Can gas springs be repaired?

No, it is a closed system - with high pressure.

If a gas spring has lost its force, in the vast majority of cases this is due to defective seals. Dried-out seals cannot be replaced - so the whole gas spring has to be replaced.

Gas springs must be stored and fitted with the piston pointing downwards and at 45 degrees to the horizontal. This is important, as this fitting will ensure that internal glands will remain lubricated by the oil inside the gas spring. If a gas spring is fitted horizontally or with the piston upwards, the oil will run out of the glands, and thus wear and leaking glands will be the result of incorrect fitting. For each fitting you must ensure that there is no sideways deflection or other forces that will affect the gas spring in any way other than free axial movement in the gas spring’s longitudinal direction.

Always use the shortest possible travel, and select the biggest possible cylinder diameter – this increases durability. Long thin gas springs will be considerably weaker than short fat ones.

Gas springs are designed to perform no more than 5 strokes per minute at 20° C. If this is exceeded, there will be a build-up of heat inside the gas spring that may result in leaky glands. Gas springs are designed to keep to 30,000 movements when fitted correctly. It is recommended that physical stops always be used in constructions. This will ensure that the gas spring is not used with loads in excess of those for which it was designed. Movement of the gas spring is only dampened for the last section against the full extension of the piston. Gas springs will lose pressure slightly over time, compared with the original pressure at the time they were fitted. A pressure loss of up to 10% may be expected.

It is recommended that you continue to ensure that the function of the gas spring complies with construction requirements. If in doubt, replace the gas spring. It is recommended that both gas springs be replaced if they work in pairs. A variation in pressure in gas springs working in pairs will result in a shorter service life for the gas springs.