11. How to Replace the Lid Stay
Many times, when I talk to people, they tell me that their hinge needs to be replaced. That it's bent over or missing. And of course, in my mind, the first place I go is the back of the trunk, and I try to fit them with a hinge that fits that size trunk. Little do I know that this is a common name for the lid stay.
What is a lid stay? You say...
A lid stay is the sliding flat "L" shape metal blade like thing that holds the trunk lid open. There should only be one, and it is most commonly placed on the right side of the opened trunk, about 4 to 6 inches from the back, attached at the bottom and to the lid.
They come in several sizes, most common are small, medium, and large lid stays. This item has been repoduced new and can be found in most trunk supply web sites.
The way you determine what size lid stay your trunk needs is based on what size trunk you have.
A small trunk 18 to 22 inches long would need small. 23 to 34 inches would be medium, and 35 and up inches would probably need the large. But if this is a heavy lid like a dome top with compartments, it may require a large stay. It just depends.
If your lid stay is still in place, but it fails to hold up the lid, you may want to replace it. Sometimes, you can tighten the original stay by hitting it with a few striks of a hammer on the joint that puts the two blades together. Also, you can use a punch and make the dimple that slides into that hole more prominent.
If these things have been done and it still is a bit loose and floppy, then it is probably time to replace it. Below is 4 eas
1)The best way to replace a lid stay is by using screw post or Chicago screws. They are a male screw that screws inside a female post. The length of screw post you will need depends on the thickness of the side wall of your trunk. It is better to have it too long than to short, because you can always add leather to fill in the gap.
2)Once you have that screw post figured out, you will need to drill the hole out with a 7/16" bit on the lid stay to fit the screw post. Then, use that same drill bit to drill out your new holes in the walls of your trunk. I try not to use the old holes because they are commonly worn out.
3)Placing the new lid stay in the perfect place requires two people. Have someone open the trunk lid and bring it up till it is perfectly balanced. It will almost stay up on its own. While they hold the lid in a perfectly balanced position, you can lay the lid stay in its open position with the short end up and the bend facing out. And mark your two holes.
4)Then, just drill out those holes with the same bit used to drill out the lid stay holes. If the screw post is a bit too long just use a round piece if leather on the post before you but on the stay. Also if you have cedared the bottom of the trunk, then make sure you cut a small block of cedar wood with a hole drilled out in the middle and place that on the top post in the lid, to keep the lid stay straight up and down. In no time, your trunk will stay open reliably, and no fingers will be lost in the future use of your beloved trunk.
