Penthouse pivot bolts broken: should I have SMB fix it?

[LenS]

Any resolution yet??

[Flyview]

Originally Posted by LenS

Took a mirror out to the van and checked the scissor bolts on my Indiana installed penthouse top (2008). They are grade 8 bolts (have six bars stamped into the bolt head).



Anyone who has had penthouse bolts break it would be of interest which of the 3 SMB plants installed your top. Also it is important to check the failed bolt grade markings.

Also could see the bolt head on the forward scissors end and it also is a grade 8 bolt. Can't chk the chain/spring attachment bolt but will assume it is of similar quality.

Feel fairly comfortable now about the scissors lift mechanism.....unless someone who has had a scissors bolt failure reports that theirs was a grade 8 bolt that failed

I just checked mine and it seems to be grade 8 bolt as well. The plastic washer in between the bars isn't looking too great though. It's been ground down on either side to hug the bars. How tight should these be bolted? I found the nuts on mine had almost backed off and I tightened them until they were pinching the plastic washer in between. Here are a couple of pictures:

[86Scotty]

Go to a specialty hardware store and find yourself two of these. They are a good upgrade to the SMB original bolts, which you can see on the left after about 20 years of use. In the center is a standard grade 8 I was about to use before I found the heavier shoulder bolt on the right. You will have to drill the hole a bit, obviously.

[Fitz]

Call Fresno and you can order the shoulder bolts from them, that is what they install as standard. Austin does not, when I had a problem with mine I went to Fresno for warranty repair and they installed the shoulder bolts.

[boywonder]

Shoulder screws are also available in 1/4" shoulder diameter; 86Scotty is showing a 5/16" shoulder screw, a popular upgrade since usually the holes in the crossbars are quite egged out when doing this repair. The 5/16 shoulder solution provides increased bearing surface on the screw at the expense of losing some cross section on the crossbars due to the larger hole required.

Going to 5/16" should be a no-brainer if you are sleeving the crossbars.

Shoulder screws are readily available at any industrial hardware store and from McMaster......I would recommend carbon steel screws over stainless as they have high yield strength and are cheaper.

Lowes and Home Depot usually have a very limited selection in the hardware drawer section......I don't waste time shopping for shoulder screws there as they are readily available elsewhere around So Cal.