help installing new top

[Old and Grey]

Help........
Anyone have any info on how to install a new vinal top on the top frame????
The top I got from CT Tops had no info.

Thanks
lee
_________________
From the last vestages of the Old West
Where the Men are Men
And the Sheep are nervous

[germansupplyscott]

lee,

you are asking a difficult question for a forum, i must say. the top installation is not really all that complicated, but i have taken apart three thing tops and all of them were installed wrong, so there seems to be lots of room to make mistakes. mostly i have found that the top is not properly attached to the header, and the wrong kind of rivets are used.

it would take an enormous post to give step-by-step instructions. i do have a spare thingshop installation video that i would be happy to mail you if you promise to return it to me (and if you have the patience to wait for it to show up). if you have the video and all the right hardware it is a fairly easy job.
_________________
SL

[Old and Grey]

Thanks for the reply
I still had the old one lying around so I had a measurement for the wedge seam at the header bar to the holes..
The top that was on it wasn't a Thing Shop top, nor was the one i bought.
But I had bought the Thing Shop's Installation kit and a new retaining bar before trying to install it.
I used spring clamps to hold the outside of the edges tight with the rails to set up my center ,and then folded the end under itself at the header bar , layed the new retaining bar over it and marked my holes. At first I had tried to make a fancy tuck for the edges at the ends, but with the new bar being longer at both ends just bent it around the edge and rivited the edges to it. I used an Icepick to punch the holes and the Thing Shops rivits and side clips for the window openings.
It came out pretty good, not factory new but this is my desert beast so it's more to keep the sun and rain showers off your head.
But if I had to do it again, I would probably get the Thing Shops top. They'res have the rivit holes laid out, the straps for the retaining loops, and the steel bar for the rear loops.
You were right about this being a long topic.......
But thanks again for the reply

Lee
_________________
From the last vestages of the Old West
Where the Men are Men
And the Sheep are nervous