Pop-top assist for spouse

[Viva]

BTW, I had to laugh: Is there anyplace SMB didn't use that teal fabric?

(1997 had "violent teal" interior - although it kind of grew on me!)

[larrie]

Am not sure that helper springs were available in 1989 SMB's. Mine does not have them. Does anyone know when they started using them and if they are available for older models?

[boywonder]

One other note on the helper springs.....

When we were transplanting the PH top to my van we were getting the springs dialed in and checking preload by raising and lowering the top a few times; the canvas was not yet installed to the van roof.

Without the top plates over the helper springs, we lowered the top and about 1/2 way down & the helper spring shot out of the back of the van and across the street......so don't apply any load to the helper springs without the plates bolted in place. That got our attention...

I didn't know that the helpers can be removed without removing the cover plates, good info.

[rallypanam]

Originally Posted by boywonder

the helper spring shot out of the back of the van and across the street......so don't apply any load to the helper springs without the plates bolted in place. That got our attention... .

Ha! Yes, we all learned quite a bit as we swap tops. When I was installing mine in my old van I was using an old ratchet strap under extreme load cranking the spring, and noticed a slight fray.. no big deal right? it was only maybe 1/10 of the strap. So two more cranks on the ratchet and looked back at the fray, and it was 1/2 across.. Abort abort!! Frantically released ratchet before it released itself in my face!

[rockbender]

Larry,
I retrofit some helper springs on my '84 when I had it. You just need to make sure that your stack height of block+compressed spring isn't greater than the space between the back of the channel and the lifting arm when it is in the down position. When I was experimenting, I had a block that was too thick at one point and it actually prevented the top from settling all the way down.

I wish I could recall what springs I used - seems like they were about 5" long, but I have no idea what the spring rate was. Also, I don't think I had metal plates in the back that covered that area up either - pretty sure I screwed a piece of plywood down to work as a cover.

[86Scotty]

Boywonder and Rally, thanks for the laugh fellas. I thought I was the only one who regularly competed for a Darwin award. I needed that.

[jeff00seattle]

Thanks for the replies, the ratcheting cargo bar did the trick.

[Viva]

Good to know - glad it worked and that you posted the follow-up. Well I guess I could get a pop-top again then

[BrianW]

I was running a new backup camera wire in the van today and had the fabric covering the springs pulled back, so figured I'd snap a few pics and post them here. This is the spring setup from my 98 Indiana-built SMB.


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[jeff00seattle]

My spouse has been using for the past 4 years a cargo bar like this one:Keeper Ratcheting Cargo Bar. This carbo bar lifts the top the initial six to eight inches, and then the top easily pushes up from there.