How do you test boot struts ???

Post by **Kit** » Mon Sep 21, 2020 11:14 am

Over the years I’ve amassed a big collection of boot struts

The yellow labels are OME’s KB76
The green labels are OME’s KB79
The blue labels aftermarket

You might note the OME’s have the hatch fitting on the silver push rod, the aftermarket ones are the other way round

So, a manual ‘push test’, highlighted just one weak strut

, this was discarded. Which surprising.

Now going to play ‘swap the struts’, to see if any are useable

I’ll Keep you posted, with 8 sets to try, it’ Going to be a little while

Kit

Post by **jrh** » Mon Sep 21, 2020 12:52 pm

Push down on bathroom scales , should be at least 20kg to be any good.
Is that how you test them ?

Post by **Kit** » Mon Sep 21, 2020 3:01 pm

After pairing the struts up, each pair was tried on the the ‘test bed’, which was the “Probe trailer” ex VIN Ser.No. R009314.
The struts on here have failed, since I took ownership of it more than a year, used only for storage, so little use on the struts.

Found all of them held the tailgate up,

Which surprise me, on the manual push, all had strong resistance. This was confirmed as the two removed from the trailer, were soft.
The only thing missing from the tailgate on the ‘test bed’ is the rear wiper motor & a bit of trim, but I don’t think this would have made much difference.
So, I now have 8 sets of usable struts ( for tailgate without a spoiler, some of which are for Sale

Kit

Post by **Kit** » Mon Sep 21, 2020 3:17 pm

Still not convinced, I bolted a wiper motor the the u/side off the tailgate

The set of struts, left on still held the tailgate up, so I’ll conclude the the other sets will be OK.
The Blue labelled aftermarket one, were best, with a lot more resistance

Now to try the jrh bath room scales test

Kit

Post by **Kit** » Mon Sep 21, 2020 3:37 pm

jrh wrote: ↑
Mon Sep 21, 2020 12:52 pm
Push down on bathroom scales , should be at least 20kg to be any good.
Is that how you test them ?

John,

a good way of testing the struts,
But I found the figure should be a lot higher
The failed struts made 20kgs

A sample pair of OME struts (that we’re good on the test bed), reached over 40kgs,
Blue labelled aftermarket ones made 50kgs.

On
The whole an interesting afternoon

Kit

Post by **cpt black** » Mon Sep 21, 2020 3:49 pm

Blue ones should be strong arm ones which are spoiler rated mate

Post by **jrh** » Mon Sep 21, 2020 4:16 pm

Well done, the 20kg were my old ones which , just about, lifted a clean non spoiler tailgate.

Post by **jmx6** » Mon Sep 21, 2020 6:33 pm

Some properly done testing there - good work

Post by **Elland 57** » Mon Sep 21, 2020 7:25 pm

Thank goodness he is going back to work Tuesday.

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How do you test boot struts ???

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