adjusting hatch posts
 

I looked at the posts and where they connect to the hatch and where they connect to the car frame there is only ball and socket type joints (one at each end) but no nut or anything to loosen... by post people mean piston/strut that holds up the hatch when open right?- what am I missing? I want find the screw that tightens the posts so that I can stop the hatch from creaking. (see my post entitled how to replace the hatch seal)

Thanks-
Pat

The posts on the hatch (ball). There is a nut (loosen it), grab a pair of vise grips and turn the ball (clockwise) ....righty tighty...lefty loosy........

turn a quarter turn each time.............close the hatch...check for feel............

pop it open .........do it again........

try and get it as tight as possible......... almost to the point you have to slam the hatch shut.............voila........air tight

good luck...

maybe your 86 is different because... the ball is not movable and is attached to the hatch frame. The socket is a small plastic piece that can pop off of the ball. The socket has female threading. The piston is unadjustable and simply has male threading that goes into the socket. The socket at the other end appears to be permenantly attached to the piston, it too pops off of the ball which is connected to the car frame. I could completely take it all apart with my hands no tools, and no where was there anything that is adjustable??? maybe they had different setup in 86. Oh and in figuring all this out one of the plastic sockets on the hatch end broke... anyone know where to get another- I'm about to look here on pelican. Thanks

Pat

I'm just getting a new seal and I guess that's it- maybe I don't have the stock pistons, but that doesnt make sense...

are you guys talking about the same thing? The hatch shocks are not adjustable as far as I know, but the metal posts that latch the hatch are.

85944NA- THANK YOU!!! I cannot believe I was thinking of something different for all that time! Now I see:) I feel so dumb and yet so satisfied that I now know what to do, but it is way too late to go outside in the cold and adjust them. thanks again

Pat

I'm glad I could help. I read the post a few times, and the replies, and they didn't make sense. Good luck with the adjustments!