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Convertible trunk lid adjustment

11K views 25 replies 5 participants last post by  Dan P 
#1 ·
My trunk lid is slightly out of alignment and this is causing the top not to operate. One of the microswitches is not registering correctly.

So, does anyone have a writeup on how to adjust the trunk lid? Mine is high and rearward by a small amount (about 1/8", maybe 3/16"). At the passenger side only. The car was never in an accident, not sure why it's like this. Nothing is bent or loose.
 
#3 · (Edited)
Wow, Convertme, you just solved the puzzle. The aftermarket struts are too long.

I do remember I changed the struts and the new ones were maybe 1/8" longer than the factory ones. I had a hell of a time forcing them in. But I didn'y operate the top for a good while after that. So I didn't realize my top malfunction started when I changed the struts. You just made me realize that now.

Here is what happens. On a normal trunk lid, it's the hinge that determines the position and geometry. On our cars, the complex arrangement is a bit flimsy/flexy and a longer strut can actually force the lid slightly up at the front. I did play around and a small amount of fore/aft adjustment is possible. Up and down you can only adjust by adding or removing shims. If I remember correctly there is one shim from the factory, where the hinge is bolted to the lid. There are instructions in various factory manuals that tell you not to remove shims, presumably because they are afraid the lid might slam on the stowed top if you reduce clearance.

Bottom line, I couldn't adjust mine enough to make it work normally. I have to push down on the front part of the lid while a second person is operating the top switch. Otherwise the top won't operate. The solution is a proper length strut.

If anyone has an original strut, I would appreciate an exact measurement of the length (center to center). Thanks
 
#5 ·

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#6 ·
Looks like you will have to wait for the exact measurement but I think that may be the problem. However, there may be a solution that is not too expensive. Looks like the end sockets will screw off the new struts and I am hoping I can grind/lathe enough of the the end (not the shaft but the socket piece).
Will send measurement next week.
 
#10 ·
Super8, my guess is the "strength" of the strut is not the issue. My new struts don't lift the lid any faster than the 10-yr old factory ones I replaced. I'm guessing the fully compressed struts just bottom out at a dimension that's just a hair too long. I do know for sure the extended length was a bit different.
 
#11 ·
Socket from gas shock. Hard to see in picture or maybe not at all. Is more thread and room for the ram of the cylinder to go inside the socket as you thread the socket back on. But what you can see is the little bit flange left on the socket. I would not hesitate to take this off with a grinder our preferably a small lathe which I don't have. The socket bottoms out here. Take it down thRead on all four if you have to only!
If I was doing this today I would do the one that is difficult to get at first. Take it down to the thread. And try to keep the one that is easier to get at for a little bit of fine tuning. Don't forget the other side!
Good luck everyone. I have not done mine yet as I do not my car at the moment. I am hopeful and hoping that if someone does try this that they let us know if it works or not.
 

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#16 ·
Both the genuine GM part and the BOXI strut shown in post #13 are the correct length.

The GM part # is 19330118. About $25 ea. It has the original style clips which are dificult to snap on, especially the lower one in very limited space. If you use this strut, tie a string on the clip you use at the lower end. Otherwise if you miss and drop it, it's lost. Also keep the original struts so you have extra clips.

The BOXI uses an odd shaped hairpin clip that's very easy to use. You slide it into a tiny set of holes and then rotate it and it snaps over the shaft. However, you can't get your hands into the space at the lower end. Get a pair of 8-10" forceps. The only easy way. Again, careful not to drop it, the cavity below the lower attachment point is totally inaccessible. You drop something there, it's gone. Also, the BOXI struts have screw-on ends. Make sure they are screwed all the way in, otherwise they will be too long.

Many thanks to Convertme for post #2. Without that hint it would never occur to me that the struts could be the wrong length.
 
#18 ·
The shocks I have are identical in length where they attach to the car. And both look like the photo in post 8 of this thread.
I put the original ones back on and the lid lift went away. to me the ram is bottoming in the cylinder because the cylinder is too short at the closed end.
 
#19 ·
Yes. You are correct. The extended length is only a clue that a strut may be too "long". The length that matters is the fully compressed length. That's not easily checked without building some kind of fixture. They are too strong to compress by hand.
The fault can be that either 1. the shaft is too long or 2. the cylinder is too short and the piston bottoms out too soon. Checking the extended length only checks for #1.
 
#23 ·
I bought 2 sets of the pm 1028,s through Amazon. Then lift depot sent one replacement set first,,,, and it worked sweet. Yesterday I received the second set of the 6774 strong arms. They are working just as I see them working. So if they last they are good.

Try to get your money bacK.

Convertme
 
#24 ·
Thank you all so much for the information. My G6 has a terrible water leak and I'm sure it's from the longer lift supports. The convertible top still operates normally. I'm cheap, so I'm going to try and shorten my aftermarket lift supports with a hacksaw.
 
#26 ·
After cutting my aftermarket lift supports down about 1/4", they were slightly shorter than the OEM supports. I reinstalled them and the trunk was still slightly higher at the hinge (too much pressure?) and it still leaked, so I broke down and purchased a new set. Even though the new set seated the trunk nicely, it still leaked, so I bought a roll of automotive weatherstripping at home depot and ran it along the back edge of the existing rear window weatherstripping to fix it. I think the original weatherstripping must have shrunk, creating a gap that wouldn't go away, even with properly fitting lift supports.
 
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