Sourcing Stainless Gas Springs

[savageseadog]

I need a couple of gas springs for my kicker. Has anyone got any recommended industrial suppliers/manufacturers rather than the marine industry?

 

[Norman_E]

I found plenty of suppliers on the internet, but after two gas strut failures I had bespoke stainless steel springs made, and fitted them, as they have no risk of sudden failure. When the last gas strut failed the heavy boom just fell, and could have killed anyone underneath.

 

[geoid96]

You could try SpringMasters.

 

[nimbusgb]

I got the stainless gas springs for the cockpit locker and lazarette lids from Stainless Gas Struts

http://www.sgs-engineering.com/shop/categories/search/gas-struts

Google stainless gas springs there are a few suppliers. One thing to be wary of is the type that comes pumped up to some astronomical pressure and that you bleed off pressure gradually to get down to the required spring rate. The bleed screw is mild steel and whilst the rest of the spring is 316 the collar and grub screw do corrode unless covered in some sort of protective coating. Also if you over bleed ........ there's no way of recharging so it's in the bin.

 

[savageseadog]

I wonder about the failures and understand the potential danger. Mine are in a Sparcraft kicker for a 38 footer. When I finally got the b******* apart I surprised to find that they were standard steel gas struts (2), both of which were in horrible condition, one rusted right through. I was equally surprised to find it was the same thing that was sold as spares to this day. I thought stainless must be the way to go or don't they last long enough for stainless to be worthwhile? The gas springs are marked up at 1150N force (115Kg force) there are two of them giving 230Kg but the kicker is marked as being 250Kg, not much honesty there then. I put a load cell on the boom at weekend to check the push needed and it could be as high as 300Kg allowing for the geometry. The weight at the boom end is about a third of that, so about 100Kg landing on your head..............

The maximum force that a gas spring of 22mm diameter can be made to do is 120Kg, at leat from the one quote I've had so far. As a point of interest my gas springs were mounted the incorrect way up according to manufacturers recommendation, it's not uncommon I would have thought and the correct way is with the cylinder uppermost otherwise it's early failure...........

 

[prv]

Think I'll stick wiv me bit o' rope for a topping lift

Pete

 

[sandeel]

+1