Gas Shocks: Try to Find One You Want

Yes, I could call the manufacture for the mighty lift directly, but if you'll take a look at the website, you can guess how that would go.

Reminds me where, I had a mechanical engineer with a BSME from Michigan Tech.

we were doing kinematic and motion curves with cylinders for automatic opening/closing process doors. We hat to calculate the customized cylinders. He always phuqt it up. Until one day, I watch him ‘calculate’ it. He would measure the curve path for the length of the stroke, instead of the straight required path of point ‘a’ (cylinder fully retract) to point ‘b’ fully extended.

Teaching/mentoring him was difficult.

so... back on topic, his problem was also not picking up that is not always cut and dry by just extending the stroke... because you also have to increase the length of the cylinder,... which some what doubles the length of the cylinders both extended, and retracted lengths.

it’s actually quite easy,... I always made custom cylinders.
im sure it would be for gas shocks... mechanical shocks... a little more involved,...

I know the size i need. But measuring the length and squeezing cylinders manually against the floor to measure force in order to select from stock is the problem.

Have to take what you see.

I used them to open a pair of basement doors about 85 % and I know i can go past 90 with another half inch of extension.

Anyway. It's not rocket science and it's treated like voodoo science.

You need to talk to an engineer at the company that makes the shocks and decide which model number will suit your needs, people at the outlet are just stock and salespeople, if you are not inquiring about a particular stock production car model, they have no reference number to look up...

https://www.liftsupportsdepot.com/

https://www.americangassprings.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQiA0rSABhDlARIsAJtjfCfgaeLEpRMheSDLZqmaNHMGN1ui8OmFe3l7eR48oBeLALYdtADKNUUaAuN9EALw_wcB

https://www.americangassprings.com/config/

Don't think I haven't visited this and many other sites.

The point is, what should be...

Remember buttons with silly messages?

A popular one we sold read -

"WHY DO YOU INSIST ON TURNING A SIMPLE TRANSACTION INTO A BIZARRE RITUAL!!!"

... I shouldn't have to have a back and forth with the head office and engineering department to buy a simple inexpensive piston.

What a complete waste of time and way to slow innovation.

I feel your pain BruceFlorida!

When you hold your phone in your hand, all this information is at your fingertips...

https://www.siraweb.com/props-automotive

What?

I thought I responded to this yesterday?

Great. Amazing find SE!

Thanksgiving to you.

I also feel your pain. The gas shocks for the lid of a roll-around Harbor Freight toolbox have a very short life span and so far Harbor Freight doesn't seem to have custom orders in their business model. Our repair parts orders at work have been on eternal back order. I assume I can pick something that will work but the times I took a few minutes to look I was disappointed by the data that I found.

When first I read your missive I thought gas shocks for 20$, I'll have a box of those, but then I realised what you call gas shocks are what we call gas struts.

To me gas shocks are the gas pressurised oil filled shock absorbers used on vehicles, just a case of trunk verses boot terminology. Trunks are on elephants and boot is on the other foot, right?

As for car part shops, unless it is only a few years old or produced in thousands no one can help and if it is obsolete, even finding xref data is a trial let alone finding a replacement. As you say pressing a strut onto the floor to measure the recoil force is frowned upon by staff even more so if the strut enters the ceiling or knocks a light fitting down.

I do my research online and order online, forget the car box stores or hardware suppliers where everything can be ordered for a fee and the order will be placed when we have enough orders for xyz supplier. Maybe you still have manufacturers in your country but they are few and far between this side of the pond.

Struts. Yes. Nitrogen filled boot lift. Yes

Sorry it my term was incorrect.

Just speaking of the simple strut.

So simple to find, so simple to use.

..but specs? Charts for cross reference?

...insert bill the cat here

JWF Technologies can sort you out.

All the gas springs on the cargo doors of my RV are from a brand called SUSPA.

https://www.suspa.com/us/products/gas-springs

If they don't have it, you don't need it. A dizzying assortment . . .