HATCH SHOCK, 79-85 (EACH)

2 reviews for HATCH SHOCK, 79-85 (EACH)

1. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   molinadereck11 – June 8, 2022

   perfect

2. 

   Rated 5 out of 5

   Kyo – September 16, 2023

   These units fit just like stock.
   They DO come as pictured with new ball studs and new pins with C clips. That’s great for people with old nasty hardware, people who’s cars were missing the striata or hardware, or lunk heads like me who lost theirs when they stripped the car for paint.

   The studs fit the actors threads on the car, which isn’t always the case for aftermarket hatch struts and the pins fit well without play.

   Purists will note that the factory units use an oversize hole with a plastic bushing to isolate things, these have a hole sized to the pin without isolator bushing.
   If you are a true audiophile perhaps you might notice the slight noise that may produce- but being realistic, especially with an exhaust and especially if you have aged and likely bad weather seals, you won’t. Also… these ones work to hold your trunk sooo… deal with it or drill the holes over and reuse the bushings or make your own.

   What I hear a lot is “but my defroster wiring…”
   Indeed, like most aftermarket shocks these are identical left to right and do not have the defroster contact parts.

   Once upon a time I would describe to you a complex and convoluted method of painstakingly removing the mechanism plastics and making a cut in the terminals and reassembling on the new struts. Not here, not in 2023 when Mazdatrix has your back.

   You see dear reader, the tips of these struts can be unscrewed with your bare hands.

   SAFELY secure your factory (or a donor factory) strut and use a cutting tool to lip the head off. Only cut the shaft- do NOT cut the pressurized strut body or overheat it.

   Once the head is removed from the old strut, simply cut the heat shrink wrap holding the wires to the old strut and slide your defroster contacts off. Unscrew the head from the strut you’ll be using for the defroster side and slide the contacts on.

   You can re wrap the wires to the new strut or electrical tape them or, if you removed it carefully, you can reuse the old wrap and some adhesive if you want to keep the little “KYb” sticker.

   Now your hatch has assist, it stays open, and you have factory look and function to your defroster.

   I mentioned the struts in my deal review, so I’ll do the opposite here. With the struts off it is an opportune time to replace your old or leaking hatch seal. The factory unit works well and Mazdatrix had their own unit that I recently tried and found to be equal to OE in fit and function.