doesn't help. I'm wondering if things could be improved by mounting the bracket the other way, so the ball at the top faces the opposite way to the ball on the bottom, it might help balance things. I am also wondering if I need to swap the struts for some weaker ones, although the door's heavy, these struts (2) are 65lbs and possibly more than I need - I don't know what the next step down is, but if the thing popped off at the top at the wrong time, it'd break the glass, which I really don't need.
Unfortunately, when I put the brackets on one side this afternoon, the force from the strut is so great, it bent the bracket and was making it pop off the ball - it goes a bit sideways, which doesn't help. I'm wondering if things could be improved by mounting the bracket the other way, so the ball at the top faces the opposite way to the ball on the bottom, it might help balance things. I am also wondering if I need to swap the struts for some weaker ones, although the door's heavy, these struts (2) are 65lbs and possibly more than I need - I don't know what the next step down is, but if the thing popped off at the top at the wrong time, it'd break the glass, which I really don't need.