Tonneau Cover Strut Replacement

[timfitz63]

Hey, gang!

Was tinkering with my '04 Convertible today. Decided to put the top down and discovered that the struts that hold the tonneau cover upright when doing so had weakened to the point where they were basically useless; so they need to be replaced. A quick (i.e., not comprehensive) examination of the assembly/attach points did not reveal an obvious way to remove them; they're tucked up under the trunk's rain gutter and I'm not seeing how to get at them from any readily-available direction. Any DIY instructions around the forum for this operation? A quick search did not reveal anything to me. I guess I'm just not having much luck today when looking for things... :eyerole

Any suggestions for replacement parts/sources would be appreciated as well. Thanks!

 

[timfitz63]

Bump...

No one has any insight into this...? I can't be the only one with gimpy tonneau cover struts...!

 

[kpic]

Is this of assistance: 1998-2004 Corvette Trunk Lid Strut Replacement | Corvette Magazine

As soon as the parts get here; I'm stuck rebuilding her vacuum cleaner; new clutch, brush and belts.. Pity me, my friend..

 

[timfitz63]

Is this of assistance: 1998-2004 Corvette Trunk Lid Strut Replacement | Corvette Magazine...

No, that's a procedure for the trunk lid struts. Frankly, the replacement of those are pretty straight-forward. I'm looking to replace the same kind of pneumatic struts, but for the hard tonneau cover that's immediately forward of the trunk lid on the convertible, and swings open in the opposite direction to permit stowage of the convertible top. The pneumatic struts for the tonneau cover are buried back behind the tonneau cover opening, underneath all of the trunk lid hardware (struts, water drain troughs, etc.) and trunk trim/upholstery. The tonneau cover is connected to its struts by fairly long arms leading off the tonneau cover and back to the struts; so the strut attach points (both to the tonneau cover arms and the body attach points) are virtually inaccessible -- at least without removing some other bits of the car. And I'd rather not go the 'trial-and-error' method with that -- if for no other reason than it's time-consuming...

... As soon as the parts get here; I'm stuck rebuilding her vacuum cleaner; new clutch, brush and belts.. Pity me, my friend..

Good luck with that. It'd probably be easier to just buy another vacuum cleaner...

 

[kpic]

Sorry, usually the web holds all the answers..

Good luck with that. It'd probably be easier to just buy another vacuum cleaner...

Most likely true; however, $70 is a new clutch, "brush" and belts. A new vacuum is a lot more. Often I believe we live in a throwaway society when a fix is a lot less. Plus, it is the challenge of doing it..

 

[timfitz63]

Sorry, usually the web holds all the answers...

No worries. I appreciate the effort.

... Most likely true; however, $70 is a new clutch, "brush" and belts. A new vacuum is a lot more. Often I believe we live in a throwaway society when a fix is a lot less. Plus, it is the challenge of doing it..

Fair point. Well, good luck with it!

 

[timfitz63]

For anyone who's interested, I tracked down someone who's done this and provided a posting on how to accomplish the task:

C5 Vert Tonneau Cover Gas Strut replacement - CorvetteForum - Chevrolet Corvette Forum Discussion

As nearly as I can determine, the GM part number for the strut (lift cylinder) is 10275941. Prices vary; shop around...

 

[LLC5]

For anyone who's interested, I tracked down someone who's done this and provided a posting on how to accomplish the task:

C5 Vert Tonneau Cover Gas Strut replacement - CorvetteForum - Chevrolet Corvette Forum Discussion

As nearly as I can determine, the GM part number for the strut (lift cylinder) is 10275941. Prices vary; shop around...

Shop around for GM struts ONLY.

The aftermarkets are too short and the top will hit the tonneau lid going up and down unless you physically hold the tonneau cover up with one hand. The GM part is longer and will work properly.

They are easy to replace.