Re: Unable to deliver your message

["Dan RC30" <danrc30@xxxx>]

Brent,
This could've happened from improper door struts being used. There are door 
struts out there being sold by a vendor that will bottom out and damage your 
ball studs and/or fiberglass mounting points. If you check the archives, 
you'll see there was a thread on this topic a few months ago that was quite 
extensive.

---Dan


Message: 6
Date: Mon, 9 Dec 2002 14:23:34 -0800
From: Brent Beecher <brentbeecher@xxxx>
Subject: Door Strut Ball Joint

For some time now, I have noticed that there was a little bulge in the
roof stainless t-panel on the leading edge of the passenger side, right
above where the ball joint for the door strut is located. The problem
was that the pressure from the strut had pulled one end of the metal
bracket away from the fiberglass. I didn't really know what to do, and
this is a recount of the "solution" I came up with - comments are
welcome:

What ever it is that the bolts screw into on the other side of the
fiberglass was not holding any more - the bolt just turned and turned.
I took that bolt out and thought about some kind of a molly screw, but
figured it wasn't up to the task of supporting that much weight. (For
those who have never seen this part of the car, this fiberglass piece
is a "bubble" filled with foam - there is no easy way to get inside to
put a nut on the back of a bolt.) So, I drilled a new hole through the
bracket and fiberglass to the right of the original hole. Then, I used
a Dremmel to cut a small window in the fiberglass above where the bolt
went in. This window gave me enough room to put a washer and nut on
the end of the bolt, and space to hold it with a small wrench. I
tightened it down, then filled the hole I had created with epoxy.
Seems good as new, and I don't think I comprised the strength of the
structure (liberal use of epoxy).

I should mention that the hole into which the ball screws was not bent
at all. The bracket was in good shape. I know that Rob Grady makes a
heavy duty bracket, but I don't think that it is meant to solve the
problem I had.

I have no idea if anyone else has had this problem, but I am curious to
hear thoughts on the matter.


Brent Beecher
vin 893

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