I had completed my installation of the door strut attach fittings to the
cabin top. This included welding ears on both sides of the fittings to
increase the contact area to the cabin top, and providing two more bolts
per fitting. I feel that the amount of force (over 200 lbs) that these
struts produce requires more support than the three bolts thru
fibre-glass that the stock fitting provides, if this fitting isn't going
to become "loose and sloppy" down the road. I had also built up pads
under the fittings with epoxy/ cabosil to provide as much contact area
as possible with the top. The plans say to position the fittings fore
and aft, centered between the hinge bolts and adjust the
inboard/outboard position to a "best fit". Unfortunately the step to
check the length of the strut isn't done until later. Well my "best fit"
position turns out to be too far outboard and the struts would bottom
out before the door is fully closed.(thanks to the poster that prompted
me to check). The plans are clearly incomplete in this procedure, as the
"best fit" should be clarified to a "do not exceed" dimension for the
outboard reference. I was prompted to check mine, and found the problem
before I had permanently mounted the top. The change then would have
been much more difficult working upside down, than while the top was on
the workbench. Ain't this site great!
Chris Hukill
