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Fitting bonnet dampers!! Aargh!!

N

nick3814

New member
Does anyone have a trick method of fitting these? I did them on my last Lux but ended up cracking the windscreen with the edge of the bonnet so I'm a bit more cautious now [:)] I've just spent the last hour and a half trying alsorts and ended up refitting the old one for the time being.

Any suggestions would be appreciated [:D]
 
Hi Nick,
Yeah! Put the bonnet end on first, this leaves you with only the ball end to fit. It does help if there are two of you. Line up the socket on the strut with the ball on the car and you will now have to gently force the bonnet up further than it really wants to go , then at some point the socket will come level with the ball on the car and should snap on. There is a spring clip on the socket end .Good luck.
Mac
P.S. Do you want to put your car on the Display car register we are a bit short of 944 s at the moment and as it is the best register we should have more.I mean the most numerous. I expect that will cause a debate but if it gets some more on the register it will be worth the flak!!!!
 
It's the pushing the bonnet up further than it wants to go that breaks the screen. You were lucky you didn't break yours is my suggestion as it is the corner of the bonnet on the glass that is the interference preventing it from wanting to go higher. Speaking as someone who broke the screen (taking out a broom handle I was using as the struts were worn) I know how easy it is.

I saw my indie fit the new struts in true stable door / bolter horse style, but i can't remember how he did it. I think he did the bonnet end last actually.
 
Go very careful if you're forcing the bonnet up, I've heard people crack the windscreen so many times. Compressing the strut is the only safe way, would warming them up help?

 
When I did mine I did in fact crack the windscreen a few years ago, much to my annoyance. I didnt use any expletives at all. Not.

I found a way of doing them, go buy some big cable ties that are about 8mm ish in width, cut a small slot with a stanley knife to fit over the struts top bit, (make sure an adult supervises), i.e. compress the strut and use the cable tie to hold it, then simply fit and cut the tie off!

Worked for me with no accidents!
 
Hey there you go Nick loads of ideas, I have only changed about 8 on 944 s and a couple on 911 s so i am no expert, I hope you didn't think I meant FORCE up the bonnet until it cracked the windscreen, that would be a bit of an extreme . I just nipped out to my oldest 944 and took of the drivers side strut, easiest to get to and it came of and went back on again easily using the method I described ,it actually worked the other way round also i.e. ball joint first it takes about in new money 3-4 mm of bonnet movement beyond comfortable but well before the windscreen becomes collateral.Still this is what this forum is about trying to help each other.
We got two more 944 s on the display register tonight and a 968 , 54 cars so far. Not enough 944s though.C'mon you guys lets show them what we have got.
Mac
 
Cheers folks [;)] I think I will try the cable tie method thanks for that Jack.

Mac I would happily put the 944 (and the 911 come to that) on the display register but I feel it would be a waste of time as any show where they may be needed would be to far to travel as they are always down south!!
 
I feel it would be a waste of time as any show where they may be needed would be to far to travel as they are always down south!!
Click to expand...

You not having any show cars at Raby, then? [;)]

I understand your point, though. We constantly complain because almost all the shows we go to are in the Midlands, and about 1 1/2 hours plus from the centre of the country. Watford, for those who don't know where the centre of the country is! [8|]
 
Didn't mean to offend nor teach anyone to suck eggs. The fact remains that I would not under any circumstances push the bonnet any harder than is necessary just to take the weight as it is the windscreen that is stopping it.

I believe the cable-tie method was in fact how my indie did it now I am reminded.
 
Warming the struts will increase the pressure within; cooling them has the opposite effect, but the difference that it makes on a new strut isnt anything like a much as on a worn one...
 
A method i thought about when i was struggling with mine(but didn't use as i managed to get them on with a struggle)was to cut a piece of wood into a wedge, then get someone to hold the bonnet whilst you tap the wedge under the strut with a plastic or rubber mallet until you can pop it on. You could cut a groove in the wedge so that the strut doesnt fly off to one side.

You could probably do this on your own too if you leave the oposit strut atached. You might need 3 arms though[:D]

Probably a stupid idea but my brain is always coming up with stupid ideas like this when im struggling with difficult jobs like this one. Its just the engineer in me[:D]
 
I'm guilty of breaking the screen in the past [:(]

I then got them in with bonnet end first and one eye on the screen...!

Thanks for the tip with the cable ties .. stroke of genius that [;)]
 
ORIGINAL: 944 man

Warming the struts will increase the pressure within; cooling them has the opposite effect, but the difference that it makes on a new strut isnt anything like a much as on a worn one...
Click to expand...

I realised that as I was lying in the bath last night, unfortunately too late to turn the computer back on and correct it before anyone saw the "deliberate" mistake. Of course, this is why my bonnet stays up in the summer, but smacks me on the head in the winter. [&o]

What I meant to suggest was making them very, very cold before fitting....[:)]
 
I've fitted a few set of struts using the brute force and ignorance method, but it only works with two people. I attach the struts to the bonnet end first and have the other person lift the bonnet up slightly whilst keeping a close watch on the corners to ensure there's enough clearance. I wouldn't say it's the right way to do it, but it works for me and I haven't broken the screen whilst doing it (yet [:D]).
 
Nick,

have you had your shredded wheat and got the dampers fitted yet, happy to help this weekend if you need some muscle[:D]

I managed mine on my own without too much hassle just compressed them by hand

 
I did mine by putting them on the bottom (by the wing first) and then using all my strength (not much!) to compress the damper, while the other person held the bonnet as high as it would go. It does need quite a lot of force to get the damper to compress though.
 
ORIGINAL: ashley

Nick,

have you had your shredded wheat and got the dampers fitted yet, happy to help this weekend if you need some muscle[:D]

I managed mine on my own without too much hassle just compressed them by hand
Click to expand...

Cheeky begger!! Mine must be industrial strength dampers, still struggling to compress one and get the hole lined up, I'm going to resort to the cable tie method when I get a minute[;)]
 
Managed to sort them this afternoon, cheers for the help Ash [;)]

Fitted the bottom socket end first and then with two hands managed to compress the damper whilst Ash held the bonnet up and fitted the pin in [:D] magic.

 
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