I have a topper on my pickup truck. The rear door lifts up and has these
two things that resemble small shock absorbers. Apparently they re
getting weak, because the door dont stay up very well anymore. I'm tired
of that damn door hitting me on the head. Temporarily I have been
clamping a vice grips on one of those things to keep it up if I'm
loading or unloading a bunch of stuff.

However, I'd like to replace them if they can be bought. First off, what
is their correct name? Knowing that, I can google them. But changing
them wont be as easy as simply remove and replace. They are riveted on,
so I'll have to grind or drill the rivets off and replace with bolts.
Then too, if they are sold, I suppose there are different sizes so I'll
have to find a match. The topper is an after market thing and has no
brand name on it, so I can only go by length and diameter.

Of course if there is an easier solution, such as some sort of prop, I'd
consider that too. -OR- can the ones I have be repaired? (It dont look
like they come apart).

Thanks in advance!

On 10/1/2015 6:48 PM, wrote:
I have a topper on my pickup truck. The rear door lifts up and has these
two things that resemble small shock absorbers. Apparently they re
getting weak, because the door dont stay up very well anymore. I'm tired
of that damn door hitting me on the head. Temporarily I have been
clamping a vice grips on one of those things to keep it up if I'm
loading or unloading a bunch of stuff.

However, I'd like to replace them if they can be bought. First off, what
is their correct name? Knowing that, I can google them. But changing
them wont be as easy as simply remove and replace. They are riveted on,
so I'll have to grind or drill the rivets off and replace with bolts.
Then too, if they are sold, I suppose there are different sizes so I'll
have to find a match. The topper is an after market thing and has no
brand name on it, so I can only go by length and diameter.

Of course if there is an easier solution, such as some sort of prop, I'd
consider that too. -OR- can the ones I have be repaired? (It dont look
like they come apart).

Thanks in advance!

Any place that sells "toppers" will have them, or will give you the name
of a place that does.

Paul

On Thu, 01 Oct 2015 20:48:35 -0500, wrote:

I have a topper on my pickup truck. The rear door lifts up and has these
two things that resemble small shock absorbers. Apparently they re
getting weak, because the door dont stay up very well anymore. I'm tired
of that damn door hitting me on the head. Temporarily I have been
clamping a vice grips on one of those things to keep it up if I'm
loading or unloading a bunch of stuff.

However, I'd like to replace them if they can be bought. First off, what
is their correct name? Knowing that, I can google them. But changing
them wont be as easy as simply remove and replace. They are riveted on,
so I'll have to grind or drill the rivets off and replace with bolts.
Then too, if they are sold, I suppose there are different sizes so I'll
have to find a match. The topper is an after market thing and has no
brand name on it, so I can only go by length and diameter.

Of course if there is an easier solution, such as some sort of prop, I'd
consider that too. -OR- can the ones I have be repaired? (It dont look
like they come apart).

Thanks in advance!

Some he http://www.pickupspecialties.com/camper_shell_parts.htm
It's just the first one I happened on. I know nothing about the
company or its products.


--
Using Opera's mail client: http://www.opera.com/mail/

On Thu, 1 Oct 2015 19:10:40 -0700, Paul Drahn
wrote:

On 10/1/2015 6:48 PM, wrote:
I have a topper on my pickup truck. The rear door lifts up and has these
two things that resemble small shock absorbers. Apparently they re
getting weak, because the door dont stay up very well anymore. I'm tired
of that damn door hitting me on the head. Temporarily I have been
clamping a vice grips on one of those things to keep it up if I'm
loading or unloading a bunch of stuff.

However, I'd like to replace them if they can be bought. First off, what
is their correct name? Knowing that, I can google them. But changing
them wont be as easy as simply remove and replace. They are riveted on,
so I'll have to grind or drill the rivets off and replace with bolts.
Then too, if they are sold, I suppose there are different sizes so I'll
have to find a match. The topper is an after market thing and has no
brand name on it, so I can only go by length and diameter.

Of course if there is an easier solution, such as some sort of prop, I'd
consider that too. -OR- can the ones I have be repaired? (It dont look
like they come apart).

Thanks in advance!

Any place that sells "toppers" will have them, or will give you the name
of a place that does.

Paul
They are called Gas Struts In many cases you can remove the strut
from the ball fitting by turning or removing a clip.
Most auto parts stores can get the struts - they are used for hood and
trunk lids as well.

On 10/1/2015 6:48 PM, wrote:
I have a topper on my pickup truck. The rear door lifts up and has these
two things that resemble small shock absorbers. Apparently they re
getting weak, because the door dont stay up very well anymore. I'm tired
of that damn door hitting me on the head. Temporarily I have been
clamping a vice grips on one of those things to keep it up if I'm
loading or unloading a bunch of stuff.

However, I'd like to replace them if they can be bought. First off, what
is their correct name? Knowing that, I can google them. But changing

They are gas (or pneumatic) struts.

them wont be as easy as simply remove and replace. They are riveted on,
so I'll have to grind or drill the rivets off and replace with bolts.
Then too, if they are sold, I suppose there are different sizes so I'll
have to find a match. The topper is an after market thing and has no
brand name on it, so I can only go by length and diameter.

You'll need to know more than just physical dimensions. They have
different degrees of "springiness" as well.

Of course if there is an easier solution, such as some sort of prop, I'd
consider that too. -OR- can the ones I have be repaired? (It dont look
like they come apart).

You might consider a hinged "leg" that just *swings* out from the topper
and falls into place (attaining its natural vertical orientation so it's
like a "leg" that NATURALLY extends downward to lean on the floor/side
of the truck bed. You'd *manually* push/hold it up when wanting to
lower the topper.

You can also try a leg that you manually *lift* into position to hold the
topper in its "up" position -- perhaps even having several extents to
choose from (think of how hood on most new cars are held up)

wrote:
I have a topper on my pickup truck. The rear door lifts up and has
these two things that resemble small shock absorbers. Apparently they
re getting weak, because the door dont stay up very well anymore. I'm
tired of that damn door hitting me on the head. Temporarily I have
been clamping a vice grips on one of those things to keep it up if I'm
loading or unloading a bunch of stuff.

However, I'd like to replace them if they can be bought. First off,
what is their correct name? Knowing that, I can google them. But
changing them wont be as easy as simply remove and replace. They are
riveted on, so I'll have to grind or drill the rivets off and replace
with bolts. Then too, if they are sold, I suppose there are different
sizes so I'll have to find a match. The topper is an after market
thing and has no brand name on it, so I can only go by length and
diameter.

Of course if there is an easier solution, such as some sort of prop,
I'd consider that too. -OR- can the ones I have be repaired? (It dont
look like they come apart).

Thanks in advance!

They're called gas springs and all you need to know is the extended length ,
collapsed length , and the load rating . Lengths you can measure , load is
usually stamped into the cartridge . Available on ebay for as low as 5 bucks
with free shipping .

--
Snag

In alt.home.repair, on Thu, 01 Oct 2015 19:37:29 -0700, Don Y
wrote:

On 10/1/2015 6:48 PM, wrote:
I have a topper on my pickup truck. The rear door lifts up and has these
two things that resemble small shock absorbers. Apparently they re
getting weak, because the door dont stay up very well anymore. I'm tired
of that damn door hitting me on the head. Temporarily I have been
clamping a vice grips on one of those things to keep it up if I'm
loading or unloading a bunch of stuff.

However, I'd like to replace them if they can be bought. First off, what
is their correct name? Knowing that, I can google them. But changing

They are gas (or pneumatic) struts.

them wont be as easy as simply remove and replace. They are riveted on,
so I'll have to grind or drill the rivets off and replace with bolts.
Then too, if they are sold, I suppose there are different sizes so I'll
have to find a match. The topper is an after market thing and has no
brand name on it, so I can only go by length and diameter.

You'll need to know more than just physical dimensions. They have
different degrees of "springiness" as well.

Of course if there is an easier solution, such as some sort of prop, I'd
consider that too. -OR- can the ones I have be repaired? (It dont look
like they come apart).

You might consider a hinged "leg" that just *swings* out from the topper
and falls into place (attaining its natural vertical orientation so it's
like a "leg" that NATURALLY extends downward to lean on the floor/side
of the truck bed. You'd *manually* push/hold it up when wanting to
lower the topper.

You can also try a leg that you manually *lift* into position to hold the
topper in its "up" position -- perhaps even having several extents to
choose from (think of how hood on most new cars are held up)

JC Whitney used to sell one style of this. I bought one just for
"emergencies" One usually had to measure and cut the leg to the right
length.

Gas struts are surprisingly expensive, iirc.

In alt.home.repair, on Thu, 1 Oct 2015 21:48:54 -0500, "Terry Coombs"
wrote:


They're called gas springs and all you need to know is the extended length ,
collapsed length , and the load rating . Lengths you can measure , load is
usually stamped into the cartridge . Available on ebay for as low as 5 bucks
with free shipping .

That's not expensive. Maybe there was no web when I last priced them,
and increased competition has brought the price down. Or maybe it's
something else.
--

micky wrote:
In alt.home.repair, on Thu, 1 Oct 2015 21:48:54 -0500, "Terry Coombs"
wrote:


They're called gas springs and all you need to know is the extended
length , collapsed length , and the load rating . Lengths you can
measure , load is usually stamped into the cartridge . Available on
ebay for as low as 5 bucks with free shipping .

That's not expensive. Maybe there was no web when I last priced them,
and increased competition has brought the price down. Or maybe it's
something else.
--

More likely the Chinese stole that technology , as they've stolen most of
the tech for the stuff they've flooded the market with . When you have no
restrictions on pollution and basically slave labor you can make stuff a LOT
cheaper .

--
Snag

On 10/01/2015 10:53 PM, micky wrote:
That's not expensive. Maybe there was no web when I last priced them,
and increased competition has brought the price down. Or maybe it's
something else.

Something else. I replace a couple on my topper maybe ten years ago.
iirc, it was about $25 for two at Champion Auto. It isn't really a
problem but the ones I got were designed for a hatchback or heavier
trunk lid so the topper panel closes slowly and requires some force.