How Heavy is a P38 Upper tailgate

[Guest]

Hi Guys,

First post on the RR forum, did once own a P38 so don't shoot me down!!!! I am currently building an Overland Trailer and I need some gas struts for the locker doors, looking around the P38 ones look like they will do the job just woundered how heavy the tailgate is? my doors are not massive so if the weights are around the same I could use them on the trailer as they are fairly cheap.

Regards, Jason.

[bishbosh]

I would suggest that a P38 tailgate is very heavy - the RRC one weighs a ton and always caught me out when I took the gas struts off for obscure reasons! The P38 one must be heavier still.

I reckon the struts will be too strong for your application.

[Guest]

I would suggest that a P38 tailgate is very heavy - the RRC one weighs a ton and always caught me out when I took the gas struts off for obscure reasons! The P38 one must be heavier still.

I reckon the struts will be too strong for your application.

Cheers, Bish..

I will order some now, ebay seem to have them for very little money.

Jason.

[bishbosh]

eh?

Your doors had better be very stiff or they will bend instead of forcing the strut to close!

[Guest]

eh?

Your doors had better be very stiff or they will bend instead of forcing the strut to close!

They will be I hope.... they are 3mm chequer plate backed with 9mm ply edged with 10swg channel so will be fairly stiff.

I have ordered some, so will give it a go, or they will end up back on here.......

[David Sparkes]

Too late I know, that's because my first reaction was that you should pick an alternative source, like a tailgate off a small Fiat or Citroen of similar. That's what I picked as the restoring force for the jack table when I built my powered press from a 20 ton bottle jack. I sourced my struts from a scrapyard.

I was also short of time when you first asked, so didn't have time for pissing about thought I'd leave it to someone else.

However, just for a laugh, and because I now have the time available, I dropped the bottom tailgate and put a set of bathroom scales on it, with a piece of wood to spread the load. I then organised a single strut (camera monopod) to go between the scales+wood and underside of the raised upper tailgate. I positioned the strut as close to the bottom edge (outside edge in the horizontal position) so it was sharing the load equally with the hinges on the top / inner edge. In my experience a single gas strut cannot hold the weight of the tailgate.

In practice the tailgate opens to just above the horizontal, but I proved that it made no measurable difference to the indication on the Aldi Bathroom Scales if I adjusted the strut length to ensure the tailgate was actually horizontal.

I disconnected the gas struts and measured the load on the single strut, which I reason is half the weight of the tailgate.

The answer was 23.5lbs / 11 kg, so making the upper tailgate around 22kg in weight.

I went further.

Removing a gas strut completely, I placed one end on the scales+wood, and pushed down on the other. The strut started to compress at ~30kg, this force rose to ~40kg by the time full compression was reached.

If it helps in your calculations, the distances involved are:

Strut uncompressed = 16", reducing to 10.5" when closed, measured centre to centre. These were 'as installed measurements, fully extended is just that, the 10.5" may close to 10" if bottomed out off the vehicle, but I suggest you need to leave some leeway.

Measuring from the hinge line to the attachment points, these are ~18" on the tailgate, and ~8.5" on the bodyshell.

The strut bore the name www.stabilus.com, and the code 3937AM 0300N 307/03 AM 05.

I've changed at least one, perhaps both, since the vehicle was made in 1995.

Within the limits of the Aldi bathroom scales, the ~30kg start force is close to 30 Newtons, which suggests that 0300N indicates the design 'start of compression' force.

The other elements of the part number may indicate lengths and manufacturing date, but I'm not prepared to guess any further.

I doubt this helps, it's just for a laugh.

Cheers.

[bishbosh]

300N David otherwise excellent tech!!

[Guest]

Too late I know, that's because my first reaction was that you should pick an alternative source, like a tailgate off a small Fiat or Citroen of similar. That's what I picked as the restoring force for the jack table when I built my powered press from a 20 ton bottle jack. I sourced my struts from a scrapyard.

I was also short of time when you first asked, so didn't have time for pissing about thought I'd leave it to someone else.

However, just for a laugh, and because I now have the time available, I dropped the bottom tailgate and put a set of bathroom scales on it, with a piece of wood to spread the load. I then organised a single strut (camera monopod) to go between the scales+wood and underside of the raised upper tailgate. I positioned the strut as close to the bottom edge (outside edge in the horizontal position) so it was sharing the load equally with the hinges on the top / inner edge. In my experience a single gas strut cannot hold the weight of the tailgate.

In practice the tailgate opens to just above the horizontal, but I proved that it made no measurable difference to the indication on the Aldi Bathroom Scales if I adjusted the strut length to ensure the tailgate was actually horizontal.

I disconnected the gas struts and measured the load on the single strut, which I reason is half the weight of the tailgate.

The answer was 23.5lbs / 11 kg, so making the upper tailgate around 22kg in weight.

I went further.

Removing a gas strut completely, I placed one end on the scales+wood, and pushed down on the other. The strut started to compress at ~30kg, this force rose to ~40kg by the time full compression was reached.

If it helps in your calculations, the distances involved are:

Strut uncompressed = 16", reducing to 10.5" when closed, measured centre to centre. These were 'as installed measurements, fully extended is just that, the 10.5" may close to 10" if bottomed out off the vehicle, but I suggest you need to leave some leeway.

Measuring from the hinge line to the attachment points, these are ~18" on the tailgate, and ~8.5" on the bodyshell.

The strut bore the name www.stabilus.com, and the code 3937AM 0300N 307/03 AM 05.

I've changed at least one, perhaps both, since the vehicle was made in 1995.

Within the limits of the Aldi bathroom scales, the ~30kg start force is close to 30 Newtons, which suggests that 0300N indicates the design 'start of compression' force.

The other elements of the part number may indicate lengths and manufacturing date, but I'm not prepared to guess any further.

I doubt this helps, it's just for a laugh.

Cheers.

WOW thanks for the response.... it certinaly is a full response, I was only looking for a guess, i.e. 27kgs but thanks anyway I hope you put it all back together!!!!

[Guest]

So got the struts...... I can't even push them shut!!! so they are to OTT I need to find something considerably less heavy duty...

Jason.

[Guest]

I then found this which I will atempt to decipher to figure out what I need.... if anyone needs some P38 struts let me know, going cheeps....

[David Sparkes]

So got the struts...... I can't even push them shut!!! so they are to OTT I need to find something considerably less heavy duty...

Jason.

Sorry, we can't let you get away with that :-)

What is the 'N' element of the part number?

Bear in mind there will be some initial 'stiction' to overcome.

[David Sparkes]

I then found this which I will attempt to decipher to figure out what I need.... if anyone needs some P38 struts let me know, going cheeps....

That looks as though it could be useful.

Have you weighed your locker doors yet?

[Guest]

Sorry, we can't let you get away with that :-)

What is the 'N' element of the part number?

Bear in mind there will be some initial 'stiction' to overcome.

I knew that!!!! I just didn't know that sitting on them they wouldn't move!!! I haven't finished building them yet so not sure how heavy they are.... as they are fairly easy to get I am going to wait and leave the calcs until they are fully there....

Jason.

[v8bobber]

Hi,

Don't know if its of any use to you but in a previous job I needed to buy some struts to keep a bonnet cover open on a boat. I found that a local argicultural suppliers had a really big selection at not much money. I guess they are used for cab windows , bonnets etc on tractors. The weight / force in Newtons was clearly written on the sides and were available in loads of different lengths.

If there is a similar place near to you, is the trailer finished enough that you could tow it there and try some out?

Dave

[Guest]

Hi,

Don't know if its of any use to you but in a previous job I needed to buy some struts to keep a bonnet cover open on a boat. I found that a local argicultural suppliers had a really big selection at not much money. I guess they are used for cab windows , bonnets etc on tractors. The weight / force in Newtons was clearly written on the sides and were available in loads of different lengths.

If there is a similar place near to you, is the trailer finished enough that you could tow it there and try some out?

Dave

Hi Dave,

Thanks, I have one just up the road so can pop in there, I haven't even built the doors yet !!! although I hope to fix that soon... I will figure out what I need and go and see them.

Jason.