Hatchback Tailgate Gas Struts

[oldcodger]

Hi,

My tailgate struts are failing but fortunately have the part number printed on them being  68960 02031 L and 68950 02041 R.

Mr T wants around £110 per Strut !!, even the parts guy sounded bewildered  and said he did have a little movement and could do them for £92 each !

Looking on various sites you can see such struts for less than £10 each but generally they show up as part nos 68960 02030  and 68950 02040, so I asked one supplier and they said they were not suitable and could not offer anything else ?

Some sites even show both sets of numbers for their struts ?

Does anyone know if there is any real  difference ?  or have replaced some on a 2006 Colour Collection model 1.6 UK

 

[tooSavvy]

Oooh.... Mmmmm... Ah!

Yes... Perhaps googlefu is your friend. AFAIK all struts are created <in China> equal but have different ends [not many!]

Search your type and try to find out what the *end type is and then go for min/max length...

*muddy option = breakers yard and do some sleuthing 🙂

2sav

[VosperD]

Have you tried a company called SGS-Engineering. Easy to find on the web and you can do  search for you particular model.

Don

[oldcodger]

Thanks guys, had been searching and when contacted direct some said theirs would not fit, but this morning found one who said they believe theirs would be suitable, but if not they would arrange return and reimburse, so ordered a £17 pair from them, hopefully get them by Saturday, will let you know if they fit ok.

Had seen SGS,  their  "UK made"  ones,  £36 a pair with delivery,  so have them as a backup is the eBay ones are no good.

[VosperD]

I will be interested in the outcome.

I was looking into replacing those on my 1998 GS before i saw your post.

SGS website quotes £32.00 a pair for my car. However, things are not so simple. Apparently my struts are fitted with  brackets that are unique to Toyota. After speaking to SGS today the price for a pair is now £87,99. They say that they can transfer the brackets but I'm waiting to hear if that is extra.

Don

[oldcodger]

51 minutes ago, VosperD said:

I will be interested in the outcome.I

Don

 

Mine will hopefully arrive tomorrow, though they are very different to yours as both ends of mine have the ball sockets.

Seems your strut is bolted or welded ?  to that hinge affair,  assume the other end is the more typical ball socket ?

The guy I ordered from does list  some struts for your year, so might be worth contacting him  , with your photo, and see if his are suitable ?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/m.html?_odkw=&_ssn=europartsdealer&hash=item1ed0e03359%3Ag%3ACRoAAOSwqYhZ1zUJ%3Ark%3A3%3Apf%3A1&item=132353373017&_osacat=0&_from=R40&_trksid=p2046732.m570.l1313.TR2.TRC0.A0.H0.Xtoyota+corolla+tailgate+struts.TRS0&_nkw=toyota+corolla+tailgate+struts&_sacat=0

[VosperD]

Yes the top is a conventional ball joint. Doesn't look detachable.

SGS have just got back to me, their £87.99 price entails me sending them my old struts and they will fit the brackets to their struts. The bracket is in two parts and one part is welded to the strut, The other part is just bolted to  the car of course. Mine are working ok at the moment but the tops are a bit rusty and they are 20+ years old.

Thanks for the link. I will make enquiries.

Cheers

Don

[DeTomato]

I was advised using a pin to clean the cylinder rod strut entry point and then put some silicon spray on the metal rod slider and wipe it off immediately (without any going into the strut cylinder) then this fixes them. Mine are ceasing up - but I don't think they are gas struts. So I may give it a try. Nothing to loose.

[tooSavvy]

I'm sure one of the car makers used 'nut retained' spherical pins (on the body bracket) not simply welded in. Finding such a piece would allow the Toyota bracket you have to be modified to 'spherical clipon' either end.

https://goo.gl/images/yk2sqF

The devil is always in the detail, nuff sedd

2sav

[oldcodger]

The struts have arrived and are a good fit /replacement to my original  so it seems there its little difference between the two numbers I originally quoted.

Should be noted that these cheapies come as just one type , no L or R,  just a case of spinning the fitting half a turn,

 

 

On 2/15/2019 at 4:20 PM, VosperD said:

Yes the top is a conventional ball joint. Doesn't look detachable.

 

FYI  as you can see in the pic these replacements come with a screw on bottom end, so would think it would be easy enough to drill off your old ones and reattach these new.

No idea if mine are what you need, but the block body less the screw thread measures  about 452mm and the pushrod, including the top end cap is about 200mm; the pressure rating is 440N

Equally there is a lot to say about - if it ain't broke .......

 

 

[VosperD]

Thanks  for the photo I have yet to make enquiries. I think i will take one side off and see if the ends are removable.

As you say, if it isn't broke.....

It's MoT time for the Yaris on Friday. keeping fingers crossed no major expense!

Cheers

Don

[VosperD]

Time for an update.

The boot was slowly getting harder to open. eBay and other searches drew a blank on the correct struts but one supplier gave me the correct part numbers although they had no stock. finally managed to identify the correct items from German supplier Autodoc.Their part number 8192547 and 8192548 for left and right but they appeared to be identical units.

Fitted them this morning and a noticeable improvement, Get the boot one third open and it opens itself the rest of the way now.

The bolts were  bit stiff and a length of fence post needed to prop the bootlid whilst working. Looks like serious injury could result if it fell!

Now had the car for a year. Just passed its MoT with no advisories, Had a service and new timing belt kit. Hasn't done a geat mileage since the belt was last changed but it was seven years ago according to my garage, i think they've serviced it since new.

I also  got the aircon serviced which just needed a refill.

Don

Bristol

Actually they are not identical. The pin on the lower bracket is at an slight angle . The originals are marked  L and R but the replacements are not.

 

Edited October 17, 2019 by VosperD
correction