Rear boot dampers on convertible

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Bally
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Mon Aug 27, 2018 10:43 am

Had the rear dampers replaced on my bootlid but the dampers seem to be pushing bootlid closed instead of helping it up any ideas on what could be wrong thanks
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paultv
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Mon Aug 27, 2018 10:53 am

Fitted upside down!

Paul :-)
4th May 1990 325i Convertible.

BMW E30 Cabriolet Best Mod Ever:

https://bmwe30cabriolet-wdm.blogspot.com/
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Bally
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Mon Aug 27, 2018 11:25 am

Don’t think so because the damper should spring outwards and need force to close so either way round shouldn’t matter it seems like instead of pushing outwards they are pulling inwards may take the damper off to see what they do unfitted may be wrong ones
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Satan
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Mon Aug 27, 2018 11:28 am

Where did you get the dampers from and any photos as a damper is meant to hold the bottled/bonnet up and not pulling them closed.......
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Bally
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Mon Aug 27, 2018 12:05 pm

They are from bmw maindealer
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Satan
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Mon Aug 27, 2018 12:56 pm

What car do you have as on a convertible there is usually one damper on the saloon I believe there may be two and a spring? Photos would help, who replaced them?
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Bally
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Mon Aug 27, 2018 2:00 pm

J plate 325 mine has 2 dampers at work so no pics thought there may be someone who’s had the same issue or experience
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Satan
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Mon Aug 27, 2018 5:04 pm

Mines a pre facelift vert and has one damper.
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Satan
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Mon Aug 27, 2018 5:07 pm

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paultv
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Mon Aug 27, 2018 5:41 pm

Mines a G May 1990 and has 2 - they also came from BMW and I have no issue's. I have a boot spoiler on there still from the mtech kit I took off and binned, so a bit heavier than without, and it also has a boot lid inner liner which adds some weight too - the two springs I have are 150N each and it all works fine.

Paul :-)
4th May 1990 325i Convertible.

BMW E30 Cabriolet Best Mod Ever:

https://bmwe30cabriolet-wdm.blogspot.com/
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Bally
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Tue Aug 28, 2018 9:22 am

Thanks Paulette sounds like the same set up not a lot to go wrong with fitting just taken one side off and I can push the damper in and out yurt by using slight finger force suspect these are faulty dampers almost feel as if no fluid or gas resistance will try new set thanks
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paultv
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Tue Aug 28, 2018 9:51 am

sounds like they are NOS, been sitting on a shelf for thirty years - mine are hard to push closed by hand, so it looks like a refund to me!

Paul :-)
4th May 1990 325i Convertible.

BMW E30 Cabriolet Best Mod Ever:

https://bmwe30cabriolet-wdm.blogspot.com/
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Satan
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Tue Aug 28, 2018 10:37 am

I got mine from SGS Engineering.
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paultv
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Tue Aug 28, 2018 11:23 am

I had a pair from SGS - they're still in the garage as they don't fit properly.

Paul :-)
4th May 1990 325i Convertible.

BMW E30 Cabriolet Best Mod Ever:

https://bmwe30cabriolet-wdm.blogspot.com/
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Satan
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Tue Aug 28, 2018 11:49 am

paultv wrote:I had a pair from SGS - they're still in the garage as they don't fit properly.

Paul :-)
You must have ordered the wrong ones as all of mine fit, is it the size of the hole or the shape of the bracket at either end of the damper?
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paultv
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Tue Aug 28, 2018 12:27 pm

it's the bracket shape that stops the bottom IIRC going all the way home... when I checked with them, they said they didn't make an E30 specific boot spring/damper.

Paul :-)
4th May 1990 325i Convertible.

BMW E30 Cabriolet Best Mod Ever:

https://bmwe30cabriolet-wdm.blogspot.com/
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Satan
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Tue Aug 28, 2018 1:29 pm

I've seen that before as its the offset on the bracket thats the problem, must be a post facelift thing, I believe they can refresh old dampers as well.
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