Help with meyer hardtop

I bought a Full Meyer hardtop this last spring for my stock 59 cj5 and bought all the small pieces like hinges and windshield filler pieces from members here and am only now getting around to installing the top since its getting cold.

Overall the top is in pretty good condition and once I have it fully installed and aligned I will remove it for paint, and all glass is intact I have the doors apart to replace the window channel gasket as soon as I can find a vender that sells it. everything is all bolted down and went on easily but I am having a problem with my door alignment. When I hold the door up in place and in the upper hinge only the door wont shut because the door is about 1/2 inch above where it needs to be aka top of door overlaps hitting the roof and I don't have anymore adjustment in the hinge to fix it.

And from the looks of it my windshield filler pieces should bolt to the roof of the top at the corner but the holes wont line up 100%. I have a earlier ventilating windshield that is in fact the old style and its NOT the newer windshield that leans back more and tapers towards the top. I have a brand new NOS gasket under the windshield and when I hold up the door to the door opening it fits perfectly in its hole but I cant figure out why when in the hinge the door it too high and only thing I can think of to fix it is modify the upper hinge and cut its hollow tube shorter to lower my door.

Any ideas to fix my door alignment problem is appreciated.

 

It appears that the major problem here is aligning the holes at the top of the interface and the top of the windshield frame. Now, while I haven't done that yet on my jeep(s), what I'd do is to take an alignment tool and force alignment between the two. The rubber gasket at the bottom of the windshield frame is flexible (somewhat) and should accomodate the 'forcing'.. The proof of the pudding is whether the door would align properly with the 'forced' w/s to frame alignment. My guess is that it will align or at least come very close so that the door can be shut and opened properly.


Since the hardtop was designed to fit on the jeep it would seem that it would actually fit on it......

kamel

 

May need to remove the upper hinge pin assy off the door and relocate it to allow the door to fit the opening . Had to do that before on a Meyer door.
Get the top aligned first make sure the top is fully towards the front and use Kamels advice and get the w/s fit squared away first.
Post up a pic of the front lip of the top and how it sits on the w/s channel too.

 

Every piece of the top bolted right up like it belonged the front lip on the top seems to sit perfectly down on the soft-top U channel and even the door fits the door opening perfectly with no air gaps. unfortunately my only ways that I can see to lower the door since it is trying to close too high up and hits the top instead of closing are:

Option #1
Unbolt the top hinge from the door and move the hinge up higher on the door to make it line up with the hinge on the windshield where it should.

Option #2
take the upper hinge on the windshield side and cut the hollow tube pivot for the hinge and cut the hollow tube so its shorter to where it works. (this is currently the fix im leaning towards since it only includes modifying the one half of the hinge only and not drill more holes in door and weld old ones back up aka more work and it looks like it should still be plenty strong.)

Option #3
maybe my hinge is not correct for my top like its for a Koenig instead of my Meyer the upper hinge bolted under the windshield hinge bolts in the front and the hinge seems professionally made but that doesn't mean its made to fit my top.

Is there any Meyer hard top owners out there that can post a pic of their upper hinge assembly so I can compare hinges on a Early CJ5 Please?

 

You sure someone didn't cut the top horizontal pieces shorter?
That's why they don't line up with the w/s frame filler pieces?
Pass side looks hacked off and the angle to the w/s piece is off.
Filler pieces and upper door brackets are correct, identical to the Meyer top I just got today.

 

Some infos : on my Jeep, all went well in position. Maybe there are changes in your windshield?
Check if the lower hinge fits well in position, because holes are in the body and you don't have choice, except re-drill new hole...

I have put a ladder on my jeep roof, and a rope to keep the door in the good position, because it is heavy.



If it fits with the bottom hinges, then you have to adapt the upper ones.
If the door goes in the roof with bottom hinges in position, there is a small problem to resolve.
You have also to check where the lock arrives, but this can be moved a little bit.

When you have checked all this, you will have to make new holes to put your doors in position.

I don't see how you can get the roof higher, because the all hard-top is put on the body. Of course it is possible too, with spacers but it is a choice.
I made a hook in the center of the hard-top to move it easily from my barn ceiling.

If you "suspend" your door in position, and fix the lower hinge, you know how to fit and fix it. Good luck. It is pleasant with doors in winter...

 

You mentioned that you had a new gasket between the windshield frame and the cowl. You may need to shave off the little ribs on the gasket to get the windshield frame to come slightly to the back. It looks like your holes in the fillers need the frame to go to the rear to line up. The front piece of the top that bolts on above the drip rail will have some give to it so even if it looks to line up it may be able to absorb the slight move to the rear. I just installed one that I had to use a air sander to slim down the old gasket. Do some looking at all the angles and geometry of everything before you resort to drilling new or bigger holes. Just a fraction of an inch gained on one end can mean 1/2 an inch on the other.

 

First off let me clarify that I have never owned a hardtop nor even helped install one....but, What I see in your pics....:? It looks as though the rear of the top may be sitting back off the tub a little bit? It also looks as though maybe the front corners of the top have been stressed/cracked & maybe part of the problem is where it attaches to the windshield channel???

 

I have different hinges on my top . the same as alans . and its only 1 3/4 from bottom to top

 

also for your window channel . this is where I bought mine , there are different sizes and types
http://www.steelerubber.com/rigid-run-channel-30-0023-57

 

If you look at my photos, you see that your roof goes to low.
Check holes in your windshield, above the wipers, there i ssomething not correct.

With my photos and all these infos, you must find the solution.
I hope that they didnot change the windshield with a lower one, in this case you have more work to do.

 

Of the three options you listed, I would choose option #1. Simplest to do and doesn't destroy any original parts beyond repair. I think all my hardware is boxed up and buried in the Tuxedo project right now. No pics from me to help. Sorry.

 

Thanks twin2 I was having a hard time locating some probably because my search terms were wrong. but after following your link I found some that says for willys jeep and I don't know If the length is right or not since I haven't measured for length but using my old channel gasket for measurements all other dimensions fit perfectly with my old gasket I removed. 1/4 glass 5/8 wide and 9/16 tall if anyone else ever wants these dimensions for future google -ers on my Meyers full hard top
http://www.dkhardware.com/product-1...49-1963-willys-jeep-and-diamond-t-trucks.html

 

My only suggestion is to follow the installation instructions exactly. They have some very specific things to do in very specific order that makes things easier.

Also, your ventilating windshield is gold with a hard top. I would love to have one... that metal box is hot in the summer.

 

yep your top hinges are probrobly wrong they should be the shorter ones like Twin2 posted. thats how mine ar eon my kelly top. so i would recommend cutting them down and call it good. I put a nylon washer on my lower hinge to hold up the door and keep it from wearing metal on metal. I got the weather strip from the junk yard. Forget what kind of vehicle though. Probrobly a grumman van or school bus