Poor mans GT ish Headlights $125, diagrams follow Options

[rhilgers]

Gt(ish) Headlights project.

What I did, not neccessary what you should do (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wink.gif)

Not wanting to hack up the back of the headlight bucket, I set about designing a new setup.

Remove all wiring/motors/lifting stuff.

In three parts

((((1))))
Starting with the Gas Springs.
http://www.spdhardware.com/gs2.htm
SPD-GS-5000-20 = 20lbs

NAPA Parts cross ref:
http://www.spdhardware.com/gs2a.htm

You may have to file down some of the top plastic fitting to get the headlight to sit flush with the hood.
(OK its real picky but a little filing gets it perfect.)

I used the 20 lbs so far. It may need higher ratings.
Placement is fat end DOWN so the rod end goes into the headlight housing.
(Yes, this is exactly how the manufacturer does not want the rod mounted as it will shorten its lifespan)


QTY 2 each.
10mm balls m8x1.25 thread.
http://www.spdhardware.com/gs8.htm
BS-1002
This goes into the hold inside the headlight housing where the old lifter Mechanism used to mount.

QTY 4 M8 nuts (two for each end)
QTY 2 6mm nuts for the end threaded side of each gas lifter.


Qty 2 each
http://www.thomasregister.com/olc/SmartCat...om/spdecomm.htm
Drill out one hole and mount it with one screw/nut to the hole in the back cover. (See PIC)
The force of the gas spring will force it against the body.
It should be mounted as shown UNDER the lip for the best fit.





((((2))))
Onto the cable realease
Its a nice unit with lots of adjustments at the headlight ends.
I have not opened the other end up yet but it would be nice to shorten one side.

http://www.spdhardware.com/gs13.htm

Length and mounting in the cabin is your choice/problem.
Mounting behind the headlight is on the drilled out hold that used to hold the motor.
1/2 inch bit?






((((3))))
Release
Whats missing to make this work is a few pieces of metal that will ride on the Gas Spring and latch back where the cable release is.
So,
its one 1/2 inch galvanized coupler
(yes, the water type, and NO dont weld it till you file past the galvanized layer because its toxic)
There are lots of weldable 1/2 threaded couplers out there if you dont want the irrigation look.

Grind the coupler so a ramp is made from the back edge to the forward tip.
Optionally weld on the latch included with the kit.

SEE Diagram


Inside the coupler I found that a certain brown 1/2 riser (UPC 0 46878 37128 6)
(yes, for sprinklers) will just clear the Gas Spring and act like a teflon liner.
I cut off the rest of the riser and sanded the edges clean.

On the threaded tip I placed a nut and cut a lenght of square weldable rod.
Align the rod on the bottom and the ground ramp toward the latch.
CAREFULLY align the rod inline with agas spring jig with a small gap between them, and tack to the nut and the coupler.
DO NOT WELD NEAR THE GAS SPRING!!!
I used a failed Gas Spring as a jig so it would not explode.
(NOTE, do not push gas springs all the way in at any time! It will ruin them (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/sad.gif)

Remove it from the spring jig and screw it onto the spring.
The rod should be on the bottom and the latch slope towared the outside of the car.


Testing still needs to be done to see if it rattles too much when closed.


COSTS
Gas Springs $60
Dual Release $50
Misc Hardware $15
--------------------
$125


I have not checked on the NAPA prices yet.



-Rich Hilgersom

[lapuwali]

One could shorten the throw of the cable with a simple lever arrangment. The tradeoff is more force is required on the cable to pull the lights up. You could get a nearly infinite range of force v. distance. Whether you could get the pull short enough with a reasonable force required I don't know. I have a couple of simple drawings, but I can't post them from here.

The solenoids I'm thinking of are about $12-15 ea new, and can be scavenged used out of lots of things for far less. The cables aren't all that cheap, and running them would be a bigger problem than running a pair of wires and installing a pushbutton, IMHO. You don't need much force from the solenoids, as all you're using them for is releasing the "spring" to allow the lights to come up. The gas springs are probably the best bet, as they'll be reasonably damped in allowing the lights to rise, and the lights won't go CLUNK against the stops.

I'm thinking the pull cable idea isn't so great, only because I'm shying away from cables entirely. Hand-closing the lights isn't so bad, really. Everything I can think of to make that work would either be complicated, or would eliminate the weight break from getting rid of the motors. Big solenoids, for example, could be used to push the lights open, but they'd weigh nearly as much as the motors. They'd be simpler electrically, though.