I've got a spare bottom bracket - let me know if you want it - it's of no use to me

miggit wrote:

I have been looking in to doing this conversion on my ffrr, but, it would appear that the boat has sailed on reasonably priced parts. The current price from Dan is £63 , no reflection on Dan, I know if it can be had cheaper he'd do it. L/R are taking the urine with thier prices, I can only imagine that they have sold a few more brackets than 2011-2012 ffrr's and have relised that there is a retro fitting frenzy, and have adjusted the prices accordingly

So, not to be done over by the stealers, I have been looking in to making my own bracket and saving best part of £30. The first bit of good news is you don't have to buy a new strap, I took a torques bit to my ffrr today and discovered that the top bolt is a bolt
This means that it can be substituted with a ball stud and a hole made in the rubber cover and you've saved £15 ish BUT, the best priced ball studs have a minimum order and I'd end up with enough for half a dozen plus conversions I've only got one Anyone else interested? £2 + postage for 1 long ball stud for the strap and 1 short for the bracket.

I have also been rummaging in my pals scrap pile, and he has some 2.5mm 3" rolled c section that I think will make a nice bracket, similar to the L/R one, but from his scrap pile, with price adjusted favorably

Miggit, why not produce a couple of LH & RH brackets and sell a double kit? I for one would buy the reverse of whats on my 2012 to fit the other side of the tailgate to make it "doubley damped"

I am - as ever - slightly confused, can the strut (equivalent) not be bought from SGS and the other bits from Miggit? Geoff

Once he makes them

There are 3 parts - a modified strap mounting, a damper and a lower bracket

It sounds like he's figured out the strap mounting to get a ball on it.

Am i on the right forum?

we're talking about a damp strap-on with balls  2003 Range Rover Vogue 4.4 on Gas
1961 88" 2.25 diesel - George
Gone - 1997 3.9 V8i Discovery - Burt

supershuttle, yes a Gas Strut can be had from SGS, but their prices start at £14 + carriage, you can get genuine for that, and Britparts are doing a pattern one for £10.08 + . So I wouldn't bother with SGS

Craig, double damped What on earth are you doing on your tailgate Don't tell me, I don't want to know
I can only imagine that you want to fit a second damper to slow the rate of drop, this may work, but as they are gas struts and not dampers there is a chance that the lower tailgate will not be heavy enough, and you end up with a floating in mid position state. However I have also determined that there is a sweet spot for the bracket, and not all of you have found this. With this in mind, I was going to elongate the holes to make the bracket adjustable, so that there is more and less . An adjustable left hand bracket is a possibility...........

My aim is produce a kit at a price nearer to the 2012 price at the beginning of this thread, but with extras, so that it can be tuned to the desired rate of opening speed. Being totally new to the damped tailgates and never having experienced the factory option, I don't know how fast they fall, and how much they can be adjusted, yet, but watch this space  Yesterday I couldn't spell Engineer... Today I are one!
Inventor of the 'Guide-o-Matic automatic wheel alignment tool'
Former long term L322 owner, Up/Down graded to a Classic Tractor!

When you get it done, I'll have a damp strap-on with balls to go with my nut extender, oh sorry a 'Guide-o-Matic automatic wheel alignment tool'....

You'll be turning into a porn king soon....  Pete
I now have permission from the boss to use Y.O.L.O. Enjoy life
__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

For you buddy, not a problem  Yesterday I couldn't spell Engineer... Today I are one!
Inventor of the 'Guide-o-Matic automatic wheel alignment tool'
Former long term L322 owner, Up/Down graded to a Classic Tractor!

If you go into production I will have one off you. And I like Craig's thinking of "double damped" so if a left hooker is available I will take two.

I'm interested too.

On a slightly different matter how does everyone find the upper tailgate when closing, mine always seems to slam at then and sounds very loud and I often worry about it breaking the glass

Hi all, well I've been bashing away and so far I have discovered a few things...........

The original bracket is stamped out and folded, and is so small that it's almost impossible to copy without a cnc punch., and plasma cutters are hot, burnt my finger

So I have fashioned a bracket that does the same job, but is made from 2 pieces of steel, and the welded together. This has 2 advantages, first I can make it with a hack saw which is no where near as hot as a plasma cutter , and the bracket is supported nearer the ball joint, which is the stress point. So in theory my bracket is stronger

And even having removed the rear light, a set of rivnut pliers are too big to put in the side fixing . But, I did manage to set the insert by holding it in place with a 1/4" ring spanner and squished it up by tightening a bolt in it . When I told my pal about this he said that he squished them up with a bolt a driver bit in his cordless drill flash git, wish I'd thought of that

So I'm now at the point of testing, but I'm missing the strut so far finding a reasonable priced strut is proving to be a pain. All the cheap one's have stupid carriage prices, and the reasonably priced carriage one's are stupidly priced The best price so far is only viable if I buy 5, then they come in at £15 ea inc. I have a friendly supplier who might do a deal for multiple units from Britpart, I will endevour to sweet talk him tomorrow . Failing that does anyone possess a L/R strut, with a makers part number, or better still the pressure of the strut marked on it (--- Nms), that way I can source them from a wholesaler and cut out the Parts industry altogether  Yesterday I couldn't spell Engineer... Today I are one!
Inventor of the 'Guide-o-Matic automatic wheel alignment tool'
Former long term L322 owner, Up/Down graded to a Classic Tractor!

Fish, does your upper tailgate stay open even in windy conditions? I only ask cos you may have a weak strut / s. If it drops a few inches when opened fully that usually a good sign that all is not well, and there's a good chance that the car's looking to bash you no the back of the head when you are least expecting it  Yesterday I couldn't spell Engineer... Today I are one!
Inventor of the 'Guide-o-Matic automatic wheel alignment tool'
Former long term L322 owner, Up/Down graded to a Classic Tractor!

Hi Miggit,

I've not had a problem with it staying open. It's just that last few inches where it seems to slam, maybe it's just the weight and that's normal. It just sounds loud and I try to hold it as long as possible but if I pull it down with the interior grip my had is then inside

Thanks

Fish, mine is the same, dog barn door technology.

Steve You remind me of a young me, not much younger mind, perhaps even a little older!

They are mostly all the same!!! Finger nails in the release button's rubber grommet thing and start the decent, then when it gets low enough flip your hand around (whilst the tailgate has gone light, between the gas strut pushing & pulling) the gate should be in your finger tips... Lower till around three inches away and let go... Ahh voila... no bang... Its all in the closing technique!!! God I'm sad!!!