Tailgate bike rack

[colynmac]

Fitted a Fiamma bike rack to my tailgate today and the tailgate will not stay up more than half way??

Does that mean the struts are knackered because all was ok prior to fiiting the bike rack??

Any suggestions??

[Westy.Club.Joker]

Sounds like it, mine were weak so I replaced `em. £27 a pair posted off Ebay seller. Very strong now, will hold up my `rack and bike with no worries.

Some people slip a piece of tubing over one strut, then you raise the tailgate all the way manually and slide the tube up over the exposed ram on the strut and this locks it so it can`t drop on yer head.

[kevtherev]

Westy is spot on there...also try GSF

or these

http://www.sgs-engineering.com/gas-stru ... ipment.php

and these guys

http://www.gasstruts.co.uk/

worth a call?

http://www.metrol.com/products/gas-struts.html

[colynmac]

Thanks Westy and Kev for your help.

Have just ordered new struts as reccomended by you on Ebay.

[dalmationman]

From experience
A good set of standard struts will hold the back door and rack up without the bikes on it.
No need to spend money on special struts just for that ( unless you want to of course).
If you want to hold up the door, the rack + bikes then I guess you need special struts, but I would be carefull about the closing weight damaging the hinges.

[Westy.Club.Joker]

Mine are just standard replacement struts from a cheap source, not meant to be heavy-duty or anything. Work for me anyway

[dalmationman]

Yes , mine are standard as well. Haven't tried them with the bikes on because dont want to stress the back door on shutting.
Think maybe it would go with a bang, at least it did when I lifted it up and closed it again with the metal tent poles on the bike rack.

[Westy.Club.Joker]

It`s made in Germany, it`s supposed to shut with a bang