Discussion
You can roll a towel and put it on the outside. Make sure that there are no creases. I guess you could use another towel on the other side between the struts and the screen itself, I've never found that it has marked there though.
Just be careful not to put down the screen when it's too cold!
Just be careful not to put down the screen when it's too cold!
I have noticed a few cars with the struts very close to the rear screen. There should be a fair gap, certainly enough to prevent them rubbing together. In some cases the screen is relatively slack suggesting the positioning of the strut is wrong. In others the strut itself appears to bend too far. I wonder which yours is?
Assuming you have a standard strut; have you checked the joint? Firstly there should be little slack in the simple pivot, I have seen one which was damaged and loose. Secondly the point at which the two pieces come together in compression can get bent, which increases the angle at which the strut comes to rest. Thirdly there should be a simple piece of rubber inside that contact point to prevent the two pieces coming together too abruptly or rubbing together, one of these was missing on mine. I have also changed the rubber to sections of wagon inner tube which has reduced the angle at which the struts come to rest, which keeps them tighter and also increases the clearance to the screen.
It should take a fair bit of pressure to force the struts over centre, to ensure the rear screen is taught AND the targa panels are well located. Once the struts are over centre they shouldn't go so far that they come slack.
Adding the pads makes sense and protects the hands when using the strut. But that is secondary to getting the tension right, and neither the strut or the pad should touch the rear scree when it is up.
Assuming you have a standard strut; have you checked the joint? Firstly there should be little slack in the simple pivot, I have seen one which was damaged and loose. Secondly the point at which the two pieces come together in compression can get bent, which increases the angle at which the strut comes to rest. Thirdly there should be a simple piece of rubber inside that contact point to prevent the two pieces coming together too abruptly or rubbing together, one of these was missing on mine. I have also changed the rubber to sections of wagon inner tube which has reduced the angle at which the struts come to rest, which keeps them tighter and also increases the clearance to the screen.
It should take a fair bit of pressure to force the struts over centre, to ensure the rear screen is taught AND the targa panels are well located. Once the struts are over centre they shouldn't go so far that they come slack.
Adding the pads makes sense and protects the hands when using the strut. But that is secondary to getting the tension right, and neither the strut or the pad should touch the rear scree when it is up.
phillpot said:
No, but they do when it's down.
Agreed Mike but I was just adding to the post as I was surprised to see some hitting the screen when it is up which is bound to damage the screen. Not sure if the Spanish S2 knows about the rubber in the struts.When the screen is down I use a length of thick pipe insulation sewn into a nice bag. Fits across the outside of the screen when folded and the rounded shape has done well at stopping creases.
Fits into the hood box when the hood is up. Had to make one up as I didn't have a Versace towel like Glen;)Gassing Station | S Series | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff