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Door Gas Strut Replacement

OK, the part numbers for Bansbach replacement struts are:

A1A1F50-100-287/600N. That gets you an OEM replacement.

If you want a stronger lift strut then buy: A1A1F50-100-287/700N

These are available from Bansbach in Florida. They will mail you a PO that you have to fill out, but I worked with a rep on the phone and she guided me through it. 231.253.1999.

In Dec of 21 I bought 2 of the 600N struts and paid $110.96 for the struts alone ($55.48 ea)

-Marc
 
Plummit said:
OK, the part numbers for Bansbach replacement struts are:

A1A1F50-100-287/600N. That gets you an OEM replacement.

If you want a stronger lift strut then buy: A1A1F50-100-287/700N

These are available from Bansbach in Florida. They will mail you a PO that you have to fill out, but I worked with a rep on the phone and she guided me through it. 231.253.1999.

In Dec of 21 I bought 2 of the 600N struts and paid $110.96 for the struts alone ($55.48 ea)

-Marc
Click to expand...

Thank you Marc!
I will order these from them.
 
Vlad,
Before you blow $110 on new struts, you can get exactly what you need from McMaster Carr for about $20 each. All you need to know is the measurement of your old strut. You can also select different opening pressures.
Just bought a set for my Javron, $18 each, good quality made in USA stuff.
 
Jpm757 said:
Vlad,
Before you blow $110 on new struts, you can get exactly what you need from McMaster Carr for about $20 each. All you need to know is the measurement of your old strut. You can also select different opening pressures.
Just bought a set for my Javron, $18 each, good quality made in USA stuff.
Click to expand...

Thank you Jake.
I will check if McMaster have 700N opening pressure for my size of struts. I do not mind testing theirs first, especially if the price is right. Important here is to get the quality I want ;)
 
There is a difference in struts. The OEM struts from Vans were just lift struts, nothing else. Once the door started opening if you let go, the door would fully open and hit the internal strut stop pretty hard, and rock back and forth. Enough that I tried to hold the door all the way up, and bring it to a ‘smooth stop’. I have replacement struts (I think they’re the ones mentioned in post #5 but I need to check) have a damping feature built into the strut: for the last inch or so, it slows the motion and brings the door to a smooth stop. Now I just let the door go up on its own. Note, for the internal end-damper to work, the struts must be attached in a specific orientation, one specific end (I forget which) must be high when fully up.
 
BobTurner said:
Now I just let the door go up on its own. Note, for the internal end-damper to work, the struts must be attached in a specific orientation, one specific end (I forget which) must be high when fully up.
Click to expand...

When the door is open, you want the fat end of the lift strut up. It appears to be upside down but that is the correct way to orient them.

-Marc
 
Plummit said:
When the door is open, you want the fat end of the lift strut up. It appears to be upside down but that is the correct way to orient them.

-Marc
Click to expand...
Do you have a reference for this? Looking at the plans (page 45-16) it sure looks like it's installed opposite to what you're describing.

Thanks.

Jeff
 
Freightdawg said:
Do you have a reference for this? Looking at the plans (page 45-16) it sure looks like it's installed opposite to what you're describing.

Thanks.

Jeff
Click to expand...

Clarification: the Vans plans show the vans furnished strut, which has no extra dampening just as it comes full open. It’s orientation does not matter. But if you buy a replacement strut with extra dampening at full open, orientation does matter.
 
Gas Strut Orientation

I have just installed the Bansbach B0N0F50-100-247/135lbs (600N) gas struts. I did a quick chat with Bansbach today asking about which way to orient their gas struts. They said for best dampening the shaft end should be down when extended.
 
I just ordered the HD struts online from Bansbach.
The B0N0F50-100-247 base number (either 600N SD or 700N HD) can be ordered two ways. One is special order, the other is orderable online from their store.
B0N0F50-100-247 is the strut with no clevises (Aluminum Hinge Eye Fittings) installed on each end. Just base M8 threads. This is available on their webstore.

The A1A1F50-100-287 strut is also the same as length/stroke as the B0N0F50-100-247, except the Aluminum Hinge Eye Fittings come installed. This is special order and you need to call. The last digits (247 and 286) is the overall length. The bare strut gets two A1 M8 fittings that add 20mm to each end, making it the same length as the other strut with the fittings pre-installed (247mm+20mm+20mm)=287mm.

To order the struts easily, go to store.easylift.com and search for B0N0F50-100-247, select the item and specify 2 and select either 600N or 700N in the pull down. Add to cart. Then search for A1 M8 (Aluminum Hinge Eye Fitting) and add 2 per strut (4 total). Web store orders have free shipping.

My order was $80.86 delivered.
 
Indycanard said:
To order the struts easily, go to store.easylift.com and search for B0N0F50-100-247, select the item and specify 2 and select either 600N or 700N in the pull down. Add to cart. Then search for A1 M8 (Aluminum Hinge Eye Fitting) and add 2 per strut (4 total). Web store orders have free shipping.
Click to expand...
This was very helpful info.

I ordered the B0N0F50-100-247/600N struts (2 ea) and the A1 M8 hinge eye endfittings (4 ea) as suggested. I found that the resulting strut was about .4"-.5" shorter than the stock Van's strut, so the door didn't open quite as far as I was used to. Bansback suggested the slightly longer B1 M8 fitting. It results in a strut that is the same lenth as the original Van's strut. I did find that I needed to cut off the shoulders of the B1 M8 so they wouldn't interfere with the (stock) attachment points on the plane (door and cabin top).

So my recommendation is to order B0N0F50-100-247/XXXN (600N or 700N, depending on how heavy your door is) along with a pair of B1 M8 end fittings for each strut.
 

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vinzer said:
Thank you Jake.
I will check if McMaster have 700N opening pressure for my size of struts. I do not mind testing theirs first, especially if the price is right. Important here is to get the quality I want ;)
Click to expand...
Can you publish what you model you buy and if it has worked? Thank you.
 
Tim Lewis said:
This was very helpful info.

I ordered the B0N0F50-100-247/600N struts (2 ea) and the A1 M8 hinge eye endfittings (4 ea) as suggested. I found that the resulting strut was about .4"-.5" shorter than the stock Van's strut, so the door didn't open quite as far as I was used to. Bansback suggested the slightly longer B1 M8 fitting. It results in a strut that is the same lenth as the original Van's strut. I did find that I needed to cut off the shoulders of the B1 M8 so they wouldn't interfere with the (stock) attachment points on the plane (door and cabin top).

So my recommendation is to order B0N0F50-100-247/XXXN (600N or 700N, depending on how heavy your door is) along with a pair of B1 M8 end fittings for each strut.
Click to expand...
Very helpful info, thanks! I'll try those and modify the B1 M8 fittings. My stock struts measure 11.75" extended. The stock struts supplied with the kit are juuuust adequate before I paint the doors. When the doors get heavier with paint and armrests, I don't think the stock struts will be adequate. The RH door already sags and hits me in the head in the winter!

(RV-10 currently painting, decided to replace the gas struts with stiffer versions when I put it all back together.)

By the way: if I decide to order the 600N struts from Van's, does the $131 price include two struts, or just one?
 
Freightdawg said:
Do you have a reference for this? Looking at the plans (page 45-16) it sure looks like it's installed opposite to what you're describing.

Thanks.

Jeff
Click to expand...
All lift struts I've ever seen have the gas body upper most ( so the shaft gets proper lubrication I believe). BTW I matched my RV7 struts to off the shelf at Auto Zone and worked flawlessly. I don't remember the part number
 
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