Removing tailgate struts

I'm going to replace the tailgate gas struts on the sup it looks like the lower bolts are going to be a nightmare to remove has anyone got any tips for getting them off? I take it you need to remove quite a lot of the interior trim.

You don't need to remove any trim do you?

I haven't looked at my car for a while never mind open the rear hatch but I seem to remember all the bolts being exposed and easy to access with a socket.

Just do one at a time and have a length of wood to hand to support the hatch when you only have one on, they hurt when they embrace your head.

The upper bolts are exposed, the lower you need to remove the interior panel that houses the speaker.

You can do it by just removing some of the rear panels, but you need skinny hands and patience

I have skinny hands but no patience for fiddling, so i gave up and removed the big trim panel!

Thanks Rob sound like this will be fun. As long as it's not as bad as changing my g/f's headlight bulb in her Ford ka. Something so simple to do turned into an hour and a half and caused me to loose about 4 layers of skin and my sanity!! F**kin Ford's

Quick update, wasn't too bad about 20 mins to get it removed. I took of the rear speaker panel and loosened the rear quarter window panel. Only couple of screws and the rest is clipped in.

10mm socket and screwdriver is all that's required.

Also glad I done it cause when I removed the rear speaker cover to my surprise it has 2 alpine e type 6x9's in there which was a nice wee bonus!

Attached a pic

Nice one

Thanks Rob sound like this will be fun. As long as it's not as bad as changing my g/f's headlight bulb in her Ford ka. Something so simple to do turned into an hour and a half and caused me to loose about 4 layers of skin and my sanity!! F**kin Ford's

Haha, bringing this thread up from the past - I know exactly what you mean....I also lost several layers of skin doing that exact task...

Any additional bits of advice on this subject. I've got a set of SGS struts ready to go.

Did you do this Rider? I’m just about to send my struts off to SGS too and hear this is a right ball ache of a job! One for the evenings next week.....

Any additional bits of advice on this subject. I've got a set of SGS struts ready to go.

Just patience really , took me the part of a day, going slow

Lower part of the Rear seat out, fold down the upper , start removing panels (taking care of the clips) ; I remember , it s a 10mm nut on the strut

The most fiddly part is swapping over the struts , the boot is heavy ; ideally somebody to support it , just be careful it does not come down on you , it will knock you out

I used a broom handle

It is also a good time to upgrade your rear speakers if you wish to , easy to put on some dynomat with the panel off

if you haven't already taken them off the car then see if you can work around the club set. I used the set donated by Jake that were refurbed by SGS in my car and sent my old ones onto someone else on the understanding they would pass on their old U/S struts to SGS to rework for another member as its easier to swap one at a time than take both off and have a heavy tailgate to fight with unaided. That someone else was novak, just PM novak as he should be holding his original set ready to send on to SGS for new struts, retaining the original fittings.

It’s not that much of a pain job, done it a few months back when I got my new struts from SGS.

The boot is quite heavy when it is not supported with the struts so be careful. If you loosen off the rear quarter window plastics, the part that goes into the boot you can get your hand in the gap just about to get to nuts. Sliced my hand up doing it tho on the plastic.

It would be alot easier if someone can give you a hand doing it.

Thanks all.

The boot already comes down at approximately 179mph onto ones hand/face/child. The only way I can keep it up is if I slam it up hard and it “sticks” so ultimately I’m faced with an Indiana Jones booby trap anyway. A broom handle or rope under the rear spoiler with a soft cloth underneath it attached to the garage roof joists seems like a plan.

I’ve paid for the refurb service and I’ll also get them to regass my originals so someone can have them at cost price if they need to do it.

Cheers

Greg

blimme sounds like a horror movie. Lucky me my rear panels are broken and I did find replacements so I was able to fit my struts with ease. Sadly my boot lid where the bolts mount, the nuts are rusted on the inside. I did chase the threads but two are fubbered so will have to fit dry wall inserts after drilling them and tapping.