Boot Lid Slamming Shut!

finest1 · February 2, 2009

hi all,

i didn't go into work today due to the heavy snow, so i'd thought i'd post a trivial question that has been bugging me.

my car is the Mk1 gs300 sport. i've noticed that when i go to shut the boot, the lid slams fast and hard. i usually have to guide it slowly down. the spoiler must be real heavy!

if someone closes my lid i have to warn them, but usually its too late. a friend of mine said that a car of this kind should have a restrictor that slows it down. i told him i bought the car like this, so i don't know any different. it did get me thinking though...

so, is the boot lid supposed to be like that, or do they have some sort of restrictor.

thanks

enjoy the snow! :winky:

osteo66 · February 2, 2009

hi all,
i didn't go into work today due to the heavy snow, so i'd thought i'd post a trivial question that has been bugging me.

my car is the Mk1 gs300 sport. i've noticed that when i go to shut the boot, the lid slams fast and hard. i usually have to guide it slowly down. the spoiler must be real heavy!

if someone closes my lid i have to warn them, but usually its too late. a friend of mine said that a car of this kind should have a restrictor that slows it down. i told him i bought the car like this, so i don't know any different. it did get me thinking though...

so, is the boot lid supposed to be like that, or do they have some sort of restrictor.

thanks

enjoy the snow! :winky:

Hi, sounds exactly like mine! The support struts gradually degrade over the years losing damping and support for the boot lid which is a big heavy thing as you know. SGS are mentioned on the site and will have a look at them to refurb if possible and offer discount for members, been meaning to do mine for ages but haven't got around to it yet.

Dave

finest1 · February 2, 2009

thanks

what is "SGS" mean?

does anyone know where to get these supports and how to install them.

thanks again

osteo66 · February 3, 2009

thanks
what is "SGS" mean?

does anyone know where to get these supports and how to install them.

thanks again

Sorry I wasn't very clear Try these guys http://www.sgs-engineering.com/ they refurb your original boot struts and offer LOC members a discount. If you look in your boot on either side at the back by the hinges you will see the gas struts that hold and damp the boot lid movement, these need to be removed and sent to SGS for inspection. If ok to refurb they should give you a call and quote.

The struts are a bit of a faff to remove and the boot doesn't stay up without them so be careful!

HTH,

Dave

DJ Wozza · February 3, 2009

SGS upped the pressure in my Bonnet Struts, good value service with warranty.

(they print the pressure & date on the struts)

finest1 · February 3, 2009

ok

yes i saw the struts. i thought they looked simple to move, but obviously not ! well...according to you guys.

is there a tutorial on how to remove them? i've got a week off work, so i won't be using my car.

also, once gas has been replenished, when i open the boot via the catch inside the drivers area, will the boot automatically rise up, or will it just release the catch?

thanks

;)

TigerFish · February 4, 2009

finest1, in response to your PM, the struts menyioned in a previous thread I was discussing boot struts seem to be no longer available. I did find these on eBay.com for $59 (£41.50 GBP) and shipping from the States is $31.50 (£22 GBP). Not sure what that compares like in price compared to the re-gas suggested further up the thread.

finest1 · February 4, 2009

thanks rick, and everyone else!

i am planning to send the struts to the company above SGS.

i tried to remove the bolt, although i had a very good fitting and grip with the 12" wrench, it just kept spinning and it feels soft. i gave up after 3 attempts as i was scared in case i strip the nut. how did you remove yours? the nut is painted in a blue colour like my car, not sure if thats anything to do with it, but i don't want to damage the nut as i may need it when i re-install the existing ones. or, maybe i get new ones if i buy a replacement. ideally i'd like to send off asap as i have next week off work and therefore ample time to install them.

any help will be appreciated

rishi

mantior · February 6, 2009

Alright mate

I've got the same problem on my MK1 - it's got 2 gas struts which are supposed to help the lid on its way up and slow it on the way back down, but like yours mine are past it. I believe you can get a set cheap-ish off eBay (less than £100).

I don't ever use my boot unless I'm picking someone up with bags so I'm not all that bothered by it - yet!

Hope this helps.

Cheers

mantior

finest1 · February 6, 2009

according to the SGS company, if they re=gas the struts and it doesn't take, they can supply you with one and not charge you for the gassing. apparantly a few people have tried the replacement ones and said they were very good. in this case, it is competitive with eBay.

can you send me the eBay link anyway?

thanks

finest1 · February 10, 2009

well i've taken every advice i can think of. i have just got back in from the car. the nut will not budge. in the end the nut is rounded off now.

i've applied WD-40, i went out and bought a blow torch pencil to apply direct heat, used different types of spanner. even found my aston super wrench from the shopping channel :winky: and that didn't shift it! what make it worse, the nut is "soft", not sure if that exists, but anyway, 2 tries and thing starts rounding off!

this is the right side

this is the left side:

these were taken before i attempted anything today.

any ideas how to remove the nuts?

my friend has a connection in the business that can remove any type of nut, if he has to break it, can i just get standard replacements from a DIY store or do i have to order via lexus?

im pretty sure if i bought this into lexus, they would break the nut. i don't see how you need any special tool to remove this nut!

:tsktsk: :tsktsk:

TigerFish · February 10, 2009

Will the gas struts pop off the pivot ball joint so that you do not need to remove the nut? Or pop off so that you can get a socket on?

dave1 · February 10, 2009

You could always have a day out in Derby. Maybe they could remove them or regas in situ? Don't know if it's possible in situ.

finest1 · February 10, 2009

Will the gas struts pop off the pivot ball joint so that you do not need to remove the nut? Or pop off so that you can get a socket on?

good point

not sure, there is movement, but the resources i have read before attempting removal have not mentioned anything about popping the pivot ball joint off. they have stated the nut will be hard, but surely there must be something wrong with mine! it surely can't be welded. i just don't see lexus going that far....would they!

does anyone know if i can pop the ball end off?

thanks as always

;)

dave1 · February 10, 2009

they have stated the nut will be hard, but surely there must be something wrong with mine! it surely can't be welded. i just don't see lexus going that far....would they!
does anyone know if i can pop the ball end off?

thanks as always

;)

Might sound stupid but have you tried turning the nut the in the opposite direction?

finest1 · February 10, 2009

they have stated the nut will be hard, but surely there must be something wrong with mine! it surely can't be welded. i just don't see lexus going that far....would they!
does anyone know if i can pop the ball end off?

thanks as always

;)

Might sound stupid but have you tried turning the nut the in the opposite direction?

yes, both directions. the american lexus forum suggested that on the drivers side you pull downwards towards the spare wheel. on the passenger side you pull up. i did both ways and it wouldn't budge!! very very odd !

thanks for you input

aido · February 10, 2009

It does look like it'll just pop off.

That washer will have a little ball on the end which is holding it on - just pull with force away and it should just come clean off?

I'm assuming it'll be like the four little nipples at the bottom of this pic:

osteo66 · February 10, 2009

Sorry to hear it's such a faff. I tried to remove the ball joint from the arm first, sometimes they were held on by circlips but there seemed to be no way of separating the two so I don't think it's recommended. The nuts on mine were soft as well and I was worried that they would round off, I used a quick sharp impulse on the spanner to break the 'stiction' of the nut when the car was originally painted which I believe 'glues' the whole lot together making it harder to undo. I know this doesn't help much now!

I think an LS owner on here had to grind his off in the end. Have you tried mini mole grips or water pump pliers on the nut? Unfortunately it is an agricultural way of doing it and will mangle the nut but may be successful. Heat may help to loosen things BUT I wouldn't try with the petrol tank so close. Have you spoken to SGS to see if they have any ideas? Failing that Lexus?

Sorry can't be of more help,

Dave.

Anuj · February 10, 2009

hi mate when i helped my brother with his i remember a bolt being a pain. after trying everything in the end we had 2 grind it off

finest1 · February 10, 2009

Sorry to hear it's such a faff. I tried to remove the ball joint from the arm first, sometimes they were held on by circlips but there seemed to be no way of separating the two so I don't think it's recommended. The nuts on mine were soft as well and I was worried that they would round off, I used a quick sharp impulse on the spanner to break the 'stiction' of the nut when the car was originally painted which I believe 'glues' the whole lot together making it harder to undo. I know this doesn't help much now!
I think an LS owner on here had to grind his off in the end. Have you tried mini mole grips or water pump pliers on the nut? Unfortunately it is an agricultural way of doing it and will mangle the nut but may be successful. Heat may help to loosen things BUT I wouldn't try with the petrol tank so close. Have you spoken to SGS to see if they have any ideas? Failing that Lexus?

Sorry can't be of more help,

Dave.

hi dave,

yes i have tried heat technique.

i phoned SGS and couldn't help much as i told them what i have done, and concluded that was the advice they were going to give me anyway!

never heard of mini mole grips before.

at this point i don't mind breaking the nut, just as long as i can get a replacement one easily and not end up being a specialist kind i have to buy from lexus, and with that the cost!

thanks to all for their input, it is really helping :D

finest1 · February 10, 2009

hi mate when i helped my brother with his i remember a bolt being a pain. after trying everything in the end we had 2 grind it off

anuj,

did you get a replacement nut easily, ie, just a normal nut from a hardware store? or did new replacement nuts come with the new struts you bought from the US? if you did get replacement nuts with the package, are they just normal ones? i know it sounds stupid, but i have to ask! this thing is driving me NUTS !! (excuse the pun!!) :D

TigerFish · February 11, 2009

I don't think you will find it is a nut as such. It will be as aido showed in his pic, a bolt thread with a nut shape for screwing it in/out of the mounting hole, and with the ball on the end. Having not looked at mine, and before seeing your pics, I had envisaged a nut on the back of the mounting hole holding it in. Having seen your pics, I think aido's pic is how they would look. That would be a lexus item I suspect, or SGS can probably supply, but they should not cost much.

Anuj, when you ground it off, did you still then have to remove the threaded part of the bolt from the mounting hole?

I would expect that the strut "should" pop off the ball joint, based on the fact they must've pushed them on in the first place, so if the worst comes to the worst, you should be able to get them off using a wee bit of force. This would aid getting a socket on the left behind ball/bolt/nut to help undo to renew..

finest1 · February 11, 2009

hi all

i thought i'd give you and update.

it seems that popping off the strut would be the next option. i checked it out this afternoon and there is movement in the ball end. i put a spanner and tried to pull it out. in the end the force was bending the actual hinge! (earlier pics).

so, question is, what is the best way of popping them off , or how can i keep the hinge from bending out of shape?

thanks

:)

finest1 · February 11, 2009

oh i forgot to add.

what if i removed the far end of the strut from the retainer clip ( the end at the back of the rear passenger seat) and then used that as leverage to pull off the ball end.

what do you think?

TigerFish · February 11, 2009

oh i forgot to add.
what if i removed the far end of the strut from the retainer clip ( the end at the back of the rear passenger seat) and then used that as leverage to pull off the ball end.

what do you think?

No idea mate. I can take a look at mine over the weekend when I am back where the "dead" car currently resides.