Had a heck of a time trying to find a shock to configure to my rod locker and a friend gave me this idea. Measure the distance you need and instead of a shock, get a sturdy spring from a hardware store. Secure both ends and it works just like a shock. Bend the spring and the lid closes. I was able to get 10" springs for $4.00 each and riveted each end by using a plastic wire clamp.
Make sure you get a good sturdy spring though. The ones I found pre-packaged at Home Depot were not sturdy enough. A local hardware store had a good selection and I was able to bend them to tell if they were tight enough.
Works like a champ and no more fighting with lids.
That's the way the rod box is on my Winner. It works well but the lids with shocks are easier to close, you don't need to push on the spring. The advantage of the spring is that it doesn't wear out
