Today I picked up 2 Strong Arm brand, Part #F4057 lift supports from Advance Auto Parts. They were $19.99 each. Opticatonline.com has specs for these supports as follows: 10" extended, 6.6" compressed, 3.4" stroke, "replaces 20-29 lbs. force".

Upon installation, it appears that they fit just fine. The trunk opens and closes ok. But I don't think the pressure is enough. The trunk still opened with difficulty. So I started looking at the hinge points. I lubricated them with white lithium grease & the trunk lid loosened up some. It wasn't enough for it to open on its own, but it didn't drag as much either.

Here's a chart of other 10" Strong Arm brand lift struts listed on Opticatonline.com:

F4034, 150 lbs.
F4035, 145 lbs.
F4062, 120 lbs.
F4039, 95-104 lbs.
F4052, 90 lbs. (blade)
F4061, 85 lbs.
F4038, 75-84 lbs.
F4060, 60-69 lbs.
F4037, 55-64 lbs.
F4059, 50-59 lbs.
F4036, 35-44 lbs.
F4058, 30-39 lbs.
F4057, 20-29 lbs.

I also got another, more definitive response from Stabilus today. They made it clear that they won't release any information about the original equipment strut that would be helpful to cross the application. I specifically asked in my outgoing email for the extended & compressed lengths & spring pressure. No dice.

I also received a quote from Don Hewlett of TCH Limited. They sell Stabilus struts as well. But they won't tell you what the original spring pressure was, and they won't recommend a pressure to try. They blamed "liability". But they did provide the following price quotes for these 3 Stabilus springs (which are all 10" extended length springs of various pressures):

6449IM 2 @ $75.00/E, 2 weeks
6501IP 2 @ $75.00/E, 2 weeks
6502IK 2 @ $75.00/E, 6-9 weeks

I'll try living with the struts I have for the time being. I might get a pair at a higher pressure later, if my trunk hinges don't loosen up enough. I'd recommend jumping up to the F4036 at 35-44 lbs. if I were starting from scratch.

Thomas