Fesler hood strut replacements

[Lenie]

Does anyone out know if there's a site out there that sells ss struts that will work w/fesler hood hinges for my 68 firebird w/original steel hood. Mine stopped working last week and am looking for hopeful replacements. I know the fesler site sells them but I really don't want to spend $230 plus tax and shipping every three years for my $700 hood hinges. Please don't take this wrong, I'm not bashing fesler products at all as they are beautiful pieces, and yes I have called them and they were very polite but I'm just not wanting to finance the upkeep at the asking price and am hoping there are other options out there for struts otherwise I will just put my stock ones back on as they work fine. I've been unable to find any but was hoping someone else has found something. Thanks ahead of time.

[Swain]

Try Eddie Motor Sports see what they sell theirs for?
888-813-1293

[Lenie]

Thanks Jay

[ccracin]

McMaster Carr has them in stainless. You just have to match all the specs. Goodluck!

http://www.mcmaster.com/#gas-springs/=ja0ev6

Depending on the size, they are pricey.

[redfire69]

If you knew the exact dimensions and rating you could order yourself from http://www.mcmaster.com/#catalog/118/1204/=ja0dr0 but they are not cheap... maybe go to a non-stainless finish...

[Lenie]

Thanks Ron, really appreciate the feedback.

[camaro_in_another_life]

Does anyone out know if there's a site out there that sells ss struts that will work w/fesler hood hinges for my 68 firebird w/original steel hood. Mine stopped working last week and am looking for hopeful replacements. I know the fesler site sells them but I really don't want to spend $230 plus tax and shipping every three years for my $700 hood hinges. Please don't take this wrong, I'm not bashing fesler products at all as they are beautiful pieces, and yes I have called them and they were very polite but I'm just not wanting to finance the upkeep at the asking price and am hoping there are other options out there for struts otherwise I will just put my stock ones back on as they work fine. I've been unable to find any but was hoping someone else has found something. Thanks ahead of time.

Hello Lenie,

I'll tell you what, if you send us back your weak struts I can give you $100 credit towards a new pair. Unfortunately the advice given here, while generous, won't solve your problem. We have our struts custom made for our applications. This is one of the reasons they are pricier than our competitors. Our manufacturing standards are quite strict and we spend the extra money to implement features such as double seals. As far as our competitors struts, they won't fit. As mentioned above, our struts are custom built and that holds true for their size as well as construction. Price wise it would be handy if our struts were an "off the shelf" type of product like what McMaster and our competitors sell but it is not. I have listed some Tips and Tricks here that will help your struts last as long as 10 years. It all comes down to maintenance. Hopefully this post helps you with your dilemma. I will make sure my staff knows the situation should you decide to call in and take advantage of the trade in. If you should have any questions, you can always reach us here at (480) 748-2000 or take advantage of our online chat feature.

Tips & Tricks for Gas Struts
1. Shaft down is the preferred option for mounting a gas lift support. In order to achieve the damping or cushion at the end of the gas spring's travel, the piston assembly inside of the gas spring must pass through oil, slowing the extension speed near the end of the stroke. Shaft down orientation also ensures that the shaft and sealing components are consistently lubricated which reduces seal wear and maximizes the life of the gas spring.

2. Using your hinges actually extends the life of the struts. Because each strut contains oil and seals, moving the oil around by opening and closing the hood will prolong the life of your strut. Hinges that are left sitting for long periods of time actually contribute to the strut wearing out faster because the seals in the strut actually dry out and crack which causes the gas and sometimes oil to leak out, making the strut useless.

3. Because hot gas expands, heat will make the struts stiffer. For every additional 15-degrees of heat above 70-degrees expect a 3% increase in pressure. If your hinge is having trouble keeping the hood up, try heating the gas lift support with a blow-dryer or heat gun for a few seconds. (Do not expose the strut to extreme heat for longer than 15 seconds). Since gas lift supports are affected by temperature, your hinges may function differently in different weather climates.

4. Output force of all gas springs slowly decreases over time. Many factors affect the rate of force loss, such as: cylinder size, orientation, amount of cycles, ambient temperature, vibration and the geometry of the application. Extreme operating conditions such as temperature, dust & contaminants may shorten the expected life of any strut.

Sincerely,
Carrie Fesler
(480) 748-2000
www.feslerbuilt.com

[Lenie]

Hi Carrie, I appreciate your post and offer as you as a company have always treated me well and have shown extremely good customer service. I just want to make it perfectly clear to everyone this was not geared towards inferior Fesler parts as I have many parts on my vehicle from fesler and really like the quality of all the parts nor am I ever looking for hand outs. I'm just trying to minimize cost at this point of my build so I can finish up as it's been a long haul. My first choice is to stay the path but as you all know sooner or later we have to draw a line on finances and finish up. Carrie, again I appreciate your response and if possible I will take you up on your generous offer once I return home from Florida. Thanks for the upkeep tips.

[214Chevy]

Hello Lenie,

I'll tell you what, if you send us back your weak struts I can give you $100 credit towards a new pair.

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
:woot: :woot:

[DOOM]

Same here never had a problem with Fesler customer service. I have to call them also with a simular problem my gas struts are for a fiberglass hood and I need steel . I looked at the box and it said the struts are for a fiberglass hood. Something got mixed up???

[Phaeton]

So change the geometry so you can use a less expensive off the shelf strut lower the price and make everyone happy. Oh if it was only that simple.

[Ron in SoCal]

I just don't understand why double seal shocks with such high manufacturing standards are failing in the first place? Or require specail care? They're gas shocks; they should work when we need them, kind of like a light switch or a faucet (stuff breaks I know, but is that asking too much?). It's kind of impossible for us project guys to get a car out of the garage in less than a couple of years. Are all gas shocks prone to failure? Mine have not yet.

All respect, not trying to start a thread war! This should be the last thing we should have to replace @ $230 (130 with your generous offer to Lenie) a pop.

[fesler]

So change the geometry so you can use a less expensive off the shelf strut lower the price and make everyone happy. Oh if it was only that simple.

I wish it was that simple everyone would be doing this. We tried and tried to get the cheap struts to work right that everyone else uses and it’s just not worth the hassle. We feel we have one of the best products on the market because of how much time we put in to the design side. We are not just a manufacturing company that builds parts we are a company that builds cars and from what we do in house we can make parts that work far superior to everyone else. We understand that the buck is the important part for most but at the end of the day do you want a cheap part that kind of works or a part that is bad ass and works perfect.

[fesler]

I just don't understand why double seal shocks with such high manufacturing standards are failing in the first place? Or require specail care? They're gas shocks; they should work when we need them, kind of like a light switch or a faucet (stuff breaks I know, but is that asking too much?). It's kind of impossible for us project guys to get a car out of the garage in less than a couple of years. Are all gas shocks prone to failure? Mine have not yet.

All respect, not trying to start a thread war! This should be the last thing we should have to replace @ $230 (130 with your generous offer to Lenie) a pop.

The issue is you need to keep them lubed so for that you need to keep using them, it’s not good to let anything sit for time even the engine will start to leak if you don’t use it for time. SEALS go bad it’s just what they were designed to do. I have hinges in the shop that are over 6 years old and still work perfect but we run them through the courses to keep them fresh. Cycle the hood or trunk a few times a month and they will last forever. If I did what everyone else did and found a off the shelf part you guys would have 10times the issues.

[fesler]

Lenie sorry you have issues but hopefully we can work past them and get you set up right. Good thing about communication is that we can work out all issues and get things right for you.

[skatinjay27]

i can attest to the fact that gas shocks/struts like that do indeed fail rather quick if not used often enough. ive seen them fail in less that a year for that very reason. and i had it happen on my 4th gen too from rarely opening the hatch.

[ccracin]

Lenie,

I think Fesler's offer is going to be your best option. When you look at the cost of any of the SS struts of a size a nd pressure close to what you need, the price is not much different. Sorry this happened I hope it works out. I do think Fesler does a great job with the parts they produce. :thumbsup:

[Lenie]

Lenie,

I think Fesler's offer is going to be your best option. When you look at the cost of any of the SS struts of a size a nd pressure close to what you need, the price is not much different. Sorry this happened I hope it works out. I do think Fesler does a great job with the parts they produce. :thumbsup:

I do to, thanks.