Cobalt 21BR lift shocks

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thomasalva

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I have a 1989 Cobalt 21BR which is in need of a new pair of engine hatch/rear seat lift arms/shocks/props/struts (whatever they're actually called). I've contacted a local dealer, but so far they can't find the specs for them. The brand of mine says Suspa, but the numbers are too faded from the paper tags to make out anything.

They are 36 inches long, and I've found Suspa sources online, but I don't know what the lift rating should be. I've found them in 40, 60, and 100 pounds, but I don't know which one would be best.

This boat has the long continuous rear bench seat/engine hatch. If someone has a similar boat, I would appreciate any part numbers or specs you might be able to find. I have to clamp mine with vice grips to keep the hatch open.

Thanks
 

RollingWanderer

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Re: Cobalt 21BR lift shocks

Could you remove the hatch and weigh it? What are the dimensions/makeup of the hatch?

-RW
 

thomasalva

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Re: Cobalt 21BR lift shocks

It wouldn't be a picnic to remove it, but maybe I could close it down on a scale. It's probably around 7 feet long by 2 feet deep by 2 feet high with a seat mounted on top. I was hoping if someone had an original part number or specs I wouldn't have to guess at it, since I don't want to overdo it and break a mount. I'm not sure if Suspa is even the OEM brand (I doubt it), so the correct weight may be something they don't even offer.

Thanks
 

RollingWanderer

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Re: Cobalt 21BR lift shocks

Is the seat "base" fiberglass or wood? How thick is the base?

-RW
 

thomasalva

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Re: Cobalt 21BR lift shocks

The entire hatch (viewed from the bottom) is fiberglass, but I'm not sure about the seat base itself. I would guess the seat is probably on a plywood structure attached to the fiberglass hatch, so the whole assembly is pretty heavy. I'll take a closer look tonight and see if I can determine the thickness.

The old shocks will almost hold it up, but even so it takes a hefty pull to open it initially. I spoke with a Cobalt dealer who said most of the newer boats use 60 pound lifts, but I'm pretty sure the newer ones are lighter made overall. I'm leaning toward using a pair of 80 pounders, but I want to make sure obviously that it can't open by itself.
 

RollingWanderer

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Re: Cobalt 21BR lift shocks

Hmmm, well based on weighing 2 covers/seat bases from my boat, I'm gonna guess you are looking at ~90-100# for the whole assembly. Two 60# struts should hold it, but probably not with much leeway. If you can find 80# struts I think those will be your best bet. Two 100# struts and it may be difficult to close the darn thing.

-RW
 

peakay

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Aug 21, 2009
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Sorry to bump this back up, but its the only result I could find on Google for struts on a 21BR.

Did you ever figure out which were the correct ones? Our 88 21Br needs them.

Thanks!
 

Fun Times

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Sorry to bump this back up, but its the only result I could find on Google for struts on a 21BR.

Did you ever figure out which were the correct ones? Our 88 21Br needs them.

Thanks!
Hi peakay, Please know that the chances are going to be slim that the original poster thomasalva is going to be back online anytime soon to help with this question since his last activity was back on December 29th, 2011, 09:36 AM.;) Also iboats prefers members to create a new topic of their own vs tagging onto someone else's that may have different specifications than your boat design.

That mentioned, Have you tried looking for any numbers on your lift struts/shocks? Sometimes there are numbers on them that indicate the pound strength they handle.

Per guidelines, Gotta close this topic to help avoid confusion so please go ahead and create a new topic and if needed, feel free to reference this topic by way of linking it into your new topic.

Thanks for your understanding in advance and good luck to you.
 
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