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Re: Replacing Bongo roof struts - How to
Posted: Mon Feb 09, 2015 11:31 am
by cmm303
Dodgey wrote:Did mine yesterday. Let me reitterate a few points:
1- Don't try and compress the struts with a non-ratchet strap in a stand alone setup - i.e. not mounted to the vehicle at all. By the time you get it compressed enough, the straps will have covered the ball sockets. This is after you have taken the skin off the palm of your hand!
2- Use a ratchet strap and again, don't do it off the vehicle - you'll find the ratchet almost certainly gets in the way by the time you offer it up!
I propped the roof up with the pipe from a hoover. Jammed it in vertically. One side at a time.
Mount the top of the strut in the roof. Insert the top retaining pin. Do this now while you can move the strut about (I didn't and spent 15 mins with a pair of needle nose pliers and a mirror on a stick getting one of them in).
Put your ratchet strap around the strut. The bottom ball should be on the edge of the strap so it doesn't get covered as you tighten the ratchet.
Now just ratchet away and pop the bottom on - it's dead easy if you do it this way. If you try it off teh vehicle, you'll be swearing!
seconded! I never even tried compressing the strut before installing first (top) anchorage! As well as getting in the way, being a coward I wanted to minimise the work done with the strut strapped in compression.
Satisfying procedure though!
Re: Replacing Bongo roof struts - How to
Posted: Mon Apr 13, 2015 9:40 am
by cookan
cmm303 wrote:Dodgey wrote:Which struts did you use? I've an old style Bongo (96)
SGS part no.: GSC1639
Part no. on original: S10K 56 940B
Old (black ends) and new side by side
Difference is amazing. AFT speeds up now as it reaches top of travel, presumably as the angle of the struts becomes more effective. This is in cold weather when the tent is tighter and struts less powerful.
My struts on a 95 diesel have the part number S10K 56 940
A ...
I can't imagine there's any difference between a B and an A given my dimensions seems to match every other '95..SGS says they can't find that specific part number but their struts are 895mm centre to centre of the ball socket.
So Measuring mine, they're 860mm when the roof is fully up and that sounds about right to me. The roof tent itself from top of tent at front to bottom of tent is 1200 which seems to match others...maybe the A vs B is a version number..I've fired a mail off to Tokico on the off chance I get a reply...
thanks,
Ant.
Re: Replacing Bongo roof struts - How to
Posted: Wed Apr 15, 2015 9:21 pm
by cmm303
cookan wrote:cmm303 wrote:Dodgey wrote:Which struts did you use? I've an old style Bongo (96)
SGS part no.: GSC1639
Part no. on original: S10K 56 940B
Old (black ends) and new side by side
Difference is amazing. AFT speeds up now as it reaches top of travel, presumably as the angle of the struts becomes more effective. This is in cold weather when the tent is tighter and struts less powerful.
My struts on a 95 diesel have the part number S10K 56 940
A ...
I can't imagine there's any difference between a B and an A given my dimensions seems to match every other '95..SGS says they can't find that specific part number but their struts are 895mm centre to centre of the ball socket.
So Measuring mine, they're 860mm when the roof is fully up and that sounds about right to me. The roof tent itself from top of tent at front to bottom of tent is 1200 which seems to match others...maybe the A vs B is a version number..I've fired a mail off to Tokico on the off chance I get a reply...
thanks,
Ant.
I've quickly measured one of my old struts and fully relaxed length is 895mm or close. SGS might be able to explain the significance of the A and B?
Re: Replacing Bongo roof struts - How to - DO NOT DELETE
Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2015 12:58 pm
by cookan
just fitted them and no problems...remarkably easy job to do although one side does feel more tricky than the other unless maybe you're ambidextrous !
Unfortunately, this didn't make any noticeable improvement to my roof speed (though it wasn't bad in the first place to be honest) but I guess along with the motor service it's one of those things I'm glad I've done before something's gone wrong !
On another note, the Donkey noise was still there when the roof was being lowered so this characteristic bongo noise doesn't seem to be caused by problems with the struts (although weak struts would surely contribute), so I wouldn't rush to replace struts in the hope that will do.......Running a load of silicon down the upper runner (which is easier to do from within the roof space where the upper runner continues on past the lower) and spraying the carriage itself stopped it for now. I've always periodically lubricated the runners and wiped the struts when the roof started making that noise but assumed it was caused by the struts themselves..
Ant.
Re: Replacing Bongo roof struts - How to - DO NOT DELETE
Posted: Fri Apr 17, 2015 2:42 pm
by g8dhe
I've noticed in the past that the noise from the gas struts vibrating seems to be much enhanced if your not on even ground and the Bongo as a whole is tilted in any direction. Cleaning the struts does help but even then if the two sides are not even the noise re-appears very quickly. The one time it doesn't happen is when its raining and the struts are coated in water....
Re: Replacing Bongo roof struts - How to - DO NOT DELETE
Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2016 4:17 pm
by g8dhe
Just started to replace my struts using the ratchet strap method, two things to perhaps check before you get to the vehicle itself
1. Make sure you know how to use a ratchet strap - it might seem obvious - but going by the problems reported in reviews on the various ones available its worth viewing the youtube link here on how to thread the strap and release the ratchet if you have never used then before!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FK8BS1XQZi4
2. Testing mine out in the house I noticed that the webbing wasn't the best quality and if I had used it for real I might not have noticed that the strap was spreading out over the knuckle joint ...
So I added a bit of padding to spread the load - a bit of old carpet - at each end....
Re: Replacing Bongo roof struts - How to - DO NOT DELETE
Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2016 4:12 pm
by g8dhe
Well job done only other thing to watch for is make sure you put the first one on the right way up
It works fine but the seal might not get the oil over it and hence might dry out over time!
Helps the lifting a lot I meant to video and time it before and after but forgot, but suffice to say it doesn't need any help at all now going up!
Re: Replacing Bongo roof struts - How to - DO NOT DELETE
Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2016 10:13 pm
by cmm303
Re: Replacing Bongo roof struts - How to - DO NOT DELETE
Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2016 10:42 pm
by g8dhe
More concerned with getting the ratchet clamp to the right length, I didn't notice - and could have sworn - that the one I took off had the cylinder at the bottom and the piston at the top! It wasn't till I got to the other side and realised that was up the other way .... had to come in and check the photo's, put the second one on right then reversed the first one much easier 3rd time around only took 10 minutes
Re: Replacing Bongo roof struts - How to - DO NOT DELETE
Posted: Fri Jun 16, 2017 9:20 pm
by the1andonly
So glad this thread is here,
Used the ratchet method, sounds daunting but isn't really.
The only problem i had was finding the right tool for the job (top fitting). I couldn't find a ratchet /socket thin enough to fit, in the end I used a deep cranked ring spanner. The nut and old fittings were 12mm, the new struts did not have dismantable ends and needed a 13mm spanner.
Re: Replacing Bongo roof struts - How to - DO NOT DELETE
Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2019 6:28 pm
by Paltibine
Thanks for this thread - it helped me a lot today! Most of the early photos come up as not available but it might be just me?
One extra tip I would add, as I had to do the job twice because of it, the new SGS struts have thinner nuts and the washers on the old ones were captive on the old parts, I needed to add a couple of washers to the top fitting to prevent the outer cases rubbing on the AFT rails.
Also, the new SGS replacement struts, both the ends screw off and I found it easier to remove the top ball joint and fit that then screw the rest of the strut back on to it. Much easier than taking the ball joint apart as somebody else seems to be suggesting.
I found I could just wiggle a 1/4" socket into the gap between the rails at the top to do up the top nut from the inside.
Ratchet strap works a treat!
Re: Replacing Bongo roof struts - How to - DO NOT DELETE
Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2019 6:36 pm
by Bob
Useful tips, thanks.
Re: Replacing Bongo roof struts - How to - DO NOT DELETE
Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2020 9:22 pm
by Merlot man
Hello all
In the middle of doing a few jobs on the bus at the minute , this going to be one of them .
I've got the struts from SGS but mine ,at least , came without the threaded balls part that fit onto the top and bottom , is this normal , do I refit the balls from the original struts , or should I have had ordered balls separately , or simply should I have had the balls supplied as part of the strut ?
I can't even see how I can remove the balls from the originals ?
As always thanks in advance
Brian
Re: Replacing Bongo roof struts - How to - DO NOT DELETE
Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2020 9:51 pm
by Bob
Getting my coat now...
But definitely an, "Oohhh, Matron", post.
Re: Replacing Bongo roof struts - How to - DO NOT DELETE
Posted: Thu Mar 19, 2020 10:14 pm
by Merlot man
Oh Bob behave !
This is a serious post
While the struts were very well wrapped in bubble wrap the packaging was damaged and I'm wondering it the ball joints fell out .
Thanks
Brian