[Surfrider]

Anyone replaced the old liftgate struts on the upper tailgate of their Chevy Wagon/Nomad with new ones that come on modern cars ?

I see Eckler or someone has trick chrome one, but it's pricey, any stock pieces fit just as well?

I feel like I'm unpeeling an onion with my wagon, one thing leads to another, my "to buy" list is getting longer every day! My "to do" list too.

 

[Jalapeno]

Harvey Smith
Email: [email protected]

 

[rj57]

A couple Wagon owners on Chevy Talk did the swap. I believe at least one Delivery owner did as well.

They seemed to like the new versions. Like you say though. Pricey.

 

[Chevynut]

On a Nomad it's almost mandatory that you get rid of the torsion rods, or they will twist and distort the diecast liftgate. But then the liftgate gets really heavy, so the gas struts do a good job of addressing that.

On a wagon with a steel liftgate, I don't think it would be an issue. Unless you want the gas struts, why change from the stock struts?

You could probably make your own gas strut kit for less than you can buy one, but you would have to re-engineer it all unless you could get the same struts as they sell in the kit and make your own brackets. I think the kit is pretty reasonable myself. Buy directly from Harvey or off of eBay, imo. I saw them for $189 on eBay versus $259 at Ecklers!!!

 

[Surfrider]

My originals aren't horrible, one is a little worse than the other though.

I thought they grew on trees and were ripe for the picking, LOL

 

[rj57]

Try finding a set for a Sedan Delivery.

I had to use regular Wagon on mine.

 

[townsman0]

The good think what i like is that with the stock ones you can put your liftgate horizontal and drive this way especially when its hot so let the wind blow tru.
Hans

 

[MadMooks]

im rebuilding/restoring them for my nomad customers now. i could do the wagon, and just swap the brackets, but i would need your cores up front.

email if you are interested in restoring your stock setup

[email protected]