Penthouse Top - Un-Even Lifting/Lowering

[Twoxentrix]

Originally Posted by boywonder

The slot in the channel where the front bar slides should have plastic edge trim on both the top and bottom edges of that slot. If you are seeing metal shavings (not good!!) you may be missing some of that plastic edge trim.

Apologies to the OP since this seems to have migrated a little off topic, but could prove helpful to others since it has relevance to maintaining pop-top operation.
@boywonder; Ever since the first 'cleaning' i did on the channels (and the application of the silicone grease) I haven't had any additional metal material in the tracks.
BUT Your comment has peeked my interest, I'll have to check for the plastic edge trim since I don't recall noticing this in all the years I've been conducting the task. Thanks for contributing this.

[doublevan2]

Are there any photos of this plastic edge trim out there ? Where can plastic edge trim be purchased or found ? I don't recall seeing any on my van - 2002 Fresno build --

[moorefc]

Originally Posted by Petravic

bending the front passenger bow. ..As far as i can tell, it's again a good match to the other side and all 4 of my bows all have a little bowing/bend in them.
The issue I have now is that the passenger side raises more slowly than the drivers side, with the whole top tilted during the lift. ..Any ideas on what still needs to be adjusted to get a side to side evenness?

Having experienced something similar, check the wand and other bolts in the tracks...They can get bent creating uneven drag and wand position...

[boywonder]

Originally Posted by moorefc

Having experienced something similar, check the wand and other bolts in the tracks...They can get bent creating uneven drag and wand position...

Ouch! ....another example of a very poorly designed joint by SMB unforch.....

[bigriver]

If t Moorefc's idea proves to be your issue... Here's how I dealt with that problem on our power pop top

[doublevan2]

bigriver -- what's that brass piece called/found ? Guessing it acts as a "spacer ?" Doesn't it scrape the tubing causing metal flaking and wear out the tubing - or does it go all the way thru the tubing in a drilled out hole and finish with a nut/nilock on the other side ?

[moorefc]

Note, my post of the bent forward wand pivot was after a (rear latched) partial raise. If the latch wasn't creating the force, the bend should not have occurred. That said, several shoulder washers at the back mechanism had fallen off due to lack of nylock adhesion. I used jam nuts (thinner and more grippy). My guess is the number and placement of the shoulder and spacer washers related to who was assembling and the spacing. So it is possible each electric top may have some variations. This was a Texas build, and Fresno, etc may be slightly different....
Bigriver's washer looks like a good modification.
The electric tops horizontal loads can be dramatic (1350 lb), especially if latched when opened....

[bigriver]

Originally Posted by doublevan2

bigriver -- what's that brass piece called/found ? Guessing it acts as a "spacer ?" Doesn't it scrape the tubing causing metal flaking and wear out the tubing - or does it go all the way thru the tubing in a drilled out hole and finish with a nut/nilock on the other side ?

That's a shoulder bolt that threads in to the left hand side... could easily just have a washer and nut. The brass is a spacer. My machinist brother in law couldn't help himself.

[boywonder]

Here's my fix for that joint. Has been fine for almost a decade.

The saddle spacer diameter provides a lot of bearing surface on the crossbar to resist the bending moment the bolt applies to the crossbar.

...and as already mentioned, A thin nylock jam nut works way better here than a std 1/4-20 nylock.


Front Pivot Joint:






Rear sliding joint:

[moorefc]

Boywonder, agree a saddle spacer is a way better solution vs SMB plastic (on front)..One downside to electric tops is linear actuators don't tolerate trying to be overcome with a latch....
Looks like McMaster has them.
Nice assembly.