Roadster Gas and Strut Options for Trunk

[Jeff Kleiner]

I've done cars with both the FFR hinge & strut system and Mike's add on struts. The geometry is totally different between them. With the FFR design when the lid is closed there is a straight line between both ends of the strut and the hinge pivot; no upward pressure is applied until the lid is raised a couple of inches at which point the end of the strut attached to the hinge arm goes over center and keeps it raised. With Mike's there is always upward pressure being applied to the lid, whether it is open or closed. If the lid is adjusted for fit without the struts it will often come out of adjustment when they are connected and their pressure wants to raise the lid. This can usually be eliminated by readjusting the hinges with the struts connected and their pressure acting against the hinge arms.

Jeff

[GTBradley]

It sounds like FFR designed out the upward pressure with my hinge style. Ed's hinges, which were from the FFR kit also, were from a few hundred serial numbers before mine.

[Rolf 818]

I am new to the forum, and also I did not know about the FFR kit. So I ended up designing mine from basic engineering principles, and the funny thing is I used 40 pound struts, with great results - works just fine