Hard top rust repair questions.. (1 Viewer)

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Apr 26, 2003
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Mountains of WV
Can the support posts on the hard side panels from an fj40 hard top be removed without comprimising the integrity of the hardtop? Mine are bad rusty right at the posts. I will be able to get the rust under control if I remove the posts.. I may end up finding some new panles if I have to, but I would rather go the cheap route first!

Thanks,
Mike
 
from a tear-down and rebuild of a hardtop, i would say that the posts are probably the only thing holding the top down.

all the other metal around the bolts for mine was so rusted that it broke away when i took the bolts out. i'm pretty sure that my top just sucked though. it was off some other cruiser, and painted some chartreuse house paint with a brush.

but really, i do think that you would lose a good bit of total structural strength when you remove the posts. i know you can shorten them a good bit (easier to take on and off). but, how much stress does your top take anyways? unless you have a big rack on it, it may not even matter. i know that mine isn't on but 2 months a year anyway.

if the rest of the top is in good shape, i would cut em out, and try it. if it ends up that it moves too much, just cut a hole in the piece of sheet metal you welded over the place where the post was and put some new tubing in it. no big deal.

jonathan,
jmalphr@clemson.edu

ps - i am not at liberty to tell you if the information above can be trusted. with caution, haha.
 

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