5.5.1 Install Door Lift Gas Struts

This entry is part 5 of 16 in the series 05 - Doors / Windows

Once the pilot side door was done, I covered the area with a couple layers of carbon BID then filled and sanded the area. I then installed the hard point in the B-pillar and mounted the door.

Both doors open. But there’s a slight problem. Because of the geometry, a variation of 1/8″ in the hard point location translates to a difference of about 2″ in the door open position. You’ll notice the pilot door is just a bit lower than the copilot door. Without the horizontal lines of the door behind it, this would be almost impossible to see. Of course, if I weren’t 6’5″ tall, I would worry about it at all. But as it is now, that lost 2″ makes it just low enough to bump my head. Malcolm said that there are adjustable struts that provide about an inch of adjustment. I’m looking, but I haven’t found any yet.

To keep the motion of the strut smooth, I angled the hardpoint in the B-pillar. This made for an unsightly appearance. So I took some 1/2″ aluminum, drilled it, turned it down and then cut a wedge. I call this a wedge washer. 🙂

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