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Soft top question...

Discussion in 'Early CJ5 and CJ6 Tech' started by Malachai, Jan 11, 2009.

  1. Jan 11, 2009
    Malachai

    Malachai Total Newbie! :D

    Plattsmouth, Ne
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    Since I am still new to the Jeep scene, maybe I am missing something. As you can see from the two pics I have up with the jeep with its top on, the back is loose. After looking around at some other pics, I have seen that most have the middle "bow" at an angle, whereas mine is straight up and down and tied into the door latches. Do I need to have that middle bow at an angle to the front so that it pushes the back bow further back and up? Looking at the seams of the top, this would appear to be the case...anyone have the measurements for where the middle bow should be?

    TIA

    Malachai
     
  2. Jan 11, 2009
    Patrick

    Patrick Super Moderator Staff Member

    Los Alamos, NM
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    Where's the pics?
     
  3. Jan 11, 2009
    Malachai

    Malachai Total Newbie! :D

    Plattsmouth, Ne
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    Sorry bout that, forgot the link...

    best shot of it
    [​IMG]

    Malachai

    EDIT: I will try to get some better pics of it when I get home from work today, but right now, you can almost see that the middle bow is at a 90 degree angle to the jeep and the bow that comes off of it is not pushing the top up high enough
     
    Last edited: Jan 11, 2009
  4. Jan 11, 2009
    Patrick

    Patrick Super Moderator Staff Member

    Los Alamos, NM
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    Hard to tell in that pic. Get some pics of the inside if you can.
     
  5. Jan 11, 2009
    jayhawkclint

    jayhawkclint ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

    Oklahoma City, USA
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    Last edited: Jan 11, 2009
  6. Jan 11, 2009
    Malachai

    Malachai Total Newbie! :D

    Plattsmouth, Ne
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    Not sure how old the top is, but it would appear yours has the channels that the top slides into, while mine snaps into place all around the jeep.

    I will be leaving workin the next hour or so, so should be able to snap some interior pics in the next 90 minutes! :D
     
  7. Jan 11, 2009
    jayhawkclint

    jayhawkclint ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

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  8. Jan 11, 2009
    Malachai

    Malachai Total Newbie! :D

    Plattsmouth, Ne
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    Looks like I do have a tigertop going off of the directions...I did get some interior pics though...

    I think it is the second one that I attempted to trace the seam in the top with red, horribly badly, but I tried! :D
     
  9. Jan 11, 2009
    Patrick

    Patrick Super Moderator Staff Member

    Los Alamos, NM
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    HMM, I'm not too familiar with the Tiger tops. Have you tried adjusting/ moving the bows to make it fit better?
    I guess if it were me, I'd just mess with it and see if I could get it to fit better if there isn't anything obvious.
     
  10. Jan 11, 2009
    sparky

    sparky Sandgroper Staff Member Founder

    Perth, WA
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    A former Bestop employee that's a member here just recently pointed out to me that the bows are the same for the two tops (Tiger and Super).
     
  11. Jan 11, 2009
    timgr

    timgr We stand on the shoulders of giants. 2022 Sponsor

    Medford Mass USA
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    First I'd open the Tiger top instructions, get my tape measure, and compare the locations of the bows and such with the locations given in the instructions.
     
  12. Jan 11, 2009
    Patrick

    Patrick Super Moderator Staff Member

    Los Alamos, NM
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    HMM, the bows on his top look nothing like my supertop bows...
     
  13. Jan 11, 2009
    jayhawkclint

    jayhawkclint ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

    Oklahoma City, USA
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    The middle and rear bow look identical to mine, the one above the doors looks different.
    Posted via Mobile Device
     
  14. Jan 11, 2009
    sparky

    sparky Sandgroper Staff Member Founder

    Perth, WA
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    Yes, I said the bows not the supports for the doors, those obviously have to be different.
     
  15. Jan 11, 2009
    Chris Insull

    Chris Insull All roads lead me back to the beach... 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    Chesapeake, VA.
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    If I remember correctly, the two rear bows for the Tigertop were attached at the tub mounted bracket, and didn't allow for adjustment. The Supertop rear most bow mounts to the center of the forward bow and allows some adjustability... Additionally, there were metal rods that connected/ supported the door installation for the Tigerertop (forward rods hooked to an eye bolt thru the windshiled frame, vertical rods slid into holes in the tub lip).
     
    Last edited: Jan 11, 2009
  16. Jan 11, 2009
    sparky

    sparky Sandgroper Staff Member Founder

    Perth, WA
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    Last edited: Jan 11, 2009
  17. Jan 11, 2009
    Patrick

    Patrick Super Moderator Staff Member

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    OK, the bow itself looks the same.:oops:
    The forward strut over the door is different, and that's what positions the main bow fore and aft.
     
  18. Jan 11, 2009
    twiggs

    twiggs Work in progress

    Blue Ridge, GA
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    Going off your pictures and my memory, it looks like your bows are mounted to the tub too far forward. I agree that you need to check out the Bestop site and download the instructions for the Tigertop to double check the mounting positions.

    Also, depending on how old your top is, how much exposure it's had to the weather, and the current temperature, you may never get it to fit "just right". After some neglect, I've had my tops shrink in some places, which made it impossible to get all the adjustment out in others, which left it with a saggy fit. But if it's a fairly new top and in decent shape, that's probably not the case.
     
  19. Jan 12, 2009
    Malachai

    Malachai Total Newbie! :D

    Plattsmouth, Ne
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    Looked through the tigertop install instructions and did some measurements, and that bow is off by about 6 inches forward. Going to have to wait til spring in order to do anything, with the whole shrinkage stuff, so I am going to have to put up with it for a few months.

    Thanks everyone for your help again! :D
     
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