7th Circle of Hell - Putting the FJ40 Top Back On

Brian in Oregon · 09-10-06, 10:38 PM

Took the top completely apart last spring so I could inspect for rust, check gaskets, etc.

Well, spent the last nine hours putting it all back together.

I think my mistake was reinstalling it all in reverse of taking it apart, because by the time I started trying to get the top in place, it sure wasn't lining up, and couldn't be lined up. Got the left side OK, but the right side was skewed and offset. Unbolt, rebolt, shift, tweak, swear, curse, repeat.

Finally unbolted the sides and partially lifted them up, using 4x4 blocks to space them up off the body. Then bolted the top down. Went a lot better. And then the sides slide in OK.

And, joy of joys, found some stripped blind nuts on the top and the tub.

Next time it comes off in one piece. If it needs work, then it gets disassembled and reassembled, and put back on.

It would be time for a well earned beer, but, alas, I'm all out of beer.

corsair23 · 09-10-06, 11:29 PM

So much for those that say the best way to take a top off is in pieces huh? LOL

Thanks for the insight Brian!! Makes me feel better about the time, energy, and $$ I am investing in building an electric hoist system for getting my hard top off and on...

honk · 09-11-06, 07:20 AM

A good rule is never tighten any bolt in any assembly until all of it's bolts are lined up and started. Leaving loose allows for wiggle fitting.

Trollhole · 09-11-06, 07:20 AM

I'm one of those that say it's easier to take off in pieces. Yes it does take longer. But I do the whole thing myself. If you have room for it as one piece then by all means that is the best way. If your just going to throw it in your back yard then I say take it apart and store it somewhere. It takes 1 hr tops to take mine apart and about the same putting it back on. But there is a lot to say about a vehicle that has not been trashed, rolled, misused, had the top taken off whole and laid it in the back yard and had kids jump all over it etc.....

Lay it out in the weather and expect the nice headliner to be gone in a few years.

VTFJ40 · 09-11-06, 07:24 AM

Had no trouble putting it back together in pieces. Had to replace the "U" shaped gasket between the top and side panels. Just left all the bolts loose until it was all together and it lined up perfect.

Since then though, it gets taken off in one piece with a ceiling hoist.

78-FJ40 · 09-11-06, 09:45 AM

One of the many reasons why I only use a soft top.

squinty20 · 09-11-06, 09:56 AM

Uh oh, I'm just starting to work on this myself.

DallasFJ40 · 09-11-06, 09:59 AM

I am still having fun with all the stripped, stuck and busted bolts. One thing left out in the FAQ section re: hard top bolts is appropriate use of jackhammer for removal.

Caddisfly · 09-11-06, 10:52 AM

I'm glad to hear that I wasn't the only one who spent a whole day reassembling and reinstalling the top. I thought I did everything the way it was supposed to be done -- I even made sure all the bolts were loose while I was lining everything up. Two things conspired against me: a different roof I got from another FJ, and a patched / twisted gutter. The windshield area also presented some problems.

The results were worth it. (If I could figure out how to downsize pictures, I'd create an avatar.) Next summer I'll take the top off again, but I'll keep everything in one piece.

nuclearlemon · 09-11-06, 12:19 PM

sorry you had so much trouble . when i had the lemon,, i lived in apartments so i always had to piece out the top. i'd pull the fiberglass, then upper door pieces and finally sides. the first time was easy since the top had never been off, but even after flopping it a couple of times, i never really had any problems

spotcruiser · 09-11-06, 06:59 PM

I take the top off in pieces, because I do it myself and because I don't have the indoor space for an assembled top. I've never had a problem. I'd love to have a hoist in the garage, but I don't have the ceiling height for it.

OLDNSLO · 09-11-06, 08:59 PM

Just put the top back on in peices, Looks like the fiberglass top is twisted.....previous owner looks like he did some patch work poorly.....anyway my doors don't line up with the windshield. windshield angles back too much....now i'm looking at paki tops....either way...very expensive!

grant5127 · 09-11-06, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by honk

A good rule is never tighten any bolt in any assembly until all of it's bolts are lined up and started. Leaving loose allows for wiggle fitting.

That's it.. you got it..bingo!.. you da man...

Brian in Oregon · 09-11-06, 10:01 PM

Rebuttal on leaving the bolts loose....

I left bolts loose.

I tightened bolts to pull into alignment, then loosened them.

I removed bolts to allow alignment of the other side.

The top on the right side had the holes 3/4" over to the right, and could only be moved 3/4" to 1" forward of where they needed to be. They just would not align.

This was continued ad nauseum until I finally unbolted everything and jacked the sides off the tub. Then, and only then, was I able to get the top to fit the sides. Then the sides slide down and settled on the tub without too much further difficulty.

So simply saying "leave the bolts loose" - well, BTDT, it did not work *in this case*. There was simply no way the top was going to fit while the lower sides were in place, whether they were bolted, bolts left loose, or bolts were removed.

Be that as it may, for tops that don't have severe aligment issues, leaving the bolts loose no doubt is good advice. No argument.

I don't mean to sound harsh, but am trying to pass on some of the frustration I went through trying to get this top to align. When I jacked it up and tried it, that was the last ditch attempt prior to just building the whole thing on the ground.

Nomis · 09-11-06, 11:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian in Oregon

I. . . am trying to pass on some of the frustration I went through trying to get this top to align.

You'll be glad you have that SOB on come winter.

I'll think of you during January when I'm running with the top off

Brian in Oregon · 09-11-06, 11:31 PM

Weekend before last I took the wife and kids up to Hood River to ride the tourist train. Afterwards we drove south on Hwy35 and then Hwy 26 around Mt. Hood and back home. We arrived at Government Camp (on the south side of Mt Hood) at sunset.

The kids huddled up in the back with a blanket covering them and the rear heater, trying to stay warm.

They had been whining about having to put the top back on, because they like riding around in the open air. Funny, I didn't hear any complaints when I put the top on yesterday.

Colorado Boy-74-FJ40 · 09-11-06, 11:47 PM

Did you leave the doors off?

Colorado Boy-74-FJ40 · 09-11-06, 11:47 PM

Hey Brian, Did I show you how the headliner turned out? BTW I bought a new 7X18 foot 6 K trailer for the rig.

Brian in Oregon · 09-12-06, 12:20 AM

Nope, put the doors on. At least THEY went on easier than they came off. To keep the pins from rusting and seizing, I cleaned them and gave them a thin coating of anti-seize. Also put a thin stainless steel washers under the door hinges to prevent galling. The doors swing real easy now. And silently.

Yeah, saw your headliner when the kid and I dropped by. Looked good. Black matches the bedliner in the tub. Nice touch.

Will have to come by and drool over your trailer.

corsair23 · 09-12-06, 12:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OLDNSLO

Just put the top back on in peices, Looks like the fiberglass top is twisted.....previous owner looks like he did some patch work poorly.....anyway my doors don't line up with the windshield. windshield angles back too much....now i'm looking at paki tops....either way...very expensive!

I'm pretty sure one step in the process is to loosen up your windshield screws/knobs to adjust for the fit...I haven't done it yet but that seems plausible. You should be able to adjust your doors to get them to line up better as well. As for the fiberglass top, not a clue...