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basketcasebear Offline
#1 Posted : Friday, 29 February 2008 10:24:24 AM(UTC)
basketcasebear

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hey yall,
I am trying to figure out the best way to lower my roof rack,, which is actually a roof for my campervan, which is actually a walk on floor as well..
now the problem I have is,,the gas struts lower it ok, untill it gets too about 45degrees, then they are not strong enough??
I thought of putting stronger struts on it,, but then it makes it too hard to pull down??
the scissor lifts on most pop tops, are for vertical lift??
my roof rack top, floor, folds down backwards on 4 arms?
I thought of a door closer??hhmm?/ to let it down slowly,,but i still need something to helplift back up untill the struts take the load?
I thought of torsion springs?? these might be the answer?? but i have tried the spring companies, and they either do big sway type ones,,or smaller ones in bulk amounts??
I am unable to use my ripper little winches, cause of lackof height??
any thought ideas?
greatly appreciated.
cheers
bcb
p.s
still not talking to cloudy, cause he outbid me in the auction!!


ptpro
some men see things as they are, and ask "why"
I dream of things that never were, and say, "bloody ripper idea mate, lets try it",!!

Edited by user Friday, 29 February 2008 10:25:35 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

more than basketcase than a bear!
DOH!!!
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johnperth Offline
#2 Posted : Friday, 29 February 2008 10:41:38 AM(UTC)
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have a look at air struts on each corner or maybe some type of pump up oil jack like a car bumper jack
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Guest
#3 Posted : Friday, 29 February 2008 10:59:20 AM(UTC)
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hey john,
thanks, but do not have the height..for car jacks..
something like 2 small pump up air shocks, only longer would do it?
normal ones are too big?
will keep looking, and will find the solution,
cheers
bcb
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Guest
#4 Posted : Friday, 29 February 2008 11:06:24 AM(UTC)
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john,,what are air struts??
bcb
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jabba Offline
#5 Posted : Friday, 29 February 2008 5:08:00 PM(UTC)
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Maybe a farm gate close spring? The ones which wind up as the gate open, then spring it shut (except mounted with the opposite twist so that they wind up as it shuts and release as it opens).

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Keep the shiny side up, and the greasy side down.
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JBM Offline
#6 Posted : Friday, 29 February 2008 5:32:27 PM(UTC)
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What about a counterweight of some type. A steel (lead) rod inside a pipe with a nylon rope attached could be mounted remotely so that it helps to get the load moving when you push it back up, only trouble is it needs to be about 75% of the load.

James
You only have to be in front at the end of the race.
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basketcasebear Offline
#7 Posted : Friday, 29 February 2008 7:53:55 PM(UTC)
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hey jabba, jbm,
I think I know what i need? the gate spring thingy sounds maybe about right/
but if you could imagine something like a mousetrap spring, only stronger?
I did think of something like welding clamp springs?
i will look at hardware tonigh
more than basketcase than a bear!
DOH!!!
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VL05 Offline
#8 Posted : Friday, 29 February 2008 10:04:08 PM(UTC)
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Springs are generally made of high tensile steel. Welding them will make them brittle, they will lose their elasticity or springiness around the heat affected zone and may crack.

WANTED: GTS rims, seats and mirrors to suit HJ.
WANTED: GTS rims, seats and mirrors to suit HJ.
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VL05 Offline
#9 Posted : Friday, 29 February 2008 10:04:08 PM(UTC)
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Springs are generally made of high tensile steel. Welding them will make them brittle, they will lose their elasticity or 'springiness' around the heat affected zone and may crack.

WANTED: GTS rims, seats and mirrors to suit HJ.
WANTED: GTS rims, seats and mirrors to suit HJ.
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basketcasebear Offline
#10 Posted : Friday, 29 February 2008 11:27:26 PM(UTC)
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hey VL05,
you have got the wrong idea?
when i said welding clamps...i meant something that looks like welding clamps??
not actually welding the clamps?
hope this clarifies my poor english writing skills?
cheers
bcb

ptpro
some men see things as
more than basketcase than a bear!
DOH!!!
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ozchevy Offline
#11 Posted : Saturday, 1 March 2008 12:42:00 AM(UTC)
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Airbags perhaps,

They lay almost flat when deflated.
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boom Offline
#12 Posted : Saturday, 1 March 2008 2:00:46 AM(UTC)
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airbag would work well, run a very small compressor to fill it. you could almost do this with the air shocks.

If nissan motorsport is nismo, then doesnt that make honda motorsport Homo?
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boom Offline
#13 Posted : Saturday, 1 March 2008 2:00:46 AM(UTC)
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airbag would work well, run a very small compressor to fill it. you could almost do this with the air shocks.

If nissan motorsport is nismo, then doesn't that make honda motorsport Homo?
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ozchevy Offline
#14 Posted : Saturday, 1 March 2008 5:44:32 AM(UTC)
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If you set up an airbag to do this, you can then make up a controller and valves to operate the airbag as a pressure device to raise the roof, and with the right pnuematic valves still use air pressure as a source to create vacuum to collapse the airbag.
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Jim5.0 Offline
#15 Posted : Saturday, 1 March 2008 7:24:05 AM(UTC)
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Use the KISS principle. have a look at the tailgate spring on a horse float. It might just work.

Made the tailgate on my horse float a lot less hernia inducing.

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Mr.Jones Offline
#16 Posted : Saturday, 1 March 2008 8:01:24 AM(UTC)
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Damn BCB your going to have to put a blower on that 308 to cart all the extra weight around.
best of luck
Leroy
"Planet earth is the asylum to which the rest of the universe sends it's lunatics"
Voltaire
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johnperth Offline
#17 Posted : Saturday, 1 March 2008 9:04:03 AM(UTC)
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air struts are like the lift up struts on tailgates etc but run on air and can be pumped up, the strut collapses inside the outer housing so you need only half the length but if the strut can swivel you can have a longer one. you can get car jacks in all
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basketcasebear Offline
#18 Posted : Saturday, 1 March 2008 11:17:16 AM(UTC)
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hey yall,
thanks so much for all your input.
i would love to have airbags, but it is about cost as well?
even an electric actuator is $140,,
I went to gate rural supplies and they had nothing! but I did grab a couple of el cheapo, welding clamps, and
more than basketcase than a bear!
DOH!!!
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basketcasebear Offline
#19 Posted : Monday, 3 March 2008 2:20:35 AM(UTC)
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can i send a couple pics to one of you blokes, so you can put them up in this post?
I have tried and tried to figure out photobucket, but the chimp who designed it, didnt take my lack of intelligence into account.
bcb

ptpro
some men see things as t
more than basketcase than a bear!
DOH!!!
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Mechatron Offline
#20 Posted : Monday, 3 March 2008 2:26:12 AM(UTC)
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hi bear i will do it

htpremier69 at gmail.com
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