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Mangled Roof Strut


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#21 teledork

teledork

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Posted 21 November 2021 - 12:30 AM

You’re going to be happier with the gas struts.  If it were me, I’d repair it.

 

If the screw is sticking out, a good pair of vice grips should get enough hold to back it out.  If it’s flush, I’d take it to a machine shop to (if possible) drill it and then use an easy out.  A heating/sheet metal shop might be another option.   The new screws may need to be one size larger.

Oh, I want to repair it but wanting and getting are not the same thing. I was told I could move the bracket over a bit otherwise I would have to do an extraction and retap with bigger screws but they would have to still fit the holes on the bracket (I've learned A LOT of things the hard way) 

 

In any case thank you for suggesting the type of business where I could seek help. 


Edited by teledork, 21 November 2021 - 12:41 AM.

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#22 teledork

teledork

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Posted 21 November 2021 - 12:39 AM

+1. Just move it over a bit. You might need to move the other end too. 3m 4200 to seal any holes too

Yup. Between what I was told and what my sometimes faulty logic tells me I came to the same conclusion. It is not quite as "precision" as I feared. Right now the holes are filled with a piece of a plastic bag and covered with tape.  


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#23 Jon R

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Posted 01 December 2021 - 06:39 PM

Back to why this failed in the first place, my guess is a screw worked a little loose, which placed most of the load on the other screw causing it to fatigue and then finally fail in overload. As you can feel from trying to compress a strut, those screws have quite a bit of load on them. The load direction also rotates every time you raise or lower the roof.

If you haven’t already, gently check all of the other lift strut bracket screws for tightness without actually tightening them further (you don’t want to overtighten them, and you don’t want to disturb their mechanical grip or weather seal). If you find a loose screw, consider replacing both screws for that bracket because the remaining tight screw may already be fatigued and close to failure.
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Jon R

2021 Grandby Slide-in Front Dinette

2021 GMC 3500HD CC LB SRW Gas

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