Thought I'd pass along the solution to the cobra trailer brake lever
gas strut problem. The lower pin (actually a large rivet) came loose,
allowing the gas strut to extend to its full length and hang down
beside the brake lever.

There were two issues to be addressed in getting the gas strut lower
attachment point re-attached to the tongue mounting bracket. The
first one was to figure out how to compress the strut and hold it in
place while fitting a new pin through the mounting bracket and the
strut. The second, more serious, problem was to figure out how to
find a replacement pin that would fit up inside the brake lever. When
the lever is in the down position, the gas strut lower attachment
point is fully enclosed by the sides of the brake lever, which means
that the lower attachment pin can't protrude much from either side of
the strut/mounting bracket assembly.

The solution to the second problem was a stainless steel groved clevis
pin with retaining ring, 5/16" diameter, 3/4" length, pack of 5, part
number 92735A320 from McMaster-Carr. I ordered this part on a Tuesday
evening, and it was on my doorstep the next afternoon! I LOVE
McMaster-Carr! ;-).

The solution to the first problem was to use my trusty hydraulic floor
jack to compress the strut and position it properly so the holes lined
up. The tongue mounting bracket hole wasn't quite big enough for the
pin, so I drilled it out to size with a 5/16" drill bit. Compressing
the strut took quite a bit of pressure - I had to put the back door
down to keep the front of the trailer level

The completed repair can be seen at http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=212d05z&s=5.

Regards,

Frank