Penthouse support bolt broke, van roof collapsed... - Page 12

doublevan2 · 09-05-2022, 11:23 AM

Terrific post Larry - thanks ! Can you remind viewers of the diameter and length of shoulder bolts needed/used so that subscribing to your thread is complete with that info - so members don't have to "search" previous threads ? That'd be really useful.

doublevan2 · 09-05-2022, 11:28 AM

Ooops ! Forgot to ask -- can you explain exactly where the _ell is the actuator to push the roof up is located ?? That would be terrific !

lchukar · 09-06-2022, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doublevan2

Terrific post Larry - thanks ! Can you remind viewers of the diameter and length of shoulder bolts needed/used so that subscribing to your thread is complete with that info - so members don't have to "search" previous threads ? That'd be really useful.

doublevan - The bolts that generally came with the SMB lifts were 1/4" diameter hex head Grade 8. Be sure to use a locking nut, and check it once in a while, as even they seem to work loose. On my and many others vans the scissor bolt holes got enlarged, so they can be drilled out slightly and replaced with 5/16" bolts.

Mine is all put back together, so I don't know what the length is. Seems it was 2 3/4", but don't bet on it. For my lower support bolt that meant I bought one a 1/4" longer, (3") and sawed off a bit so the it might not shear again where the threads were at.

lchukar · 09-06-2022, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doublevan2

Ooops ! Forgot to ask -- can you explain exactly where the _ell is the actuator to push the roof up is located ?? That would be terrific !

Actuator is not one of my vocabulary words. I gather you mean what I would call the electric motor, which pushes the piston and raises the roof. On my van it is located in the far back corner of the upper shelf. There is a fabric covered, shelf-wide box all the way across the back shelf. Undo the screws and the actuator on each side will be found. In my post in the photo with Step 6 you can see the piston arm and the actuator way back in the corner.

moorefc · 09-06-2022, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by doublevan2

Terrific post Larry - thanks ! Can you remind viewers of the diameter and length of shoulder bolts needed/used so that subscribing to your thread is complete with that info - so members don't have to "search" previous threads ? That'd be really useful.

It actually varies between electric and manual, which fastener, and who built it. Fresno and Tx can vary esp for the roller design....2 1/2" to 3" is the range for the OE fasteners in my current Tx build vehicle. One really needs to measure, look at wear.

lchukar · 09-06-2022, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snomad

Ichuker, our top is electric with cabinets below both rear anchor points. I've replaced those bolts without removing either cabinet. The driver's side had a hole through the metal that allowed access to the bolt's nut. The passenger side did not. Both were PITA; driver side less so. Don't know if the hole dates from original install since on one side only.

Now that I did mine without cutting a hole in the cabinets I can see that the access hole would be a big help. PITA it was. But I didn't feel like cutting through all that steel for future work.

dorothyt7 · 09-25-2022, 09:43 AM

Thank you everyone for sharing all your knowledge, I’ve read this whole thread and I’ve watched Larry’s video and feel like I have a good handle on what I need to do, BUT
I’m hoping for some additional help.
The bolt on my penthouse broke on the passenger side while I was driving, on a slightly rough road, sounded like a gunshot in the back of the van. I didn’t know what happened until I got out of the van and saw the entire PH shifted 6 to 8 inches left (over the drip rails) on the driver side, in a closed position.
When I attempted to lift, the pressure is shoving the Support bars sideways over the driver side, like it’s trying to twist everything off.
I suspect the bolt in the back on the passenger side broke But the tube is still attached to the spring.
The tubes on the front ceiling attachment have been shoved out of alignment over to the driver side left as well, I’m afraid that if I try to raise it, it’s going to bend all the tubes, but I’m also thinking that once I have it fully up it will take some pressure off?
Or when I go to raise it- the spring is going to rip off all the upholstery come flying across the inside of the van and knock out all my teeth ��

The bed is still there so I can’t access anything until I actually get it up and move the bed - I know this is not a clear question but any suggestions are sincerely appreciated.

lchukar · 09-25-2022, 10:22 PM

Dorothyt7, is yours a manual lift? Mine is electric, and while it was a loud snap when it broke nothing really got out of alignment. I just closed the life maybe a foot and drive on home. But from other reports plus yours it sounds like when a manual lift breaks things get ugly. Wear a football helmet and a mouth guard if you raise the roof!

dorothyt7 · 09-26-2022, 08:11 AM

Lchukar - Yes it’s manual. And I have all the PPE ready

boywonder · 09-26-2022, 08:52 AM

Dorothy: Yes it can be tricky to deal with the roof in that condition.

I'd suggest that you park the van where you can work on it and get a few friends to help you slowly lift the top and put 2x4 supports in each corner. I think roughly 28" in length for the 2x4's should keep the top up at full height.

The top will be heavy and difficult to lift straight up but with enough help you can get there.

Convince yourself that the top is stable (or have your friends stand by in the corners) before digging in...at this point you should be able to unfasten the upholstery and determine what bolt broke. If it's the pivot bolt at the cross-bars the job will be easier than the other bolts, but you will still need to disconnect the extension spring from the chain to unload the crossbar. This requires a small come-along (available from Harbor Freight for around $20). It's possible to replace the pivot bolt without disconnecting the spring if your friends are gorillas......but very very difficult.

Search for posts by member "Pete" here and you should find a good thread on the latest pivot bolt upgrade. PM me if you need additional info on this.

When the top is up the helper springs in the rear of the channels are completely unloaded and just laying there; the extension springs connected to the chains will still be loaded (stretched) but not nearly as much as when the top is down.