Where to buy gas boot / tailgate struts?

[M005]

Mods please move if somewhere more suitable.

I've been living in Aus for the last decade and when I wanted to replace the gas boot struts I could go to any one of 4+ automotive chains (Halfords equivalents) and even to our version of B&Q (Anyone remember Bunnings / Homebase?)

I thought it would be easy to tell my mid 70's Mum to take her Hyundai i20 to Halfords, buy a couple of gas struts and smile nicely at one of the teenagers working there to fit them for her.

But it appears Halfords don't sell them Is this some crazy H&S ruling?

I can't find anywhere in the UK other than online ( AutoDoc etc) that do sell them, but that doesn't help her get them fitted. I know they are v easy and she is fairly self sufficient, so maybe up for giving it go.

Are there any 'high street' shop that sells them in the UK?

TIA.

[Mr Tidy]

I don't know about retail stores that sell them, although I assume Euro Car Parts probably do.

If I wanted some I'd buy online for SGS Engineering:- https://www.sgs-engineering.com/gas-struts

I bought a trolley jack from them in 2018 and have had no issues with it.

[tribbles]

Last time I bought some gas struts, I got them from Amazon or Ebay (can't remember which). Not a high street store, I'm afraid.

[Saleen836]

I bought a pair for my 12 plate Astra van from ebay for around £12 delivered, fitted them myself but obviously your mum can't but depending on where she is located I'm sure a member on here can suggest a local garage to do it for her

[yakka]

SGS as mentioned earlier, great service, used them loads of times.

[GreenV8S]

Presumably the car is being serviced regularly. I expect the garage doing that would replace the struts if asked. Parts and labour should both be cheap.

If you want to source and fit the parts yourself, any local motorfactor should be able to source them. The local dealer would also be able to supply them and may not be outrageously expensive. If you're getting somebody else to fit them then you really want them to supply them too.

[stevemcs]

Euros list them normally, or eBay is pretty good. If you struggle with a part number let me know the reg and I’ll have a look for you - although I’m not back at work until the new year, if she’s around Peterborough area I’m happy to fit them too since it’s not a 10 minute trip for you to get back.

[wyson]

I had a bad experience with SGS, they lasted half the time of the OE items. 3 years and they started rusting and wouldn’t prop up the tailgate.

I ordered the OEM version of the OE items because they were half price.

What I noticed is that there is a bit of fine tuning. The SGS gas struts were slow. The OEM’s were fast and I had to be careful when closing the boot so it wouldn’t slam. The OE pistons were the best calibrated, so the boot opened at pace, had a decent degree of support and harder to slam. They also lasted 6 years before needing to be replaced.

Personally, I’d buy OE if I had to do it again.

Just go to the service department of your local Hyundai dealer.

[SAS Tom]

Would agree with the poster above on the SGS struts. Got them on a car and they are slow. Helps with a bit of silicone spray every so often but OE ones never need that.

[Ambleton]

Stabilus are used by loads of OEMs, marine and medical

You used to be able to buy them direct but that option seems to have disappeared. You can buy then through this retailer though.

https://www.gasspringsshop.co.uk/stabilus/#table-t...

You'll need to measure and order the right ones but they're all pretty standard.

[M005]

Many thanks All, plenty of options there.

Yes it is due for a service in the next couple of months, so I'll get her to ring and get pricing and then decide if she gets them to do it or I'll order direct and talk her through it on facetime.