uninstalled and no bulge
http://www.the370z.com/members/dr_-a...ck-removed.jpg

installed with the plastic removed
http://www.the370z.com/members/dr_-a...-installed.jpg

now has a bulge when hood is closed. This happens on both side and is repeatable by installing and uninstalling.
http://www.the370z.com/members/dr_-a...-has-bulge.jpg

I really want these to work but I'm not going to use unless I can get rid of the bulge.

Well, the guy above you installed it and didn't bulge so I dunno. I'd say PM or call Kelly.

Was the car on stands or a jack when you tried closing the hood. this can cause the bulge because the car is not level. otherwise I cannot explain what is happening here. If you will indulge me by removing the ball post and install it without the washer and make sure that rubber piece is removed from under the ball post so it is at the lowest possible position and see if you still have that problem. If you do this and still have the problem let me know. I have some extra ball studs of different heights that I will send you to try to fix this problem. only other thing I can think of are you the original owner of the vehicle? Has the vehicle been in an accident? has the hood been removed? To me it looks as if the top of the strut that is attached to the ball stud is riding higher than it should. Just keep me informed and we will go from there.

Did you adjust the rubber grommet like Kelly did in his video?

I think it was just the strut, it has to be. The install was super easy and i really checked to see that everything was tightened accordingly and that everything was straight. Car was leveled on the ground and everything. Driver side was fine and I did the passanger side the exact same. Faulty strut perhaps.

I think I know why.

I installed mine this morning, and took them off 5 minutes later.

As I SLOWLY closed the hood, I noticed that it sounded like the dampeners were contacting something. I checked everything again, and repeated with same results. I watched as I closed the third time and the dampeners were contacting the plastic trim that the battery and brake service lids snap into. Also, just after contact as the hood was lowered the last couple inches the inner part of the strut (the lower end that goes into the upper part) actually started to flex and BEND as it contacted the plastic trim cover.

So I attempted to make adjustments to the plastic trim to see if it could be moved any so the strut could clear. No luck. The contact is not minor. Pics below show the amount the struts are having to push the plastic trim out of shape so the hood would close. Once closed there is still a hood bulge.

It is likely that in your installation that you too had a bit of flexing going on in the dampener, and after a few minutes under that stress the end cap just gave up.

While I really do appreciate the effort that went into putting this together for the community, I just cannot leave them on with this much of an issue with the clearance upon closing.

Open to show the plastic trim and weatherstrip along the top edge of the fender.
http://www.the370z.com/members/markg...62464-open.jpg

Closing to show how the contact of the dampener with the plastic trim pushes it out of shape as the hood is closed.

http://www.the370z.com/members/markg...465-close1.jpg

And just a little bit more closed. I could not get any pics showing the flex of the dampener as it was just too dark under the hood and the pics just did not come out well.

http://www.the370z.com/members/markg...466-close2.jpg

At least for me, there was just not enough room for the dampener and the plastic trim under the hood. The plastic gave as far as it would go, and the dampener flexed as much as it could, and the hood still had a bit of a bulge in it.

But this didn't happen when Kelly installed them on the vehicle in the video. I don't get it.

I don't know why either. I watched both of the vids and followed the instructions exactly. I followed all of the tips like making sure the car was lowered off the jack, centering the plastic trim parts when installing the stud, making sure the upper bracket was straight. I even trimmed a notch in the foam part under the dampener to make sure it had a channel to lay in to close.

I haven't seen anyone else with this issue, so maybe I just got "lucky" on this one.

I didn't get to pick up the car from the place that did the install today because my wheel wasn't back from the powder shop but I'll ask them if there was anything "funny" about the kit when they installed it once I go pick it up.

Just ordered. Thanks Kelly

Just a hunch repeated here, but I really think the bulging problems folks are experiencing with the struts - both Z1 and now Kelly's - are due to manufacturing tolerances with the cars.

Up until now, there haven't been any problems reported with Kelly's, and a few with Z1's, maybe they have more out in the field.

Good luck to all as I can sympathize with your frustration. At least we all know Kelly is a stand-up guy who will get a fix in place.

the strut popping out ive experienced... i think its due to the angle of the bolt on the engine bay.... you guys just have to add washers so that it will raise the ball bolt 1-2 washers will do the trick.... and it wont raise the hood either

:tup: I like it good tip! Sounds right and probably the route I would go, I know at work we are always "shimming" to get things to level off or close properly

thanks man... it first happened to me after they painted my z... the strut kept popping out... i thought the guys at the paint shop messed up my strut... i was so frustrated... until i figured it out....

and as far as the hood bulge i never had an issue with that part... :D it could be that maybe some struts are stronger when produced by the manufacturer perhaps? thats why its not a consistent problem...

I think in my case the hood bulge is because of the upward flex of the dampener because it is pushing downward against the plastic trim. I will pick up a few washers this week and give it another try. From the looks of how mine was closing I may need to shim a good 3/16 to 1/4 inch to get it to clear the plastic trim.

That's ok just start with 2 washers then go up from there :tup: you would be surprised how well a couple washer will work as shims :tup:

2 washers should get you at least 1/8" to 3/16"

mine did that too.... thats why i had to remove them on my PWJDM CF engine covers it has indented my clear coat.... i think you should be ok once you put the washers bud :D

I don't even know if I want to install this anymore... :( let me know if the washers do the trick.

I just picked mine up today but I have to wait till spring when I bring the Z to it's new home before I can instal mine. It will be interesting to see who has success and who has problems

:iagree:

Me too, its chillin in the back of my civic till the weather breaks...if the problem is the struts, what size are they so I can acquire different ones if needed?? I gather these are different than previous struts. Hopefully mine just works, but I want hood struts so if it cost me more $$ I do not care, not like I have the ability to make the brackets, because I do not, at least I have those!

Until I can figure out why some have no issues and others having issues I am suspending any more sales. I want to ensure each and every one of you that has gotten them already are completely satisfied with these. That is the way I want to be treated and that is the only way I will treat others. For those that have issues please pm me with details of the problem and pics if that will help and what you have done at this point and I will try to dignose the problem. For those that dont have issues but something develops in the future please let me know and I will help you out as well. I am very perplexed as to why some are having problems. The day I did the video I put them on two cars here and filmed the second one and as you can see in the video we had no issues with either set and I just grabbed them from the same lot as those that have been sent out. I do apologize for the problems and I will do what it takes to make it right. I will respond to each and every PM as fast as I can.

:tup: you are good man! I think sometimes it is also the installation though sometimes things need a little adjusting. Same goes for body parts for example some people will buy a body kit and say they had perfect fitment and others will say the same kit needed a lot of body work to get right and sit flush etc. It just goes to show that not all cars are the same and not all instals go the same some times a little modification will be needed, like the washer shims :tup:

Kelly I sent mine via the post office and it should be there by Tuesday they said. I will try the washer trick when i recieve the new strut. Hopefully it was just a bad strut because I really liked the way these looked on the car.

This is the same problem I had with my Z1 shocks and this is what I did to fix it.(this what I wrote on Z1's thread)

Yeah it took awhile b/c the shocks are painted so they can't touch ,I heated up the plastic covers and bend them down then shot compressed air on them to cool them to stay in shape.

I installed my hood strut today, the right side is perfect, and the left side has SLIGHT hood bulge. It's barely there. Any idea on how to lower it down a bit? I was going to snap some pictures but its dark out now. I'll get some tomorrow before I take the car in for the harness bar install.

Try raising the stud on that side by putting additional washers. Check and see if fixes the problem. sounds like the strut is bending because of the angle and the plastic. let me know if that helps.

Guys - not sure what's going on here but I got my car back last night and I have zero bulge on either side with the damper kit installed. I have to call the body shop to settle up this morning anyway so I'll ask them if they did anything differently.

Edit: Also the damper kit is sweet! Thanks again for doing this.

http://i.imgur.com/lhv5uHt.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/UOjg8Ah.jpg

See? No bulge whatsoever (and I'm anal retentive as hell)

Nice and your car looks siiick!

Wait do you have RC brake ducts on your car? I want those so badly.

Currently no, but brake ducts are on my mid list of things to do.

Damper kit open:

http://i.imgur.com/uV158rw.jpg

On my "imminent" list:
-Dual halo mod march/april

On my "wish" list:
-Red chrome "nismo" GT-R emblem
-RC front brake ducts
-Some sort of GTM FI build. Probably supercharged.
-Blowoff valves because sh*tting fire owns

I went to the shop today to check the progress of my harness bar and I had my fabricator take out my strut bar to get powder coated and I told him to check the dampers and see if he saw anything wrong. I didn't notice this (dumbassss me) but the struts are notching into the plastic right in front of the foam causing them to bend SLIGHTLY. I will attach a picture right now.

http://i1325.photobucket.com/albums/...ps78e61033.jpg
That's the tiny notch.

http://i1325.photobucket.com/albums/...ps6584a2a3.jpg
http://i1325.photobucket.com/albums/...ps84d2e03f.jpg
http://i1325.photobucket.com/albums/...ps183ac48a.jpg
That's what we are working on ride now.

Body shop never got back to me but I've had zero issues


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Second try, and still no luck. I have probably maxed out on the spacers I can add. I have a washer, a jamb nut, and a plastic spacer I made from some leftover parts from a wall mount kit for a flat screen TV. (The plastic spacers are heavy duty and like a thick ABS washer of sorts.)

First pic shows the "Frankestein" spacer stack. It provides right at a half-inch rise for the ball stud mount. I don't think I can go any higher at this point. I think I am getting close to the max clearance to the hood, and I have just enough threads underneath for a washer and the nut.

http://www.the370z.com/members/markg...38-spacers.jpg

With the spacers in and everything in place, it still is making significant contact with the plastic trim pieces, flexing the strut (inner part), and pushing the trim pieces down (and you can see the rubber seal pulling away from inner fender) as the hood closes. The following is the hood bulge I have with them installed and the hood closed.

http://www.the370z.com/members/markg...2839-bulge.jpg

The last pic is the hood with the struts removed, just as a comparison. (Sorry for the blurry phone pic. I was trying to get the same angle as the last pic.)

http://www.the370z.com/members/markg...0-no-bulge.jpg

I am not posting this follow up to take away from the effort put into making this kit available to the community. I really do appreciate the effort, time, and personal financial commitment involved. I am open to any suggestions, because this is a really neat mod, but for now I will just use the prop rod Nissan provided.

Go back and read post 186 and you will see your answer,I had the same problem with a different company,and also had the same problem with Z1's after I did what I posted in 186 all is good.