Longer Louvre Struts for DMC Louvre Reinforcement Brace

[Patrick C]

Hi all. I have the DMC louvre reinforcement brace installed, but I need longer struts to lift the louvres higher so that the engine cover will latch into the notch in the brace. I am told that DMCCA, DMCMW, etc used to sell the longer struts, but now they only sell what DMCH sells (too short to be used with the brace.)

Does anyone have a part number for longer louvre struts that I might be able to find locally? Or perhaps a length of the strut you are using with the support brace? Thanks in advance.

[Delorean Industries]

Hi all. I have the DMC louvre reinforcement brace installed, but I need longer struts to lift the louvres higher so that the engine cover will latch into the notch in the brace. I am told that DMCCA, DMCMW, etc used to sell the longer struts, but now they only sell what DMCH sells (too short to be used with the brace.)

Does anyone have a part number for longer louvre struts that I might be able to find locally? Or perhaps a length of the strut you are using with the support brace? Thanks in advance.

Needs to be one inch longer than your stock shocks length. I believe 17 inches is what you need. But I know it is one inch longer.

[DMCMW Dave]

Make sure that the brackets on the sunshade are not backwards (i.e. reversed left to right).

We install quite a few of these braces and once in a while have to make the slot for the hook slightly larger. Most of the time they work fine with the normal struts.

There is quite a bit of variation from car to car, and you can also adjust the louver hook on the engine cover to fit the slot better (if your louver latch isn't working anyway and it doesn't bother you.

[Bitsyncmaster]

The pair I have fron John look like they are 18" extended, pin to pin.

[Patrick C]

Mine are 18" (end to end) and will only work if I really force the louvres up, putting stress on the fiberglass and stainless mounts. If I could find an 18.5" or 19" strut it might work better.

EDIT: I might try these Sachs versions from Autozone. 19". The question is, will they be strong enough? Worth a try.

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/accessories/Sachs-19-in-extended-length-x-11-in-compressed-length-x-8-mm-rod-dia-ball-socket-gas-charged-lift-support/_/N-26n6?itemIdentifier=366461_0_0_

[Nicholas R]

Wow I can't believe your 18s aren't long enough. I just bought 18s and they work great. Must be a lot of variation from car to car.

[Patrick C]

Wow I can't believe your 18s aren't long enough. I just bought 18s and they work great. Must be a lot of variation from car to car.

EBay has a lot of 18.5" struts for different weights. They have 30lb to 150lb capacities. I'm thinking my louvres (with the spoiler) would probably work best with the 70lb struts.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/70lb-18-5in-Mid-Coulmbia-Gas-Strut-Shock-Spring-lift-Rod-Prop-Cylinder-Tube-18-/390553180478?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item5aeec8993e&vxp=mtr

[Patrick C]

FWIW, these 18" 60lb struts work great with my spoiler and engine cover!


http://www.ebay.com/itm/370774637290?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

[SS Spoiler]

No strut in the world will hold up my louver/spoiler, so I made a folding prop rod. It has a wide base to spread the load over the bumper.

[outatym2001]

Please see my post number 9 in the thread below regarding the proper length of gas charged struts that hold up the Louvers.
Installed louvre brace
http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?4692-Installed-louvre-brace
I got the struts from DeLorean Parts Northwest but they say, “Sorry we are sold out.”
http://www.delorean-parts.com
The prices have all gone up on the Stabilus struts so they are going to be harder to come by.

Numbers and letters on the outside of the Louver strut or as Stabilus calls them “Gas Springs”.
8576IN 0162N 037/07 B 15
The 162N means a force of 162 newton-meters.

[rddmc]

Hi all. I have the DMC louvre reinforcement brace installed, but I need longer struts to lift the louvres higher so that the engine cover will latch into the notch in the brace. I am told that DMCCA, DMCMW, etc used to sell the longer struts, but now they only sell what DMCH sells (too short to be used with the brace.)

Does anyone have a part number for longer louvre struts that I might be able to find locally? Or perhaps a length of the strut you are using with the support brace? Thanks in advance.


Quote Originally Posted by MTDMC View Post

Anyone have a picture of their installed louvre support brace? Will it require drilling holes in the louvres? Any help would be appecieated.
Yes as Dave says you have to drill holes. In fact, DMCMW installed mine. Keep in mind that our cars are snowflakes and not everything fits the same on all cars. When my louver brace was installed the notch slot would not meet the bracket. Changing to different gas lifts for the louver did not help. The only solution was for Mike to carefully cut a new slot in the brace with a Dremel tool. It now fits fine and I really like the addition. I did not have to remove the original bracket, it will not catch in the slot with the new brace hooked.

Rod
10921 Click image for larger version. Name: Louver Brace 001.jpg Views: 96 Size: 120.6 KB ID: 12176

[David T]

The mounts for the struts holding the rear sunshade is an area where DMC did not do their best work. On every car when the sunshade is opened it is not level side-to-side and they are all different heights. There is no good way to adjust anything. The hold-open for the engine cover is a lousy design. I have seen plenty of them broken because someone tried to close the engine cover before properly releasing the hold-open latch. Be careful when selecting struts, especially if you have added braces or other things to the rear sunshade, it adds weight that the struts must be capable of holding but of they are to strong you can damage the sunshade. When opening and closing the sunshade hold it level, if one side gets to high it will bend and break. The latch on the sunshade on many cars won't work right because it was never properly adjusted.
David Teitelbaum

[David T]

Deloreans are not exactly "snowflakes" but they are not cookie cut mass produced bubble-shaped cars made by a large manufacturer for lots of years by an experienced workforce. As with most low production cars, each car needs a little "fettling" (filing, fitting, grinding, etc) to get things to fit. Especially when it comes to body parts.
David Teitelbaum

[Totally 80s]

Hi all. I have the DMC louvre reinforcement brace installed, but I need longer struts to lift the louvres higher so that the engine cover will latch into the notch in the brace. I am told that DMCCA, DMCMW, etc used to sell the longer struts, but now they only sell what DMCH sells (too short to be used with the brace.)

Does anyone have a part number for longer louvre struts that I might be able to find locally? Or perhaps a length of the strut you are using with the support brace? Thanks in advance.

Can't you just lift it up a little and put it in the brace?