Adjusting height of soft top.

[georgem]

After all these years of  ownership I am finally adjusting the side windows to match the hard top and them the soft top. I have done  the hard top and am about to start the soft top. As a "just in case" I priced some packing pieces -  from SLS  they are about $80 Aussie dollars - geeze Louise- pretty expensive for two pieces of metal, albeit of odd shape and drilled.

Does everybody use these or is there some common alternative?

cheers

BTW Happy 4th for our US members

[mbzse]

If you refer to these metal shims, you can make them yourself in some metal like brass or aluminium.
From factory, there were nominally four shims per side. But, use the number needed to make your soft top frame fit your car.

[georgem]

Great, thanks for the quick response MB. The SLS site shows  the pair , each of different shape. Are they the same both sides?

[stickandrudderman]

Very easy to make them yourself George. Make sure you don't have any free play in the door glass first though.

[georgem]

I finally finished adjusting the glass on both sides to fit the hard top and now have it off so I can look at the spacers, and I agree with you and mbzse that they are a diy job. On first assessment I  think I am going to need quite a few to lift the frame high enough for the glass to fit

Good advice re firming up the glass though - now they both fit snugly and firmly into the track - much more secure ie don`t flop about.

I thought that removing the heater blower was an epic job - nothing on trying to adjust the windows

[georgem]

Well, first problem. Each side of the soft top frame attaches to the body with two bolts and underneath this mechanism sit the spacers. So for so good BUT there is a very large spring under tension that I am worried will drag (suddenly) the whole side of the frame back if I undo the bolts. It is a large spring and under enough tension so I cannot disconnect it. Is there a trick to . getting this spring off? I have the hood half erected and tried folding it down but this seemed to increase the tension.

Help please -  I don't want to undo the bolts and cause damage either to the car or my fingers

[66andBlue]

George,
take a look at "Large spring removal" here: https://www.sl113.org/wiki/Tops/SoftTop

[georgem]

Thanks Alfred,

I wish I had before I posted - found the info in the manual just after I posted my question - just got back from garage and after using numerous 20cent pieces, the first spring is out - easy peasy.

Thanks for the help though.........the moral to this story is, of course..............CHECK THE MANUAL FIRST !

[w113abudhabi]

I am interested to know if the hard top and soft top should sit at exactly the same height as each other? I am thinking about the window adjustment and whether the windows  when fully up with the hardtop in place would be in the same position, a higher position or a lower position than they would be with the soft top up.

I appreciate that the soft top may be out of adjustment itself of course.

[GM]

Adjust windows to hardtop first.
Then adjust softtop to that window position.
Good luck!

[w113abudhabi]

So the maximum travel of the windows will be the same irrespective of whether the hard or soft top is on the vehicle

[w113abudhabi]

Does adding a shim raise the soft top or does it act to tip the soft top and therefore lower it at the front?

[Shvegel]

w113abudhabi,
The primary goal is to fit the rear door glass corner by raising and lowering the rear.  However, lowering and raising the soft top at the rear does in fact change the angle at the front a small amount but that is accounted for in the softness of the rubber seal on the top.

[w113abudhabi]

Ok thanks. I can see some fun ahead...