Tailgate struts

1
Further to Ken's note re the replacement struts being available on Ebay, I bought a couple and found that replacing only one strut was sufficient to fix my sagging back door - so I can recommend them.
As an idle thought I recall that one side is stronger than the other side - does anyone know which side that is?

Thanks,

Bob T
2
Bob I cut and pasted this off go westy. Greg
 
Hatch Struts

There is some understandable confusion about which hatch struts to install on your Vanagon. After years of trial and error in our own repair shop, we've got the solution that'll hold up (pun intended).

First of all there are three parts available:

251-829-331A "331A"
251-829-331B "331B"
251-829-332 "332"

The first hatch strut was the 331A, of which two were used beginning with 1980 Vanagon's. With the introduction of therear wiper/washer system around 1985, the 331B was introduced. The 331B differed in two ways; it was a two-stage force design, and the shaft attached to the body instead of the hatch. In about 1986, coinciding with the introduction of the power door lock system, the 331B on the right side was replaced with the new 332. The 332 was much stiffer, and had a black shaft instead of chrome.

After much trial and error, GoWesty has found that the best working system for ALL Vanagon models is indeed to install one 331B strut on the left/driver's side and one 332 strut on the right/passenger side. If you install two 331B's, your hatch will not stay up as well. If you order two 332's, the result will be a hatch so stiff that your entire family (dog included) will have to hang on the hatch to get it down.

--- On Sun, 28/3/10, Bob <bobturn@internode.on.net> wrote:

From: Bob <bobturn@internode.on.net>
Subject: [Syncro_T3_Australia] Tailgate struts
To: Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com
Received: Sunday, 28 March, 2010, 12:17 PM

 
Further to Ken's note re the replacement struts being available on Ebay, I bought a couple and found that replacing only one strut was sufficient to fix my sagging back door - so I can recommend them.
As an idle thought I recall that one side is stronger than the other side - does anyone know which side that is?

Thanks,

Bob T


 
3
Thanks Greg,

Yes these must be the "332's, as they have the black shaft. The one I replaced was on the left side so I guess I now have a new 332 and a tired 332 combining to give an ideal lift.

Bob T



--- In Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com, greg esposito <gregespo73@...> wrote:
>
> Bob I cut and pasted this off go westy. Greg
> Â
> Hatch Struts
>
> There is some understandable confusion about which hatch struts to install on your Vanagon. After years of trial and error in our own repair shop, we've got the solution that'll hold up (pun intended).
>
> First of all there are three parts available:
>
> 251-829-331A "331A"
> 251-829-331B "331B"
> 251-829-332 "332"
>
> The first hatch strut was the 331A, of which two were used beginning with 1980 Vanagon's. With the introduction of therear wiper/washer system around 1985, the 331B was introduced. The 331B differed in two ways; it was a two-stage force design, and the shaft attached to the body instead of the hatch. In about 1986, coinciding with the introduction of the power door lock system, the 331B on the right side was replaced with the new 332. The 332 was much stiffer, and had a black shaft instead of chrome.
>
> After much trial and error, GoWesty has found that the best working system for ALL Vanagon models is indeed to install one 331B strut on the left/driver's side and one 332 strut on the right/passenger side. If you install two 331B's, your hatch will not stay up as well. If you order two 332's, the result will be a hatch so stiff that your entire family (dog included) will have to hang on the hatch to get it down.
>
> --- On Sun, 28/3/10, Bob <bobturn@...> wrote:
>
>
> From: Bob <bobturn@...>
> Subject: [Syncro_T3_Australia] Tailgate struts
> To: Syncro_T3_Australia@yahoogroups.com
> Received: Sunday, 28 March, 2010, 12:17 PM
>
>
> Â
>
>
>
> Further to Ken's note re the replacement struts being available on Ebay, I bought a couple and found that replacing only one strut was sufficient to fix my sagging back door - so I can recommend them.
> As an idle thought I recall that one side is stronger than the other side - does anyone know which side that is?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Bob T
>