Door stays
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to stay put GKN is Dana's • A replacement for the mechanical door stay was among the displays at Ford's recent Advanced Technology Exhibition (CM 16.22 Nov). In place of a spring-loaded mecha. nism with two or three fixed positions, the "infinite door check" uses a sealed-for-life hydraulic system.
The device incorporates a hydraulic piston and cylinder with a relief valve. When the door is opened or closed it will stay in the desired position, even on slight gradients or in moderate winds. Although it needs greater force to move the door from any rest position than a mechanical stay, Ford says it will prove its worth in confined
spaces such as car parks.
The system could easily be adapted for van rear doors. Most vans have a mechanical stay which will operate at 90° or 1800: beyond that the stays often have to be disconnected and the doors are not restrained at all, The hydraulic system could provide restraint through all angles, improving safety for roadside deliveries.
A 100,000-cycle durability test has been successfully completed and the hydraulics have been tested in temperatures from –40°C to +80°C.
However, it is likely to take three or four years for the hydraulic door stay to be featured on production vehicles.