Originally Posted by
Ronman
Lots of parts for the Crossfire were specifically designed for it just because you got lucky with the turn signal socket doesn't mean that applies to every part. As you are aware a lot of the other parts were from other Mercedes cars which makes things easier since most of the 193 parts are NLA/discontinued.
The Sachs aftermarket lift supports have the exact same pressure, length etc stamped on them like the factory ones but they do not dampen at the end. I was wrong, I forgot the Monroe lift supports dampen at the end and now I learned the Boxi ones dampen also.
The aftermarket Sachs, Strongarm 6189, etc they really do shake the hatch when lifted.
This is not like a Bosch crankshaft position sensor where the aftermarket is identical except there is no Mercedes stamp/part number on it.
A few years back I tried universal lift supports before there were any aftermarket ones and they either were not the correct length, way too strong or not strong enough. The odds are low that another car would require similar length and would just happen to weigh as much as the Crossfire hatch and need the same exact pressure to lift it.
Lucky to get the turn signal part? It was pretty easy to track it down as it had the makers name and part number on it.
The hatch struts do not have a Mercedes number on them that I can see. Parts made specifically for the Crossfire have the Mercedes numbering system on them starting with the number 193.
Many parts on the Crossfire do not carry that number and are or were shelf items. It gets expensive to use too many custom parts on an auto so shelf items are a way to reduce production costs.
What is the difference between a universal part and an after market one, can you explain?