$340 for Lift Supports!!!

What about used ones from a recycling center (aka, junk yard)?

Jeff

DAMN!!! Even the ones for a Supra (MUCH more limited prod!) are available from CarQuest for $35 each!

Can you take a pic and post a link to it?

I will give this a try as a last resort.... afraid that a 20y old used set is likely to be also about out of compressed gas too... or that they want me to by the hatch too.

Thx Dave-in-Denver

Yes... $170 each is just off the chart. The Camry only had a hatchback for 2 or 3 years in the 80's and apparently the gas lift supports were VERY specific for that application.

A pic would be ease enough... but they look just like a generic $25 lift support with ball ends.

Thx Dave-in-Denver

I believe I'd go to the hardware store and get a wooden dowel....LOL

snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com wrote in news:1177024892.867770.211030 @p77g2000hsh.googlegroups.com:

You've received lots of advice from others. I'll just chime in with my cheap suggestion: A set of Vise-Grips.

There's a guy a few streets over from me with an early-'80s Chevette. His struts have also gone bad, so all he does is clamp a set of Vise-Grips to the inner rod of one of them so it can't slide back into the outer tube. Wrecks the inner rod, of course, but otherwise it seems to work a treat.

Geeze...those are common enough! I've had them on two Corollas. I see your other post about using a shorter one. That will probably work. My Mom has a Camry (86) but didn't get the hatch...I always liked the hatch better!

Let us know what you find! And Tegger's idea works, too...my Supra's hood struts are shot, so I use a pair of vice-grips to hold the hood up.

Maybe you can find after market replacements that will work for you here.

I'd check with a parts store and see if they carry generic brand lift supports. I got some in the past and the were marketed for specific lengths, not for specific car styles. might be worth a shot.

Sam, you stole my thought. I had an '86 Camry hatchback, and they're relatively common I think.

I'd be inclined to give a wrecking yard a looksee. I can't imagine their turning down business and making you buy the whole hatch. If I owned a business like that, I think I'd sell what the customer wanted and take the dough, and not be fussy about how I sold what.

The vise-grip alternative sounds like a good no-cost solution, unless you're a purist.

looks like it's time for a piece of broomstick. sam

LOL...Thats what I do on my ford truck camper shell. I keep a small set sitting on the side of the box near the back window. I would think you could find replacements somewhere.. I see them at auto parts, etc.. Didn't cost any $340 either..I was thinking like $25-30 a pop...? MK

Get one piece of thin plastic pipe that will fit over the body of the support and is a little shorter than the rod part of the support. Slide it over one of the lift supports and your done. Instant safety stay.

My Supra for example has a 1" pvc pipe 5-3/4" long on one support for the engine hood. When I open the hood fully the pipe automatically prevents it from closing and its just as easy to unlock.

The hatch need's to use a thin wall tube that will fit if it's like mine.

GL Dan

Had the same problem with my 84 Supra rear hatch struts. I tried a couple different cheaper aftermarket brands that are available but the manufacture says they aren't for a Supra with a rear wiper. They were right, my worn out struts hold the rear hatch up better than the new ones. That wiper motor adds lots of weight out at quite a distance. So I went to Toyota and the factory struts for this car are $380 EACH Canadian. They said there were 2 struts in California..I'm guessing they've been there for a while and will collect dust for several decades to come.

If you look at generic struts, all the manufactures make many different pressures in every available length. That's the key, getting the right pressure. And it seems none of the aftermarket guys are making high pressure struts for my application. I did find a solution from JC Whitney (see links below) but I like the plastic pipe idea that Danny G suggested. Same idea I guess as the JC Whitney piece

Smooth! I went to the HW store and cut a length 5 7/8", slit it and fit it over the rod. Open the hood, it falls in place and holds! Beats $90 for supports! I had to buy 5 feet. A whopping $2.45.

Thanks!

I painted mine black but it almost disappears so maybe next time safety yellow would be better so it will be a obvious latch or whatever.

messagenews: snipped-for-privacy@p77g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...

Hi Dan, Killer good idea! Love it.

I will use plastic electrical conduit because it is gray in color.

THANKS Dave-in-Denver

Thanks DB, Yes... very concerned I will be wasting time and money it I can not find a pair of lift supports that are strong enough to do the job.

But until I find something I will do the DannyG thing and put tubes over them... just LOVE this solution.

Dave-in-Denver

messagenews: snipped-for-privacy@p77g2000hsh.googlegroups.com...