longer hatch struts?

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briogio
Posts: 6
Joined: Sun Dec 21, 2014 5:01 pm

longer hatch struts?

Post by briogio »

I just bought a 2004 Moonstone Vibe and I'm 6' 3", I'm hitting my head on the open hatch. Is there any way to get the hatch to go higher? Ha anybody done this?

In the immortal words of Bob Marley; "Got to 'ave a good VIBE"!
kaflex
Posts: 124
Joined: Wed Sep 18, 2013 12:47 pm
Location: Wilkes-Barre, PA

Re: longer hatch struts?

Post by kaflex »

briogio wrote:I just bought a 2004 Moonstone Vibe and I'm 6' 3", I'm hitting my head on the open hatch. Is there any way to get the hatch to go higher? Ha anybody done this?

In the immortal words of Bob Marley; "Got to 'ave a good VIBE"!

I know how you feel, I'm 6'4" almost 6'5". I never thought about longer struts, I'm used to adjusting to everything.
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tpar1220
Posts: 48
Joined: Mon Sep 08, 2014 6:32 am
Location: martinsville (ish), in.

Re: longer hatch struts?

Post by tpar1220 »

i am 6'3" as well, when i first got my 09 i would barely touch the roof with my head. drove it for couple weeks before i realized there was a lever that lifted and lowered seat. once i figured out what the lever did and how to work it i lowered seat all way down and now have plenty of head room. also have better vision under and around rear view mirror.
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vibrologist
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Joined: Sat May 10, 2014 8:24 am
Location: Iowa

Re: longer hatch struts?

Post by vibrologist »

You guys have problems I just can't relate to. But since I am a compassionate guy I went out to my 05 base and opened the hatch.

If you want to use the existing mounting points there is not much room for longer struts. You really cannot see them with the hatch closed but I noticed that there is about 10mm of strut rod that have grime on them. That may indicate, but I am not sure, that there is room for a 10mm longer strut. However if these 10mm are designed as a reservoir for the gas and oil then my hypothesis is wrong.
If you move the mounting point on the body down by a few mm you should be able to use a longer strut.
How long? to find out I would disconnect both struts and open the hatch carefully beyond the normal limit and observe when things get too tight in the roof area.
You also need to maintain an angle between the lower mounting point and the hinge of the hatch to avoid difficulties when closing. Trigonometry should help figuring out the extended length of the strut. You will have a triangle between points A (lower mounting point on the car), B (upper mounting point on the opened hatch) and C (hinge pin of the hatch hinges).
Last edited by vibrologist on Mon Jan 19, 2015 9:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
Vibrologist
'05 Vibe

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hotbug1776
Posts: 585
Joined: Tue Oct 04, 2011 1:58 am
Location: Erie, Pa and Bellevue, Oh

Re: longer hatch struts?

Post by hotbug1776 »

briogio wrote:I just bought a 2004 Moonstone Vibe and I'm 6' 3", I'm hitting my head on the open hatch. Is there any way to get the hatch to go higher? Ha anybody done this?

In the immortal words of Bob Marley; "Got to 'ave a good VIBE"!
I'm almost 6'3" and the car is lowered over 2". Imagine that debacle. LOL
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hi-tower
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed Apr 01, 2009 2:12 am

Re: longer hatch struts?

Post by hi-tower »

at 6'6" I know what you mean. I hit my head on everything in cars. I am just used to it. I just duck everywhere. If you get it figured out I would be interested in the fix.
lannvouivre
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Location: Texas yay

Re: longer hatch struts?

Post by lannvouivre »

My 6'2" BF has complained as well about it, however at 4'10" I have difficulty feeling any empathy whatever for him, the freakishly tall FREAK.
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Bonezee
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Joined: Mon Dec 29, 2014 2:48 am

Re: longer hatch struts?

Post by Bonezee »

Ya I'm a freak too, lol. Here's a little hack I just learned recently, if you don't know, it works well. I always hated how the rear view mirror would be in my line of vision and I would be constantly ducking to look around it. Ok, the bar that comes down from your windshield, if you point that up you can tuck your mirror up into the ceiling. It doesn't give you much but it is around 2 inches higher and I notice a lot of difference.
briogio
Posts: 6
Joined: Sun Dec 21, 2014 5:01 pm

Re: longer hatch struts?

Post by briogio »

Well in my first week of ownership I have found at least a partial solution. When you push up the hatch it will stop on it's own at a certain spot, if you keep pushing it up till it can't go up any more, you'll get at least 6" higher than where it naturally stops. Still not perfect but quite a bit better. ;)
jayoldschool
Posts: 294
Joined: Mon Aug 04, 2014 6:04 pm

Re: longer hatch struts?

Post by jayoldschool »

At 6'7", it's good to know that I'm not the only tall Vibe guy. Now if I could just do something about my knees hitting the door and the gear surround...
Doug14
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Joined: Wed Jun 13, 2012 11:37 am
Location: London, Ontario

Re: longer hatch struts?

Post by Doug14 »

jayoldschool wrote:At 6'7", it's good to know that I'm not the only tall Vibe guy. Now if I could just do something about my knees hitting the door and the gear surround...
6'6" here, you win tho.
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vibenvy
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Location: Sandwich, IL

Re: longer hatch struts?

Post by vibenvy »

briogio wrote:I just bought a 2004 Moonstone Vibe and I'm 6' 3", I'm hitting my head on the open hatch. Is there any way to get the hatch to go higher? Ha anybody done this?
Since your "new" Vibe is 11 years old, perhaps the hatch struts need to be replaced...
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petervivian
Posts: 301
Joined: Thu Aug 06, 2009 2:52 am
Location: AR

Re: longer hatch struts?

Post by petervivian »

I replaced the struts in 2010, and they are not smooth already. Is it because of the hot weather here?
05 Vibe (Frosty), 13 VW CC (Fortana Red)
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