New gas struts.

[Markcurn1]

Fitted a set of 950N rating on the weekend,just be aware that the tailgate is very heavy,don't attempt it on your own unless you have it well braced.

 

[Alexandru]

Fitted a set of 950N rating on the weekend,just be aware that the tailgate is very heavy,don't attempt it on your own unless you have it well braced.

Thanks, much appreciated. Will keep that in mind, perhaps use some props

 

[Nevillerover]

I used a length of wood with a rag on the end to prevent marking car, shoved where the door handle is, tied to handle to prevent slipping and Bottom of wood on a trolley jack so I could make small changes to height.

 

[MarkT]

Thanks, much appreciated. Will keep that in mind, perhaps use some props

To be clear, as soon as you pop off that first strut, the exceedingly heavy door will immediately drop on you with significant force.
I had a (slightly too short) prop and the Mrs. After the door closed on me

 

[truffaux]

Does anyone know of the same high lift struts in Australia - 6'2" and I am over ducking under it - thanks

 

[MarkT]

Does anyone know of the same high lift struts in Australia - 6'2" and I am over ducking under it - thanks

For an E51, just search for 800mm struts, select the Nm of your choice (at least 800Nm) and make sure they come with ball joints at both ends

Over here in the UK, they're all over eBay.

 

[truffaux]

appreciate your help - on the way - went for 1100nm - very impressive door

 

[Dave Marshall]

Mine is 850nm and I have push them up the last bit.

 

[MarkT]

appreciate your help - on the way - went for 1100nm - very impressive door

You must be pretty spritely to spring out the way of that when opening it when also carrying armfuls of shopping!!

Like Dave above, my door needs pushing the last bit, but still gets itself above the 6'1" to clear my noggin. I wouldn't want it stiffer to close (I'm lazy). I went for 800Nm. I think the originals were 740Nm (albeit shorter).

 

[Highland Elgrand]

Hi, anyone know would new struts be powerful enough to lift and hold up the boot with a three bike Thule bike rack fitted (with bikes removed)?

Thanks in advance

 

[Nevillerover]

Depends on how powerful the new struts are. Do you have the rack already and have tried it and failed or are you anticipating a fail? In this case you could look up the weight of the rack, guesstimate where the centre of its mass is and plonk a weight on your open door and see what happens. Whatever, I suggest you don’t fit SGS ones as they rust very quickly, might as well buy cheap off eBay.

 

[LeStempy]

@AlanM has one and I think he used 900N struts.

 

[Nevillerover]

@AlanM has one and I think he used 900N struts.

I think mine are 820 which are a little over-pressure for a door on its own but I’d rather that than be too weak So 900 for an aluminium rack sounds about right. I suggest hang on a bit for someone with personal experience to comment.
As I type that I’m thinking, if you have the rack and the existing struts are too weak but are perfect without the rack fitted, you could fit the rack then use something like a caravan nose weight gauge to push up beside where one of the struts mounts to the door and see what that measures, convert it to newtons, divide by two and add that to the pressure of the originals (thats on the forum somewhere) then add a bit for safety and see how close that is to 900.

 

[Highland Elgrand]

Thanks guys - the boot doesn't really stay up when the empty bike rack is on it so need a wee bit more oomph!

 

[AlanM]

• Good memory @LeStempy - I've just looked back at correspondence of Dec 2016 (my comment about this HERE) and it seems I have 930N struts.
• 900N would be fine but no less as my 930N are quite hard to operate although fine also, but if you were of a short stature, maybe unnecessarily hard.
• As for the paint finish on the struts - they do get to look a bit shabby after (in my case) a few years, but then again no worse or better than the struts on my pop-top (maybe SGS make them too ).
• Strut length - I can't find it now, but there have been several posts about people either getting slightly longer struts than the OEM version to get a bit more height under the tailgate when open, or alternatively putting spacers in to achieve the same (@Bob Edwards did this as did I).
• I'm sure I did a write-up on the topic but my link doesn't work anymore -
  https://forum.elgrandoc.uk/threads/e51-tailgate-height.23066/#post-350886
  - maybe an admin (@Karl or other) could look into this please?

 

[MarkT]

• As for the paint finish on the struts - they do get to look a bit shabby after (in my case) a few years, but then again no worse or better than the struts on my pop-top (maybe SGS make them too ).

The paint is fine, it's the cheap materials rusting. SGS struts are mild steel. Better ones would be made of stainless.

SGS have given a member crap customer service. Also, BMR stopped stocking them...

As SGS charge double what the ebay sellers do, for what appears to be the same, budget product, current forum consensus is to get cheapie ones from ebay.

• Strut length - I can't find it now,

800mm. Standard ball sockets both ends

 

[Highland Elgrand]

Thanks, Anyone have a link to the chapter ebay ones?

 

[MarkT]

Thanks, Anyone have a link to the chapter ebay ones?

Just have a search and go with a seller with plenty of sales and good ratings. It's mostly all the same stuff they're selling, so service is the differentiator

If you're not sure it's suitable, post a link here and someone will confirm

 

[MadMarchTaffy]

I am having the same issue with the SGS struts - one year old and badly corroded already - the OEM Nissan ones were fine after 14 years!

 

[ChunkyDave]

Thanks, Anyone have a link to the chapter ebay ones?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/313228215310?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=hxedghntquk&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=WobwxihiQAm&var=612609001885&widget_ver=artemis&media=SMS

As recommended by @Elementian
I went for the 800mm 800NM
Done the job