[s-cars] '95 S6 Avant hatch strut BTDT

[John Cunningham]

Doug/Tom/whoever else is listening...

There are accounts someplace (on AW if I recall...) mentioning some
'generic' struts you can get from places like McMaster-Carr for well cheaper
than OEM. Some big autoparts retail joints will have an aisle with a section
of generic struts too.

I followed the details posted by someone else, ordered from McMaster as I
was getting some other junk anyway - carbon fiber tubes or something - and
that's what I'm running now.. BUT my warning would be... IIRC, when I
installed them, the spec listed on AW or wherever I found it was not really
exactly right for the car. If I had it to do again I'd do my own measuring
rather than going with what is recommended there.

Don't take this as gospel, it was a while ago, again IIRC, I wished I had
models with a little more lift pressure, BUT a shorter strut.  I think it
specs too long of an 'open' measurement so the hatch is still under a fair
bit of pressure when it's open.  This is unnecessary since a good strut
match should only need a tiny bit of preload so it doesn't really pressurize
hard on the hatch hinges when fully open.

I'm a little hazy on details now as it's been a year or two but I am pretty
sure I swapped the end fittings/sockets from the OEM over to the new ones,
as the new ones came sans sockets.

What is not hazy is remembering that I wasn't paying enough attention to the
prop system I used to hold it up, and that I lost the prop at one point, the
hatch slammed down on one of the old struts as it was hanging loose and
caused a huge ding/notch in my D pillar. Faarrczchaskkkkkkk.... yes that
part I remember perfectly well.

Tip: a good ~6' stepladder makes a great hatch propping mechanism, as it
won't slip out as you're jiggling and installing sockets and lifting and
letting go of the hatch (I could have seriously severed digits in that
accident actually...)

If it's helpful I could try to search the dusty computer archives for what
struts I ordered as a starting place to improve upon... let me know if
that'd be helpful

> -----Original Message-----
> From: s-car-list-bounces at audifans.com
> [mailto:s-car-list-bounces at audifans.com] On Behalf Of Douglas Fifield
> Sent: Saturday, December 19, 2009 18:27 PM
> To: Tom Winter
> Cc: s-car-list at audifans.com
> Subject: Re: [s-cars] '95 S6 Avant hatch strut BTDT
>
> Also interested in sourcing new struts for the avant.
>
> On Sat, Dec 19, 2009 at 5:04 PM, Tom Winter
> <tom at tomwintermedia.com> wrote:
> > Hi all, in the very cold weather we've been having here in
> CO, my rear
> > hatch no longer wants to stay up (still works when warmer
> out, but not
> > as well as it used to).
> >
> > I'm thinking it's time to swap out the old struts and replace. Any
> > particular strut manufacturers to choose? Any to avoid? I've seen
> > Stabilus for about $35 bucks online. Good or bad choice?
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Tom '95 S6 Avant
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
>
>
>
> --
> Douglas in MN
> 95.5 Audi S//6 Avant
> 73 BMW R60/5 mit Toaster Tank
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