Correct me if I'm wrong but the original problem to be solved was a broken ball stud on the top mount. If I've missed something, I'll gladly take my 50 lashes with the wet noodle.

 

Sorry, no lashes for you today!!

 

Darn, my inner masochist was looking forward to them. :)

 

Don, that bracket you found on eBay is what I ended up buying off eBay. The item I bought was from Hoselton Chevrolet, via eBay. I did it only after trying to replace the stud on the old bracket and giving up in frustration at not being able to find one to fit the HHR's strut. In theory one could acquire the correct size ball stud, drill the old bracket and fit the new screw in stud in place of the broken one which was a rivet ball stud.

 

If the brackets are bolt on, seems easy but expensive.
The one I posted was just the first one listed from a search of the part number.

 

It was definitely easy, only two bolts hold it on. The hardest part was holding up the hatch since by the time the first bracket arrived, the second bracket had broken and the hatch was dead weight. The whole repair took maybe five minutes per side.

Yeah, it was more than I wanted to pay, but I'd run out of cheap options. Some times you just have to open the wallet and pay.

 

Here are some specs, looks like the stud is 8mm=5/16"=.32"
https://www.liftsupportsdepot.com/sh...gon-4door/8480


Here are some ebay results

https://www.ebay.com/sch/eBay-Motors...=8mm+Ball+Stud


This one is $3 + $3 shipping with additional units shipped free.

1ea 8mm Metal Ball Stud Strut Spring Mount M4 Metric Thread ? 3/8Length Shaft | eBay

 

RJ,

That's cool. The eBay seller doesn't charge extra shipping as the quantity increases. So for ~$9 you could get the studs to fix both sides. Home depot M4 nuts for under a buck in stock where I live. So assuming there is space for the threaded part of the stud and the nut between the bracket and the hatch one could repair both brackets for ~$10.

I got to thinking about this whole problem last night and realized that I have a 1979 Oldsmobile Starfire and a 1986 Mustang GT which have never had this sort of a failure. They both have the original mounts in operation 31 and 38 years on. Progress in engineering and metallurgy?

R2

 

My 1979 Mustang hatch pivot balls rotted out by 1983, that's why I lube them since that repair way back then.

 

Body panels used to fit together, now they overlap and rely more heavily on gaskets