Gas strut question

[john2k]

I replaced one side gas strut in my boot with a universal type. The length is pretty similar except the new universal one might be a about 8 to 9mm shorter and the stroke is about 10 to 14mm smaller. So on my original strut the stroke is around 210 to 214mm. The new universal strut the stroke is 200mm. It works fine but on the side that i've installed the new strut the boot lid sits slightly raised. Any ideas what will cause that? As soon as I remove the strut and leave it without a strut on that side the the lid sits nicely. The new strut being a little shorter shouldn't really cause the boot to go up a bit should it? I was thinking if the new universal strut was longer then that will cause boot to lift a little? also does the stroke length effect how the lid sits?

Oh and before anyone asks why I haven't gone for the strut designed for the car, it's because i'm trying to upgrade one side to a higher Nm value so the lid opens up by itself which it's doing now with this new universal strut. But the boot is sitting a bit higher by a few mm.

 

[Burnerman]

Its always recommended that these struts are replaced in pairs.....or at least to the exact original specification.
John

 

[Avocet]

You need to be really careful with those! What' the closed length of the OE one compared to the replacement one? I know you said the were 10-14mm different, but presumably that was the "open" length?

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

I fitted a gas strut from ebay on a Megane, a few days later, whilst the boot was up, the lower ball joint 'popped off' and the boot slammed shut, the end of the strut got flung up and caught in the gap between the car body and the boot lid causing to the boot lid to distort slightly and the rear screen to shatter. Insurance coughed up but still left me with a dent in the body and the lid.

 

[mointainwalker]

I fitted a gas strut from ebay .

Should have gone to an architect to check the specification