Cheap Hatch Strut/Support Alternative!?

[spidertri]

Eh, if you didn't want to take a chance you should have bought from the dealer. Who knows where ebay parts are sourced from.

I picked up the Chevy Cavalier struts and they work pretty good, however, if I let it go the hatch will slam open.

[justmanson]

i picked up the Mighty Lift C95769, installed yesterday and they are working perfectly.

[GreeleyGal]

Well my BMW/Ebay supports work great and are exact to the originals. Good to see that everyone is finding an alternative that works for them.

[trikzta]

i also got the mighty lift they work like a charm... no more holding it up with a stick or w.e i can find to take the kid's stroller out the back

[zoner]

Not to rain on anybody's parade, but just about ANY hatch strut is going to work great right out of the package- it's the quality struts (Stabilus, Sachs, Lesjöfors, etc.) that will still be doing that 10 years after you've installed them, when many inferior ones have long since failed.

[Mad-Machine]

well.. I got the ebay one for my Ti.. the ones for the blazer.. been 5 years now and it is STILL hard to pull down and close.

[gcims]

Any one here look at doing this type of alternative for the hood?

[justmanson]

Originally Posted by gcims

Any one here look at doing this type of alternative for the hood?

not a bad idea. Would just have to do some research like they have done for the trunks. Take some measurements

[drw-bmw]

Horror Story - I added the Club Sport Spoiler to my 95 318ti sport in the late 90s, which required changing to the heavier duty OEM struts on the hatch. Last year, while closing the hatch, one of the upper strut attach 'balls' broke off at the threads. The hatch dropped so hard and landed on the strut (sticking out the side of the hatch now) that it flexed the hatch enough to SHATTER the rear glass! $400+ later, I MIG welded the ball back onto the hatch and re-attached the strut. Note that these struts are old and barely hold the hatch up in freezing temps.
I am about to use the Mighty Lift C95769 struts on my newly acquired 98 318ti Sport (original struts are completely dead). And yes, I am going to tack weld the attach balls to the body. I may have just been unlucky - but it's a simple thing for me to do the welds...

[juan.manjarres]

So I got these today. I bought them for $19 each at a local euro auto store called the finish line in Miami. They are rated at 420N. The only dilemma is that when I let it open all by itself it stops pretty hard when it reaches the end. I am not sure if the original BMW ones do this from factory since ever since I owned it they have never worked. I have a video and some pics to compare. Btw I measured them and they are the exact same size.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJ_Qj...e_gdata_player

[3ONE8]

Well after reading all these helpful post's i have decided to go out and buy some tomorrow morning. hopefully someone can give some input on some hood alternatives as mine are worn down as well. i will update my hatch results.

[pitonegro]

I just installed the blazer one yesterday morning and you literally only need one. It generated so much lift it ripped the hatch right off the chassis.

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[3ONE8]

^^ haha damn i guess they stay true to there name..
i guess i got a deal yesterday night two Strongarms for 14.99 each at a wholesale close out or something. after checking Autozone, and other retailers id say i made out pretty clean

[pitonegro]

You defintely did get a deal, I paid 40 for the set at vatozone.

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[3ONE8]

i just saw your name pitonegro- LoL
i was gonna post the link to where i got them but when i went to check on it, it ws already gone! i will say this though the website i got it at was rockauto.com
Now that i got this taken care of time to move on to my next Fix it' which by the way this car has a ton of, but, im not complaining i love my ti