Jay Honeck wrote:
Some car parts stores carry a little clip that fits over the piston
rod and stops it from going back into the cylinder, kind of like the
thing that keeps a screen door closer propped open.

Yeah, I half-heartedly looked for that little collar the other day --
couldn't locate one, and didn't know what they were called to ask for
it.

I have no idea what the "official" name is. Looking at the one on my
screen door, all you really need is a washer with a hole a little bigger
than the diameter of the piston rod. The problem, of course, is getting
it on there... *sometimes* the end fittings unscrew from the piston rod
but other times they are pretty solid. You could cut a slot in a washer
and turn it into a U-shaped clip, but then you'd have to be careful not
to lose it - tie it to the gas spring with a string?

JC Whipme sells a "lift strut repair bracket" (ZX134688T) for $10 that
is a little fancier. It has a collar that goes around the piston rod,
and a hinged stick that is attached to the collar and one end and bears
on the gas spring body on the other.

A small pair of locking pliers (Vice Grip or equal) would probably work
well. This does presume that you or others could resist the temptation
to "borrow" the gas-spring pliers from the truck to do actual work.

Rat Shock sells a two-pack of 10 ohm 10 W resistors (271-132) for $1.79.
Wire two of them in series and attach to the body of the gas spring with
hose clamps. Connect the string of two resistors to +12 V and they might
warm up the gas spring enough for it to work. WARNING: Don't leave the
resistors connected too long or the gas spring may explode.

Or just make one of your kids hold the window up for you.

Considering I only need the windows to stay up while fueling, I'm
loathe to spending another $80 for pistons.

Hmm... 100LL self-serve at KIOW is apparently $3.60/gal. The going rate
for mogas (assuming it's real mogas and not the stuff with bourbon in it)
in Iowa City is apparently $2.19/gal. So, you need to haul about
$80/($3.60-$2.19) = 57 gallons of gas in the new truck to pay for the new
gas springs. I think that's less than one full airplane tank for you.

Matt Roberds