Gas Strut 500mm

• 20,000 cycle testing and 150 hours of shaft salt exposure testing as part of our comprehensive quality control
• Market tried and tested to ensure optimal functionality
• Brass guided shaft and well oiled seal
• Fabricated with an additional backup seal

500mm gas strut – what you need to know

The Dunn and Watson 500mm gas strut is perfect for camper trailers, caravans, boats, toolboxes and four-wheel-drive canopies. The 500mm refers to the full extension length of the strut.

Used in helping to make opening and closing doors, tailgates, boots, camper trailer beds and windows easy, gas stratus minimise the need to engage in heavy lifting. You can rest assured, thanks to our comprehensive tests on the Aussie market, that you’re getting a quality gas strut.

500mm gas strut measurements

The 500mm gas strut can take a lot of weight; it’s capable of anything from 100n to 700n (newton force), and comes with an 8mm shaft. The stroke length of the 500mm strut is 215mm and the compressed range is 290mm. When working out the weight capacity bear in mind that every 10kg requires an additional 100 newton force. A 500mm x 600n gas strut thus has a 60kg weight capacity. Bear in mind that as the weights get closer to the hinge the harder the strut needs to work and the higher the newton force required. If you’re not sure what force you need based on where you’re installing the strut, our team will be happy to help.

The gas strut materials

The Dunn & Watson 500mm gas strut is made with a black powder-coated body and a nitro carbonised shaft. We prefer nitro coatings rather than chrome plating because it helps prevent the collection of surface rust along the shaft. This means our gas struts are difficult to chip. Rust and chipping can interfere with the seal and reduce the integrity of the struts. Chips can fill with gas and release a bit of gas every time you use it, continuing to wear away at the seals themselves.

Selecting the right strut for what you need

If you have never worked with gas struts before, we recommend talking to a professional, like the team at Dunn & Watson. Why? Incorrect usage can lead to severe injuries and sub-optimal functioning.

For now, let’s look at why you might need a new strut and then at how you can select the right size product for your specific application.

1) You might need new struts to replace old ones that aren’t operating properly anymore.

2) Or you may need to reinforce a door or window due to the introduction of new weight, like a solar panel. The extra struts will help cope with the additional weight.

3) Alternatively, you might just want to get rid of the heavy lifting needed every time you want to open the door!

When replacing existing gas struts with new ones, you need to measure the length of the gas strut from the centre of the eye to the centre of the eye when fully extended. You will also need to measure the shaft, the cylinder and the newton force.

The newton force required can be estimated by using a broomstick and bathroom scales to calculate the measurement. If you have extra weight on the door, you need to know how much this additional weight is.

If you are installing a strut in a brand new application, you need to use a special formula that can be slightly overwhelming when you look at it at first. This formula is written below on this page and don’t worry, it’s not too difficult. You just need to do some measurements first.

This is what you need:

• The dead weight of the window or door that will be lifted (G)
• The half the length of the door (H)
• The mounting distance of the hinge (L)

When you use these numbers in the formula you’ll have the newton force of gas struts you need. Remember that the actual length of the struts you need is 60% of the length of the door. In other words, if the door is 800mm in length, a 600mm strut would be fine.

It’s always better to opt for a little more newton force than you need, just in case your calculations are a little off. If you find these calculations a little stressful, you can always give us a call and we can work it all out for you and help you identify the strut sizes you need.

Installing 500mm gas struts

Our 500mm gas struts come with everything and all the fittings you need: eye ends, ball studs and nuts (two per strut), and brackets if necessary.

When you’re installing or removing these gas struts it’s important that you don’t under load, so that no one is harmed or injured. Once you have the right size struts for your job, it’s fairly simple to replace your old struts. If you need help installing new struts, it’s always best to ask a professional for their assistance, and our team of experts are always here to help.

500mm gas struts features from Dunn & Watson

As the leading manufacturer of four-wheel-drive hardware in Australia, our gas struts go through an exhaustive quality control process. They undergo a 20,000 cycle testing at the factory and also 150 hours of shaft salt exposure testing. What does this mean for you? You’ll rest assured our struts are all reliable, tough, durable, long lasting, and suitable for use in various Aussie conditions. They are ideal for anyone who spends a lot of time working or operating in dusty, sandy or salty environments.

The Dunn & Watson gas struts have a well-oiled seal and brass guided shaft. This ensures a smooth gliding action. All of our 500mm struts are manufactured with an additional backup seal in case the primary seal fails and built with a dampener that prevents the struts from slamming shut and injuring people.

• Exceptional quality control
• Well-oiled seal
• Brass guided shaft for anti-corrosion
• Additional backup seal for optimal functionality
• Installed with a dampener for safety

If you’re ready to replace your old gas struts, you might also want to check out our wide selection of hinges, locks, handles, drawer slides, foam and rubber seals, fasteners and lots more.

Let our quality gas struts do the hard work for you. Change the way you open and close doors in your 4WD, caravan, camper trailer, ute canopies and RVs. Find out more about our gas struts, also called gas stays and gas rams, today.