"Lift Lock" For Worn-Out Gas Struts

Lift Lock For Worn-Out Gas Struts PICKUPS Accessories I got tired of replacing the gas struts that raise and hold open the Leer topper door on my Ford pickup So I came up with a simple inexpensive solution says Blaine Kalahar Champlin Minn He opened the door all the way and then measured the distance between the strut s cylinder and the topper door Then he cut a piece of 3/4-in dia pvc pipe to a length of 7 3/4 in slit the length of it with a hacksaw and snapped it around the strut s cylinder As the door is opened gravity causes the pipe to slide down into place between where it attaches to the window and the fat part of the cylinder to prop the door open Gravity and the weight of the door on the pipe is enough to keep the door open says Kalahar When I want to close the door I just lift the door up a little and slide the pipe down over the fat end of the cylinder The pipe always stays attached to the cylinder so it can t fall off Kalahar is a carpenter and says he works out of the back of his pickup quite a bit With all the constant use the struts would go bad every couple of years They cost $25 apiece to replace or $50 per set I replaced two sets over a period of seven years before I decided there had to be a better way I think my idea would work for anything that uses gas struts Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Blaine Kalahar 11259 Quebec Ave N Champlin Minn 55316 ph 763 424-2353; b_kalahar@yahoo com

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