anyone else have sagging around lift mechanism?

[Mwood]

Im wondering if anyone else has experienced sagging around the lift mechanism on the original van roof

I have a 93 EB and there is maybe 1-1.5" of sag in what I believe is the original van roof where the lift mechanisms for the pop top are mounted - see pictures



should I expect this to get worse over time?

Thanks

[1der]

Sag in the stock metal roof and SMB rails?

Is the rail twisted a bit as if someone pulled down on flat piece where the bed panels supported or is the whole rail sagging? What does a 4 ft straight edge show?

The lifting bars look pretty straight in the pics but could be optical perspective.

[Mwood]

thanks for the reply, the bed panel rails are definitely sagging, are those part of the stock van roof or separate? I cant tell if the lifting bars are sagging as much, I thought the lifting mechanisms were bolted to the same surface that holds the upper bed panel. not sure how these things go together.
look at the gap in the first photo between the unfinished cabinet and the bed rail - you'll see the curvature that represents the sagging bed rail.

thanks

[1der]

The rails are one unit for the bed support flange and tracks for the lift bars/springs.

Your pic looks as if the bed flange was deflected / bent downwards. Putting a straight edge across the upper part of the rail where the bars ride would provide more info re the rest of the rail.

This pic gives an idea of the rail under the trim material. The cross (side to side) piece is not stock SMB.

[Mwood]

thats really helpful. it looks like the lift mechanism is supported by the vertical section in the middle of that diagram. is that mounting rail similar to what would have been on a '93?
I have a feeling the whole rail is bent/sagging, including the section the lifting mechanisms are mounted to

[1der]

I would expect 2993 is the same.

These pics show rails that are for SMB electric lift tops but the rails for a manual lift top are nearly the same in cross section and channels.

[86Scotty]

"is that mounting rail similar to what would have been on a '93?"

Yes, pretty much unchanged since the 60's when SMB came about.

Is it possible that this van had some very heavy people using it for a long time? I have never seen this or heard of it in an SMB. You might be able to bend them back by jacking them up some kind of way and never have a problem again.

[Mwood]

thanks scotty. I dont know much about the vans history except that it was mistreated. anythings possible in 30 years I guess. its good to know that other even older vans dont experience this. I hardly use the upper bed, maybe it wont get worse.

[1der]

Mitch, something's to keep in mind, the roof of the van is not flat, it curves down towards the back. This should create a bit of crown, not sag. The cabinet top is not going to be a good reference since it is flat and one would expect the gap between the cabinet and the bottom of the bed support rail to get smaller further aft.

I still think a four or six foot straight edge laid atop the upper surface of the rail is going to be the best indicator of any true sag that could be of concern.

I can see how the bed flange can be bent down but to have the dual channel part of the rail bend would be very unusual and frankly hard to do without creating deforming ripples some where in the stock roof and/or the rail itself.

[Mwood]

I see what you mean.
there is definitely some sagging/twisting visible in person, the middle of the channels is visibly lower than the ends.

I dont have a straight edge that long handy but visually I would say the channel where the lifting mechanisms sit sags less than the bed rails, so there seems to be a little bit of twisting going on.

overall I feel better about the longevity of the van now that it sounds like the body itself is not damaged. I only use the upper bed when I have guests, it may not get any worse going forward.

Thanks for all the info, this community is always very helpful and responsive