Is there a way i can bring the hatch closer to the body of the car. It seems that since ive been jaming something into the hinge to prop up the hatch it has separated from the body a bit. Bout a quarter inch gap fromt he hatch to the weather stripping. I tried looseing the bolts that teh hinge attaches tot he hatch but they wouldnt budge. Any hints would be great.

Better to use a pair of vice-grips on the hatch strut rod to keep it up. I would think you bent the hinge, hatch, or body with the excess leverge you concentrated there. Might be time to use a hammer to ajust things back.

vice grip will chew up the shaft, and is hard on the seals. pretty good way to get it to totally fail.

 

a jack/broom handle from above the tail-light works well without putting any more leverage on things than the lift struts do anyway.

 

 

they are not adjustable to the best of my knowledge. I've never seen any way to do it....I'm betting something is bent. find out what it is, and bend it back.

 

 

or, if I can get the back open, I'll pull the hinges off my parts wagon and you can have them for shipping.

Yeah, you've sprung something by jamming it open like that. Always use a prop rod of some sorts. Never jam something in the hinge area.

 

Possibilities are;

1. hinge(s)

2. hatch hinge area

3. body hinge area

 

If the hinge(s) be sprung, just replace them. I have had decent luck in straightening the hinge mount areas of either the hatch or body using a block of wood and a hammer. You need to remove the hatch to do it though. In all honesty, it's not an easy job, but doable.

vice grip will chew up the shaft, and is hard on the seals. pretty good way to get it to totally fail.

 

a jack/broom handle from above the tail-light works well without putting any more leverage on things than the lift struts do anyway.

 

But if the lift struts can no longer hold the door up... they have failed, no?

So trashing the rod and seal surface isn't really going to change the fact that they can't hold up the door.

 

I'd be afraid of a broom handle just because the door would unexpectadly drop on you head if you bumped it while loading/unloading the car. Or your kid's head, if they were helping you.

 

Seems safer to run a pair of vice grips. If they've got a good bite on the strut rod, it's not coming down.

I got a new strut a year or so back. Lasted until the first time I opened it at -30 deg. C, and the strut failed and blew gas and oil everywhere.

 

Now I have a nice piece of 2x2 cut to hold the hatch open. Works fine, even in the cold. Fits crosswise in the cargo space like it was designed that way. The old Subaru strut went back on, and it actually holds well enough to get the groceries in, the prop stick is only required if doing serious loading/unloading.

 

The hatch is very heavy, and there are lots of nooks to stick the ends of the stick in. It would be hard to accidentally knock it out.

Edited February 9, 201016 yr by robm

Yea mine is heavy because i run speakers in the hatch. But the struts were on there way out. When it gets warmer out ill try stomping it back into place.

I use a piece of 1x2 wood about 14" long that sets behind the prop rod, setting on the lower hinge of the rob and up against the outer housing of the prop. It sets on the car side not on the open side so there is no chance of knocking it out. Mine has lasted about a year but the edges are getting a little rounded so it is about time to replace it.

 

 

Hush

Buy examining the area im thing 2x2 and large hammer. Hopefully this will do the trick.

But if the lift struts can no longer hold the door up... they have failed, no?

 

no. those hatches are heavy, just because they don't hold it up doesn't mean they're not helping!

My hatch stuts suck too, even though they weren't that old. I just bent them - raise the hatch all the way and grab the strut right where the shaft goes in. Push away from the car and bend each one a bit. Repeat until the friction is sufficient.

 

I've had then bent for a couple years and they still work fine.

It's probably best to pull the hatch off and tap the sheet metal and captive bolts for receiving the hinge back into place.

 

The struts do help a lot, even when they can't hold it up. Disconnect one and see how opening it feels and you'll agree!

 

Rockauto had a pretty good price on struts for my wagon when I bought new ones a couple months ago. Give them a try.