5.5.1 Door lift gas struts

This entry is part 4 of 16 in the series 05 - Doors / Windows

Now that I’ve got the door lift situation figured out, it’s time to work on the pilot side door. I did the initial work on the co-pilot door since that door won’t get as much use as the pilot side.

Now that I know how the system works, I’m going do the pilot door a little differently. As in stronger. The first thing to do is create a large backing plate/hardpoint out of 1/8″ aluminum.

Then I cut an opening in the top of the D-tube that will accept the plate. I drilled and tapped holes in the plate that will align with the mounting bracket and also drilled holes for rivets. Then I formed the plate so that it matched the contour on the D-tube.

Finally, I spread structural adhesive on the inside of the D-tube and the back of the plate and slid the plate into the D-tube and riveted the plate into position. Once the adhesive set, I inserted a piece of soft foam into the space and left a cavity about 1/2″ deep that a little longer than the opening I made to get the plate in. Then I mixed a flox/cabo paste and filled the area behind the plate. This will strengthen the D-tube where the bracket is.

Once cured, the area gets sanded down and I’ll cover it with a layer of carbon Uni and BID.

 

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