So I've been really giving the power liftgate idea a lot of thought. It's the only major feature I think I'll miss on the X1.
According to Stabilus, the standard BMW X1 liftgate strut is part number 012158. At first I thought
substituting different struts (with different ratings) might achieve most of what we want ("automatic" popping up of the liftgate through increased force with damping at the last 10-15% of travel to avoid banging, but no way to automatically lower and close it). But alas nothing is ever that simple and this kind of workaround would have negative side effects. According to 1engineer on another forum:
Quote:
There are only three ways you can make a rear lift gate gas shock "Heavier Duty:"
1. Increase the gas pre-charge pressure.
The result would be (without adding any weight to the lift gate) it would open quicker and it would be harder to close. It would also increase the stress on the mounting points. If you did add weight to the lift gate, it would operate closer to "normal" but the increased stress would still be there. Would it cause something else like the mounting points to fail? Impossible to know without all the data.
2. Keep gas pre-charge the same but increase the inside diameter of the cylinder.
By doing this, you would be able to lift a heavier load also, but it would still stress the mounts more. In this case it would still open at the same rate of speed as the stock shocks but be harder to close.
3. Keep the bore and the pre-charge the same but add better components, like seals, rod wipers, tubing and rod material, etc. This will add longevity to the cylinder life but it would not be able to lift any heavier loads.
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So using different struts won't really solve the problem, at least not elegantly without introducing other problems. Back to power liftgates. I examined my Audi but their power liftgate systems are very de-centralized, with the motors and wiring scattered inboard of the headliner and all over the place. But looking at my mother-in-law's Dodge Durango and the compact, outboard power liftgate system gave me hope.
It appears the newer Jeep Grand Cherokees use the same system:
Their "self-enclosed" system is made by Stabilus and is called the
Powerise system. According to their
press release:
Quote:
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We now produce our POWERISE drive units for customers worldwide; these include Ford, Chrysler, BMW, the PSA Group and the VW Group."
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So I emailed the company to see if one of their existing systems could be retrofitted or adapted to the BMW X1 and they basically advised against it and added that they only deal with OEMs. Are there any other aftermarket power liftgate manufacturers that are worth asking (perhaps those companies that specialized in converting vehicles for disabled drivers, etc.)?
Does anybody think this kind of retrofit is not only possible but worth pursuing? Or should I just give up now? I love my Stabilus EZ Down product, which is basically a damper that slows down your pickup truck's tailgate from banging at the end of its travel. Granted, that is a much simpler product, but I have to think with some clever ingenuity, we can figure something out together!