Somehow a fixing "bolt" for one of the gas-filled struts has pulled out of my Felicia estate boot lid. The bolt is threaded, with a ball end, onto which the socket on the end of the strut snaps.

Can anyone tell me how the bolt is secured? i.e.

Is there supposed to be a nut on the inside of the boot lid structure? If so, how was it held in place? (It's not now inside the lid, I've checked)

Is there a special clip (like a rawlplug) that can be pushed into the hole and then the bolt screwed in?

Is the hole in the structure just tapped (seems unlikely, it's a bit thin!)

I have thought of getting the bolt welded in place but the close proximity of glass and rubber seals puts me off.

All answers welcome, thanks in advance.

I presume you mean the end on the tailgate itself? I also wonder but about the strut fixing on the car itself.

I use a metal pole which I keep in the boot. Open boot and stick metal pole between tailgate and the plastic side trim in the boot.

i think there self-tapping screws??

The end that has come adrift is the one on the car body. The boot lid end is fine but I'm sure that if I unscrew it to see what the securing method is, it will probably drop off inside the lid!

It's a welded nut, attached before the body panels are assembled.

Had a similar problem with an old Favorite 5dr, the nut pulled straight through the bodywork, in my case i removed the interior trim and luckily there was a small ajacent hole that enabled me (with a bit of cursing) to feed a nut and washer fitted into a ring spanner on to the back of a new strut bolt. I actually used a Land Rover Discovery strut bolt (i work there) as it has a longer thread.

Hope something like this is possible for your Felicia.

I remember having to get mine re-done on my Favorit, they had to be welded back on, as they rot away. It didn't cost me much, 4 / 5 years ago.

bokob, thanks very much for the pointer. Wass just wondering if these were the sort of bolts to look for? LAND ROVER SERIES TAILGATE LOCK PINS *bolt type* PAIR on eBay, Land Rover, Car Parts, Cars, Parts Vehicles (item 4642520426 end time 12-Sep-07 23:13:09 BST)

No mate, those are off the landrover defender.

Have a look behind your interior trim first and see if there's a hole similar to how i described on the Favorit, if it looks possible then I could always send you a couple of tailgate bolts if you pm me with your address.

I've removed the trim but the only hole anywhere near the missing bolt is too small to be any use.

A mate has offered to help by welding a nut to a plate and then welding the plate to the car so that the nut fits in the hole in the bodywork. Just need to find a suitable nut....no comments please!

I've removed the trim but the only hole anywhere near the missing bolt is too small to be any use.

I did say it was a small hole and there was some cussing only about 1" diameter on the Favorit. Of course it could be entirely different to the Felicia but i wouldn't have thought so.

After going outside to remove the trim, using a screwdriver to remove the poppers, a woman approaching me whilst doing this telling me something about Jesus and being born in sin, then later accidentally stabbing myself in the finger with the screwdriver leading to a blood blister on my finger, I only found a small adjacent hole (nowhere near an inch) plugged up with a little white plastic bung. Think I'd need to perform a miracle to get a bolt of anykind behind the tailgate bolt. This was on the nearside so not sure if the other side is different or not.

Let us know how you get on catman, I've been using a metal pole on my tailgate since I got the car, would be nice to get to the car with shopping and have it lift itself open for once

After going outside to remove the trim, using a screwdriver to remove the poppers, a woman approaching me whilst doing this telling me something about Jesus and being born in sin, then later accidentally stabbing myself in the finger with the screwdriver leading to a blood blister on my finger, I only found a small adjacent hole (nowhere near an inch) plugged up with a little white plastic bung. Think I'd need to perform a miracle to get a bolt of anykind behind the tailgate bolt. This was on the nearside so not sure if the other side is different or not.

Let us know how you get on catman, I've been using a metal pole on my tailgate since I got the car, would be nice to get to the car with shopping and have it lift itself open for once

Well, progress is being made. I now have a plate, onto which is welded a nut. This will be welded onto the body so that the nut fits inside the original hole - once it is suitably enlarged. The bolt will then fit through the plate into the fixed nut.

With the lining back in place the plate will hardly be visible.

I'll take some photos as the job develops - a la Haynes manual.

Incidentally the only hole in the Felicia body near the offending bolt is a rectangle about 1" by 1/4" - definitely a lot of cussing to try the ring spanner idea!

Perhaps there's a market for wooden or steel Skoda boot props?

Thanks to all for the help so far. Watch this space.

They think it's all over..............it is now!

Yes the tailgate is back under control following some furious grinding, welding and more grinding last weekend.

The plate with nut is securely in place and all the trim back on. There's no obvious evidence that the repair has been done.

I have some photos if anyone is interested and I can work out how to link to them.

Now where did I leave that wooden prop?

A contented catman

Incidentally the only hole in the Felicia body near the offending bolt is a rectangle about 1" by 1/4" - definitely a lot of cussing to try the ring spanner idea!

Will have to check out the Felicia hole one day, it was a couple of years ago i fixed the Favorit, my son says it was just a slot, i'm sure it was easier that what you had to go through though, if indeed it was the same type of hole.

Thought I might revive this thread.

I fixed mine with an M8 pronged tee like the one in the pic below. I bent the prongs out and straightened them with pliers, screwed in the boot strut holder, and stuck this in the hole with Loctite Super Steel which I found in Poundland. It claims to be able to hold up to 150kg pr cm squared of the product so I thought it must be suitable for this purpose

My problem now is that the tailgate struts will not hold the weight of the boot. The confusing thing is that I cannot compress the struts no matter how hard I push suggesting they are both fully operational. I guess I need a new strut or two?

Edit: scratch that the resin adhesive stuff came off eventually, oh well. Needs a proper welding.

you always need new struts. even when they seem fine i've been hit in the head by a fav tailgate and it isn't nice...

Ouch, those things weigh a tonne.