So, while I'm waiting for some dirty oil to drain out, I'm thinking again about ways to make it easier to access under the bed of this ol' 6x4. I've been thinking that as nice as an actual hydraulic lift could be that's not in the budget, but I think a moderate amount of assistance would make this safer for bad arthritis days.
I'm thinking I may try and rig up a gas strut or two from wherever-I-get-those, and possibly put in a couple of springs such as you might find in a truck's hood, just so it can pop off the latch and then I can lift all the way with both arms. (Or maybe just something to hold the latch open for me would be simpler: I'm looking for what I've got around that I can bodge something up with that way.)
So, I was wondering if anyone knows of a good way to go with such struts: length, attachment points, or anything, etc. I haven't got any such parts around so could probably go a number of ways.
Also, just for maybe-interesting, I'm considering adding a tool rack/tray to the 'hood' of this guy: I've sort of mocked up a way I can use parts from the third seat to my Volvo that I removed, which happen to look kind of like they belong there, but I'm not sure if in the end that's any better than just getting hold of some clips like you'd hang the things in garages and just attaching them with some strips of metal from the home center to spread the weight. (The seat pan could be useful for odds and ends or not prove deep enough to really help. It'd also be possible to use standard ATV accessories because the frame is made of round bar, but those are more expensive anyway. :) )
It'd be handy to be able to just stick a couple of tools like shovels/mattocks/axes/rakes up there around this property: there could end up being a certain Army-jeep factor going on here in the end: I'll probably obtain an entrenching tool and some old hatchet just to have always on the vehicle, too, though I don't want to attach too much to the bed until I've added aforementioned lifting assists. :)
I'm thinking I may try and rig up a gas strut or two from wherever-I-get-those, and possibly put in a couple of springs such as you might find in a truck's hood, just so it can pop off the latch and then I can lift all the way with both arms. (Or maybe just something to hold the latch open for me would be simpler: I'm looking for what I've got around that I can bodge something up with that way.)
So, I was wondering if anyone knows of a good way to go with such struts: length, attachment points, or anything, etc. I haven't got any such parts around so could probably go a number of ways.
Also, just for maybe-interesting, I'm considering adding a tool rack/tray to the 'hood' of this guy: I've sort of mocked up a way I can use parts from the third seat to my Volvo that I removed, which happen to look kind of like they belong there, but I'm not sure if in the end that's any better than just getting hold of some clips like you'd hang the things in garages and just attaching them with some strips of metal from the home center to spread the weight. (The seat pan could be useful for odds and ends or not prove deep enough to really help. It'd also be possible to use standard ATV accessories because the frame is made of round bar, but those are more expensive anyway. :) )
It'd be handy to be able to just stick a couple of tools like shovels/mattocks/axes/rakes up there around this property: there could end up being a certain Army-jeep factor going on here in the end: I'll probably obtain an entrenching tool and some old hatchet just to have always on the vehicle, too, though I don't want to attach too much to the bed until I've added aforementioned lifting assists. :)