[Jasen]

Where do you guys with dutch doors get your gas springs for the rear gate.

And what's with the wire hooked to them, door ajar wiring?

Rock auto has them for $14 with out the wire ,GM Monster parts online wan't $40 each for the OEM ones, I assume with the wire thingy :shrug:

 

[Mr_Bowtie]

If you have a local Autozone they carry gas shocks for hoods and hatches right on the shelf. Not sure if they are any better priced. I have yet to see a dutch door assembly, but is the wire thingy by chance part of the rear defroster? :shrug:

 

[Jasen]

The wires are not part of the defrost as far as I can tell. Haven't looked at them in a few years though. But there is a wire harness that is for the rear defrost. Not sure what the could be for though, that's why I though door ajar for an upgraded model.

 

[Leeann_93]

The wire is for the defrost. You can get them at Advanced, AutoZone, all of those places.

 

[Mr_Bowtie]

YES!!! (I'm doing my good guess dance!) :banana:

 

[Leeann_93]

YES!!! (I'm doing my good guess dance!) :banana:

:lol:

 

[Jasen]

I'll have to go take a good look at it today when the rain slows a bit.
Having the defrost wiring on the lift supports just seems kind of an odd ball way to do it.

 

[$uperJoe]

its just a second ground for the door. it also completes the circuit for the defrost. the doors dont always ground properly through

 

[Jasen]

Ok, got some batteries for the camera.

Theres one on each lift support both with 2 wires. Can't see for the life of me how that have anything to do with the defrost. There is also a wire loom just to the upper left just out of the pic. that runs from the roof area out to the hatch, which I figure is at the lest for the hatch release, wiper and the wash fluid pump.
The ram has a shoulder on it which I figure is to hold the thingy with the wires sticking out of it in place, and probably slips on from the end of the ram.

 

[Mr_Bowtie]

I'll have to go take a good look at it today when the rain slows a bit.
Having the defrost wiring on the lift supports just seems kind of an odd ball way to do it.

Man your always talking about rain.......your starting to depress me. :lol:

Did you get them changed yet? :lol:

 

[smokamoto]

I got mine off ebay & they don't come with the upper fitting. Just unscrew the old support from the upper fitting (end of support rod is threaded), and screw in the new one-no worries!

 

[Realstar1]

Has anyone confirmed if you have to get OEM parts for the support lift that has the wiring for defrost (or whatever). I replaced one strut that didn't have the wiring and everything went fine, however for the strut with the wiring, the universal supports that I did purchase , don't match up.

Am I going to have to do one OEM and one after market strut?

:ty:

 

[rev_les]

Has anyone confirmed if you have to get OEM parts for the support lift that has the wiring for defrost (or whatever). I replaced one strut that didn't have the wiring and everything went fine, however for the strut with the wiring, the universal supports that I did purchase , don't match up.

Am I going to have to do one OEM and one after market strut?

:ty:

The only wiring on the strut is for the dome light, see previous posts.The defrost circuit doesn't go through the lift strut, it runs under the plastic trim panel.

 

[Realstar1]

Thanks for the clarification of the purpose of the wire. Does the universal/aftermarket support work with wiring or do I need to get OEM ?

 

[ratdude747]

I am reviving this because I have a similar (but opposite) problem.

On my 1995 Astro I bought today I noticed that one of the two gas shocks had a busted door switch; The wires broke at the switch and were full of corrosion. It had been missing a weatherstrip seal at the top of the liftgate for a while as per what the seller told me (which would explain the corrosion.

The shock itself works fine.

I know it will work on a single switch; for now (once I get it back from a mechanic's inspection) I will tape off the exposed wires.

However, I would like to fix the problem the right way. Do they sell the switches by themselves or do I have to get a whole new OEM shock just for the switch?

 

[Jasen]

I'd think you can just get the switch, if the dealer still sells them. Otherwise it off to the PnP for a switch.