On Mar 6, 5:14*pm, Darryl Ramm wrote:
On Mar 6, 1:43*pm, Richard wrote:



On Mar 6, 6:54*am, "rec.aviation.soaring"
wrote:

Installed new gas lift springs purchased from Spindelberger yesterday
afternoon. Trailer is early 1990's aluminum top Cobra for a Discus.
Installation was relatively straight forward BUT I cannot get the lid
to fully close now. I am now stuck with partially open trailer.

One side is almost latchable but the other side will not make it down
and needs to go about 2-inches farther. Has anybody had a similar
problem? Could it be a defect in the gas spring under compression?

Initially it was difficult to get the lid to within 12 inches of
closing but after working it up and down for almost an hour it reached
a point where it would go no further.

The collapsed length of the gas spring is probably longer on the new
one.

Check if the rod ends are the same. *Drill a hole in the old springs
let the gas out and measure the collapsed length.

Compare with you current spring with the shell partially closed.

If all else fails drill new hole where the spring mounts on the lower
trailer.

Richardwww.craggyaero.com

Does one side almost close by itself and the other is out by several
inches? If you detach the one that is out by several inches can you
get the other one to close? I know it might be a handful with just one
gas strut and the top twisting. If so then something is wrong with the
one that does not want to close. If neither will really close and you
installed them correctly then something probably changed. Maybe drill
new holes, but I'd check with Spindelberger if that should be required
before doing that. You should find their replies to questions to be
quick.

While working on this problem, be careful thinking the gas spring
might be the only think you are pushing against. I've seen Cobra
trailer tops damaged with things like when the lever that is supposed
to engage behind the wing root dolly fouls on something and the owner
keeps pushing...

Darryl

Checked again. Now seems pretty certain that the compressed length of
one of the gas springs is not quite right. They came to me fully
extended strapped to a board. Takes about 190 pounds to compress them
- which I didn't try. I just istalled them exactly like the old ones.
One side of the trailer does latch. The front hinges and all the side
channels are clear. Looking forward the left side is slightly higher
when fully open and does not compress enough to fully close. BTW the
old springs were Hahn 10-23-500-1-1146-AU19-AU19-850N. I believe these
are specially made for Spindelberger and they are definitely not a
stock item. Hope to get Spindelberger to send another spring to swap
out.

Stuart