The shocks that hold up rear window/hatch open are bad on my car. The one on the passenger side with all the electrical stuff in it for the wiper is quite expensive and I'd rather not replace it if I don't have to.

I was thinking that there must be a good shock that could hold up the whole window from the driver side. Maybe one for a minivan rear door or something that's much stronger but still would fit.

Anyone familiar enough with replacement shocks to have a suggestion?

 

I'm replacing mine for around $30 each (Autozone).
If the shocks have different forces they may tend to twist the hatch. The hatch is really, really heavy.

 

Do you have a rear wiper? Does Autozone carry a replacement for the special expensive shock?

 

Mine has a plastic add on peice that once you raise the hatch you push the plastic over and it holds the hatch up. It works great.

 

I know as Bruceman said that uneven pressures will cause the hatch to twist, but I have read on other threads that one new one will hold the hatch open by itself. You could also just rewire the wires for the rear windshield wiper and use a regular shock on that side also. Rewireing it really isn't that hard. I have helped with this on two of my friends cars. I will try to get some pics.

 

Does anyone know what the factory struts cost? Also how do thay differ from the strongarm products? I have a 79 no wiper. Thanks

 

Any tips or tricks to installing rear hatch struts?

 

they are easy as hell to replace
20 min job MAX

 

Could be easy, all depends on if you've got the right tools. heh

 

Ive heard from other people that strongarm are to strong and they can break the mounts. Never used them myself so i dont know first hand.

 

Yeah, I plan to just rewire everything there in the back. Not a big deal.

Anyone try the shocks that Victoria British sells?

 

I've got new ones from Advance Auto. They aren't exactly like the factory ones but they work great. Easy install, fit perfect, and no more holding up the hatch with a stick.

 

I put one new $16 strut from Kragens on each car. Works fine. No twist. The tired old shok apparently still contributes something.

B

 

i have the shocks from victoria british on my 85GS and i have had wonderful results from them!!!! i paid i think 30 each for them. they are good. i reccomend them.

 

how strong are the replacements? i would like my hatch to pop up by themselves when i hit the hatch release button...do new hatch struts do this?

 

StrongArms are good. I used them to replace mine. I have rear wiper and defogger - the electrics come right off your old right-strut and go on the new strut. Piece of cake, just a set screw and clamp that holds the electrics on.

Got mine thru MazdaTrix..., seems to me the struts sold by VB are also StrongArms.

The hatch does not "lift itself" with the StrongArms, but once you lift it over halfway - it goes up the rest of the way by itself, even with my louvers!

 

hmmm...i wonder what my first silver rx7 had then...cuz they lifted themselves...i do remember they were a bitch to close too, heck i sometimes drove with the hatch up!

 

One of the cars that erick1120 helped with rewiring was mine. I haven't replaced the struts yet, but the wiring needed to be done to get the wiper to work because the connectors that are built onto the strut are broken. It was a piece of cake really. I actually used the coiled wires for the defrost from our parts car as a bridge from where the stock wiring ends on the cylinder, to where it needs to connect to the motor end of the strut. That way it coils when closed, but has the needed length when the hatch is opened. I'll try to remember to snap some pics tomorrow.

Brian

 

anyone mind sharing a pic of how it looks with the wires from the rear wiper?

 

Kinda dark outside right now, but I'll post a pic ASAP.

Brian

 

When I got my car the hatch struts were already shot. So here is what me and everybody else that I know with rx7s do when they don't stay up anymore. We just elbow it and put a slight and I mean a really slight bend in it and its been working fine since. Mine has been like that for a year now and my friend's has been like that for about 5 years now and we haven't had any problems opening or closing the hatch. you can't tell that we bent the struts unless you really look closely.

 

Don't know how helpfull they'll be but here they are...





Brian