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Old Dec 22, 2008 | 11:07 PM
  #1  
UrbanXX's Avatar
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Rear hatch shocks

Went out this morning about 10 degrees and opened the rear hatch on my Excursion and opened the barn doors and just happened to catch the rear hatch before it fell and surely would have hit the barn doors.
Seems as though the oil in the shocks was too cold for the shocks to hold the rear hatch up.

Just a note of caution on this in cold weather for those who don't know this. Seems as though this is how some of the rear windows get broken.

By the way my shocks are good as long as they don't get real cold.




03 Excursion
V-10 Limited
Black 4X4
 
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Old Dec 23, 2008 | 01:13 AM
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Mine had the same problem I juts changed em out and I have a trip to the mountains next week we shall see if it works
 
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Old Dec 23, 2008 | 04:14 AM
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Just change them out. (with the 2wd Excursion version) This gives you about 2" more height so you can slide in larger loads (boxes or plywood) without rubbing on the panel around the glass.
 
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Old Dec 23, 2008 | 06:15 AM
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Yep - happened to me... got a big 'thunk' on the head - Ouch!

Time to replace mine, but shocks and tires are first priority.
 
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Old Dec 23, 2008 | 08:32 AM
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It was around 8 degrees here and I notice when I put the hatch up that something was not right so I avoided getting hit in the head. It made it real hard to get what I needed out of the back though. You really do not know how heavy the hatch is until the shocks fail. I had a 78 Pinto with the all glass hatch and when the shocks failed on it I suddenly realized that the glass was very heavy.
 
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Old Dec 23, 2008 | 12:58 PM
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i had a strut failure in below zeros temps...i ordered two new struts and found that only one was bad...i kept the other for a back up..the hatch was heavy even with the one failed strut..
 
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Old Dec 23, 2008 | 01:13 PM
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Originally Posted by Move over I'm coming
Just change them out. (with the 2wd Excursion version) This gives you about 2" more height so you can slide in larger loads (boxes or plywood) without rubbing on the panel around the glass.
I did to a couple years ago and at -19 the other day they wouldn't hold up the rear window. The snow and ice and the glass didn't help either.

The 2wd shocks are nice.
 
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Old Dec 23, 2008 | 02:11 PM
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Well today at 31 degrees the rear hatch shocks work as new. But I can assure you at 10 degrees they are useless.
I really don't think there is any thing wrong with mine other than the "fluid" in them just conjells at cold tempatures. If a problem exists it is a design problem due to whatever fluid that is used in them.




03 Excursion
Limited 4X4
Black V-10
 
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Old Dec 23, 2008 | 02:53 PM
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Originally Posted by UrbanXX
Well today at 31 degrees the rear hatch shocks work as new. But I can assure you at 10 degrees they are useless.
I really don't think there is any thing wrong with mine other than the "fluid" in them just conjells at cold tempatures. If a problem exists it is a design problem due to whatever fluid that is used in them.




03 Excursion
Limited 4X4
Black V-10
No. As they get older and wear out they will first fail in the cold temps. I can assure you that a new set will work in the cold just as well as they do in warmer temps. I just replaced mine last year for just this problem. Go here -> liftsupportsdepot.com and order yourself some new one.
 
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Old Dec 23, 2008 | 03:01 PM
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Hi Rob,
You have got to be correct 100% on this, they would not design something this simple that would not work in cold weather. I'm going with your advice. Thank you Sir. I'm sending Rep Points your way for this advice. May be tomorrow as my limit has been reached today.
UrbanXX
 
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Old Dec 23, 2008 | 08:15 PM
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I love this site!!!! Sorry, just had to say that. I've gotten so many great tips from FTE including the 2wd lift supports for my 4x4 X. Put 'em on last night and they work like a dream -- but it's only in the mid 20's.
 
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Old Dec 23, 2008 | 10:50 PM
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Originally Posted by UrbanXX
Hi Rob,
You have got to be correct 100% on this, they would not design something this simple that would not work in cold weather. I'm going with your advice. Thank you Sir. I'm sending Rep Points your way for this advice. May be tomorrow as my limit has been reached today.
UrbanXX
Cool!!

 
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Old Dec 23, 2008 | 11:09 PM
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Think I will go with the longer lift gate shocks for the 2wd models.





03 Excursion
Limited V-10
4X4 Black
 
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Old Dec 24, 2008 | 10:53 AM
  #14  
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From: KC
For those who keep the EX in the garage, and put longer shocks on your 4x4, open it slowly when your garage door is open and hanging above you. With that in mind, this is one of the best cheap mods you can make, in my opinion.
 
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Old Dec 24, 2008 | 11:08 AM
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Even though my Excursion is bone stock and has 265X75-16 tires and my house has a 3 car garage my Excursion would just barely fit under the garage doors with the roof racks removed. Of course my house was built in 1978. As mine has never been in my garage it might even be to long, if not it would be close.
So needless to say mine sits outside.
This is just one of those things you never think about until one is faced with the situation.
I would surely have the problem you are referring to if it was in my garage.
 
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