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Tell me this will fit ...

Discussion in 'Intermediate CJ-5/6/7/8' started by timgr, Sep 25, 2011.

  1. Sep 25, 2011
    timgr

    timgr We stand on the shoulders of giants. 2022 Sponsor

    Medford Mass USA
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    There's no way this top will fit ...

    [​IMG]

    This is a warm day, and the sun is out (mostly). I'd need another 3" of stretch for it to fit.

    I'm pulling on the rear hoop with a ratchet strap. I can do a pullup from the rear hoop and it moves at most 1/2" more.

    [​IMG]

    It seems as if this were made for '76-on dimensions. The distance from the windshield to the body is within 1/4" of what Bestop specs (88.25" v. 88.5"). I just don't see how it's going to fit.
     
  2. Sep 25, 2011
    Walt Couch

    Walt Couch sidehill Cordele, Ga. 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    cordele, Ga.
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    Do you have the correct back-slope (angle) on the windshield? Do you have an additional track mounted on top of windshield that goes on above the original track?
     
  3. Sep 25, 2011
    timgr

    timgr We stand on the shoulders of giants. 2022 Sponsor

    Medford Mass USA
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    I'm using the windshield channel at the front top edge that came from the factory. The top is designed to use that, not a strip along the top of the windshield. Here's the top in the channel - the fabric is very taut.

    [​IMG]

    I've installed fabric tops before, though never a Bestop.

    The instructions give this measurement to check windshield rake:

    [​IMG]

    This was within 1/4" of nominal. My windshield has no latches, since the Jeep came with a hard top originally. Thus the angle cannot vary.

    <edit>I just measured again. With the tension of the top on the windshield, the distance is now 88".
     
    Last edited: Sep 25, 2011
  4. Sep 25, 2011
    pathkiller

    pathkiller Member

    Lorton, VA
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    Unbolt your windshield latch plates and see if it allows the windshield to tilt back further.
     
  5. Sep 25, 2011
    Zoomer

    Zoomer eJeeper (walking)

    Minnesota
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    Tim, have you tried trial fitting the doors in the opening? From your picture it looks to me like the doors won't line up properly with the trailing edge of the door opening (it looks sloped forward at the top). If that's the case, it would indicate the problem is in the forward part of the top, possibly how the top is mounted to the windshield frame (or a flawed top). Just an observation, I've never installed a soft top.
     
  6. Sep 25, 2011
    Rick

    Rick Member

    Hanson,Ma.
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    Is the mount for the top bows in the correct spot front to back? If that was forward more it would take the strain off the top rear corner and give more fabric to reach down to the rear of the tub. The forward bow moving further forward should not change much of anything. In fact, I think moving the mount forward will change the angle of the rear bow to become lower at the rear, letting the top drop down at that point.
     
    Last edited: Sep 25, 2011
  7. Sep 25, 2011
    Rick

    Rick Member

    Hanson,Ma.
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    After thinking about it, maybe temporarily securing the bow mount, then getting all the side and rear snaps secured, then positioning the bow mount back into the top corner, would be a good way to go. I must admit it's backwards from the conventional method, sort of getting the bows to fit the top instead of the other way around.
     
  8. Sep 25, 2011
    timgr

    timgr We stand on the shoulders of giants. 2022 Sponsor

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    The whole Jeep is high in the back - the door opening isn't that much out of parallel. I measure a little less than 1" of rise from the front of the door to the back of the door opening.

    I've fitted the left door, and it looks ok. The bottom front corner is a little short, but it would probably be ok once I mount the snaps.
     
  9. Sep 25, 2011
    timgr

    timgr We stand on the shoulders of giants. 2022 Sponsor

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    Yes.
     
  10. Sep 25, 2011
    Rick

    Rick Member

    Hanson,Ma.
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    Good.
     
  11. Sep 25, 2011
    timgr

    timgr We stand on the shoulders of giants. 2022 Sponsor

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    Possible, but too risky at this point. If I talk to Bestop and they tell me to move stuff, then I'll do it. The instructions say to put the top over the bows and pull down on the back corner to find the locations for the snaps at the corners. Now that the sun has mostly gone down, the top is shrinking, and it's missing the corner by nearly 3.5". There's no way the bow would go in if the perimeter of the top were snapped down.
     
  12. Sep 25, 2011
    Rick

    Rick Member

    Hanson,Ma.
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    The soft top I had on mine had a rear bow that would lay flat on the rear if installed without the fabric top. In my case,I could just position the rear bow up into the corner and then slide the mount back to fit the rear bow into it's proper location with no excess strain. Obiously your top is a lot different in layout than mine.
    Sorry I could not offer any usable suggestions, good luck.
     
  13. Sep 25, 2011
    jpflat2a

    jpflat2a what's that noise?

    Hermosa, SD
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    just thinking out loud Tim....

    are the bows reversed ?
     
  14. Sep 25, 2011
    timgr

    timgr We stand on the shoulders of giants. 2022 Sponsor

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    It's a convertible top, similar to the old Kayline convertible top. The main difference is that the side curtains roll back instead of rolling up. The hoops can fold down and you can store the top on the Jeep, although I expect few owners actually use the top that way.

    [​IMG]

    Mainly this episode makes me sad. It would be really neat to have a top on this Jeep, and it's very disappointing that it fits so poorly - especially considering what I paid for it. Not really buyer's remorse, since this is the only product available... but quite a letdown.
     
  15. Sep 25, 2011
    jpflat2a

    jpflat2a what's that noise?

    Hermosa, SD
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    you could always trim some off the bottom of the rear bow....to lower the height.
    but I'd let it soak some more sun
     
  16. Sep 25, 2011
    timgr

    timgr We stand on the shoulders of giants. 2022 Sponsor

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    Nope, they can't be reversed. Only the front bow has sockets for the door rods, and only the rear bow has holes for snaps across the rear corner. It appears that they give you CJ-5 bows, with 7" extensions to fit the CJ-6.
     
  17. Sep 25, 2011
    timgr

    timgr We stand on the shoulders of giants. 2022 Sponsor

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    Mm, uh, yeah I thought of that. But I want to talk to Bestop first. If I got the right parts, it seems to me like the fabric is the wrong size. It should fit...
     
  18. Sep 25, 2011
    nickmil

    nickmil In mothballs.

    Happy Valley, OR
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    Is this a brand new top? The style with the holes and hooks in the bows for adjustment? I ran into similar issues with both the Daughter's '70 CJ-5 and my '59 '5. I dropped the forward bow down out of the adjustment holes and set it up with the rear bows. Then did like you did with a ratchet strap to set rear height close to where I wanted it. I then moved the forward bow up and hooked it into the bottom hole. I still haven't been able to get either one into the upper holes they recommend but both tops are secure and aren't going anywhere.
     
  19. Sep 25, 2011
    timgr

    timgr We stand on the shoulders of giants. 2022 Sponsor

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    Nick, yes, a new top. It's a "Tiger Top" which is Bestop's budget line, and the only product available now for a CJ-6.

    The front bow and its bracket only has one hole as I recall. No hooks - not sure how that would work. The rear bow bracket has three holes, and it's currently in the middle hole that Bestop specs. I expect I can lower the front bow about an inch by drilling new holes higher in the bows. Any more than that, and my door tops won't be level. I could move the rear bow to the front hole, but I'm sure that won't be enough on its own. Maybe shortening the front bow and moving to the front hole on the rear bow will be enough - though I suspect it won't. To get much more, I'll have to start shortening and redrilling the bows, and at some point the geometry is going to be wrong.
     
    Last edited: Sep 25, 2011
  20. Sep 25, 2011
    mortten

    mortten I can’t put my finger on it 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

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    Tim- I've put on 5 or 6 Tiger tops old style and new. Never had a problem like that. Never put one on a 6 though. Something doesn/t look right with the fabric.
     
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