Looking for Wings a Loft, door popper reviews

[SKnight]

So I have a question about how the Wings-a-loft functions. I've installed poppers on two other cars, but both of those were to 'shave' the door handles, and the locks went too. So there was no need (or ability) to lock the door. Theft protection was built in to the fact there was no handle for someone to grab. The door was opened with a single press of a button.

With the wings-a-loft I've read the system unlocks the doors, and pops the door. Is this done with 2 button presses, or is the system designed to unlock+open in one function?

It's a separate function, press the unlock button once and it unlocks the doors, press it again and it opens the driver door, the trunk release button opens the passenger door. At least that's how it is on my setup.

[Elvis]

each function has its own button

[Elvis]

disagree


... is to remove the gas strut and let it hang. It should be about 6-8 inches away from being closed.

this is what we call overtorqued.

2-4 inches is OK. we do not compensate for weak gas struts !

[ssdelorean]

The rule of thumb test for the torsion bar (I believe trademarked by Grady) is to remove the gas strut and let it hang. It should be about 6-8 inches away from being closed.

this is what we call overtorqued.

2-4 inches is OK. we do not compensate for weak gas struts !

Did I get my numbers wrong or has Grady been over torquing torsion bars all these years?

[David T]

Did I get my numbers wrong or has Grady been over torquing torsion bars all these years?

It is and always was 2-4 inches. I came up with the idea and Rob helped to validate the measurement. 6 inches would mean the torsion bar is probably too tight. I wanted to create a test so you could tell if you needed new struts or a torsion bar adjustment and you didn't have a new strut to test it with. "Back in the day" people would crank up the torsion bar to compensate for weak struts. When you finally replaced the strut the doors would fly open and bounce. That meant another torsion bar adjustment. Today we caution against torsion bar adjustments. It should never be necessary if you just replace the struts when they weaken. Of course if the bar is out of adjustment it is necessary to readjust it but NEVER over-torque a torsion bar to compensate for a weak strut. The DMA does free torsion bar adjustments for the members. We find we are doing less and less of them and most of the time they don't need a torsion bar adjustment, just new struts. Or they need other door adjustments like the striker pins or the linkage inside. When I adjust torsion bars my test is, with a new strut, if the door will open and stay all the way up when I push the door up around 70 degrees F. I never want to see the door bounce when it opens all the way. That can be a difficult adjustment when you use the door launchers (door poppers) because if you set it up when it is cold, when you get hotter, the struts get stronger and will cause the bounce. The new struts PJ Grady is selling now have a lot more dampening so you don't get so much bounce but it is still bad to overtorque the bars. Puts a lot more stress on the whole system, the doors and the body. Last point. Years ago a vendor sold struts that, when collapsed, (door closed) were too long. Put a LOT of stress on the attach points. Would eventually damage the one on the body, it is weaker than the one on the metal door. There are kits to repair that damage and no one should have those struts anymore.

[Patrick C]

It is and always was 2-4 inches.

Please see the DMCNews link: http://www.dmcnews.com/Techsection/dooradjust1.html

It shouldn't close all the way but should remain open somewhere between 2-6 inches depending on how much tension is in the torsion bar. This is relatively unaffected by temperature. I measured this from the edge of the door sill to the lip of the door. If your door is not in this range then you will need a Torsion Bar Adjustment.

[ssdelorean]

Please see the DMCNews link: http://www.dmcnews.com/Techsection/dooradjust1.html

That's it. I lexDysicly got my numbers mixed up. 2-6 and not 6-8. I got one number correct :-)

[David T]

That's it. I lexDysicly got my numbers mixed up. 2-6 and not 6-8. I got one number correct :-)

As you can see that was off the old mailing list and was an old #. Rob wanted to go towards the 6 but IMHO it is a little too much, I would stay closer to the 4 inch as a maximum spec. That is what we have been using for a long time.Certainly if it is anything over 6 inches you are way over-torqued. You will know it immediately when you put a new strut on. The less stress you put on the door system the better.

[Max]

Sorry to resurrect this thread but it was the most recent out of the ones I could see. I've emailed Toby at DPNW a couple of times over the past few weeks and not heard anything back, I was just trying to get some costs for shipping to the UK and some sample instructions to see if it's even something I can do myself without any help (zero experience).

Does anyone know if the launchers are still available? Does Toby still work there? Kind of confusing that I've heard nothing back. Is anyone able to share some of the instructions?

[Shep]

Sorry to resurrect this thread but it was the most recent out of the ones I could see. I've emailed Toby at DPNW a couple of times over the past few weeks and not heard anything back, I was just trying to get some costs for shipping to the UK and some sample instructions to see if it's even something I can do myself without any help (zero experience).

Does anyone know if the launchers are still available? Does Toby still work there? Kind of confusing that I've heard nothing back. Is anyone able to share some of the instructions?

I have the kit for JUST the door launchers. No remotes, nothing but the actual mechanism to pop the doors and a few relays to trigger it. I can post pics once I find where I put it soon.

Toby's kits sometimes use existing parts that I'd prefer were redesigned entirely (the hood launcher is what I'm referring to here -- everyone asks "what's that?" when they see it), but honestly, they work. Nobody can say they can't. He's the name brand, and if Toby TABs are any indication, prices will skyrocket after they're out.