Soft top b-pillar

[CruisinGA]

What part of GA you out of?

I live in Atlanta, north end of the city, but actually in the city.

 

[SC-Cruiser]

A little different question about the B-pillar. I'm test fitting a set of softop hardware I have had sitting around for quite a long time. I found that the front bows will not go all the way down in the B-Pillar (see picture)

After peeking down the hole in the B-pillar there appears to be a sheet metal bracket about 8 inches down in the B-pillar that the tube is supposed to pass through but is bent so the tube will not pas through it. This explains why the tubes on my hardtop were cut short by one of the previous owners.

Anyone have any clever ideas how to straighten the sheet metal so the tube from the front bow will go through it?

 

[peesalot]

If you have some 1/2 inch emt,rigid, pipe , cut slot or cut section out of 1 side , 1.5" or so long you can use to pound down or slide hammer ish it up
You could do the same with all thread and a couple nuts/washers.

 

[SC-Cruiser]

I will give that a try. I have some treaded rod and some washers

 

[SC-Cruiser]

After quite some effort using a piece of threaded rod with a nut and washer on the end to catch on the bent part of the bent sheetmetal I was able to get it straightened out. The hole still wasn't round so I ended up using a Dremel with a flex extension, and a grinding stone to open it up and get the b-pillar inserted. hadn't put the Dremel flex extension through a piece or plastic electrical conduit so it wouldn't flop around

It was quite a slow and arduous process as the washer kept slipping off.

My improvised tools and the result

 

[Living in the Past]

Once the hard or B pillar seats all the down there is a welded nut on the back side of tub B pillar. A bolt with a nut threaded first then threads into fixed nut against the pipe inside. Then the loose nut gets tightened against the fixed nut. This is part of the system that makes the hard top and FST bows so stout.

Not sure why someone who has the shop and skills hasn't made piece that would fit into the bottom of the tube to center it into the lower hole and allow the tube to slip in.

 

[peesalot]

Nicely done SC, I like to see the improvised tools.

 

[Living in the Past]

Believe that bow that spans across the back need to turn 180°. The back is bent so the outside of the pipe is even with the tub. Think the vertical pipes should do the same.

Guessing since all my bows are OEM US market which never had the option for soft top ambulance doors. I picked up one of the aftermarket bows for inside the back but don't think they will work with my Kayline tops. At least this one is wider at the opening at bottom.

 

[SC-Cruiser]

I was wondering about the back bow and hadn’t seen any clear pictures of how it should be mounted. The verticals are also short of the top of the wheel wells so I knew it wasn’t correct.
There is a bolt hole on either side on top of the wheel wells that looks like it should be the place t bolt the verticals but they are not close to lining up.

That said this top is from a group buy fo the “Pakistani” tops and has been sitting in my garage attic for a long time.


Do I even need any of that across the back if I don’t have back doors? The top I have has zippers and rolls up.

Also thanks for the tip on the weld nut on the backside of the B-pillar.

 

[Living in the Past]

No that back bow is not required if your not running ambulance doors. Most markets had hard doors up front and two piece ambulance doors in the back. Top was removable and frame cover with canvas/vinyl and plastic windows. I have an aftermarket bow for the back but it has brackets to mount the door hinges. Believe all bows coming out of Pakistan had that bow.

I did a search and found a pictures of my Kayline top and factory bows bought off of Mud in 2009.

 

[SC-Cruiser]

Thanks for confirming what I suspected.
I also checked the FSM and it shows both versions. It also answers way question that the two vertical sections in the back do no line up with and mounting holes and are short of the top of the wheel well. Looking at the illustration in the FSM it shows a bracket on the bottom of verticals that did not come with the top.

 

[Living in the Past]

Thanks for confirming what I suspected.
I also checked the FSM and it shows both versions. It also answers way question that the two vertical sections in the back do no line up with and mounting holes and are short of the top of the wheel well. Looking at the illustration in the FSM it shows a bracket on the bottom of verticals that did not come with the top.

View attachment 3649023

If you noticed the center cross bow attached to side runners in a different way. All four set of my bows 67-73 and early soft top bows are the same. The Pakistan bows used a short cut that requires less welding. These are the bows that came off a 67 that shows how OEM bows were made.

 

[JohnnyC]

Your looking for the brackets in this thread:

Wanted - FJ40 FST Rear bow brackets

Hi all, I recently acquired an original soft top bow kit but need the rear bow brackets. The pieces i need are pictured here: Many thanks!

forum.ih8mud.com

the older style with single bolt that holds the bar to the rail

 

[Living in the Past]

Your looking for the brackets in this thread:

Wanted - FJ40 FST Rear bow brackets

Hi all, I recently acquired an original soft top bow kit but need the rear bow brackets. The pieces i need are pictured here: Many thanks!

forum.ih8mud.com

the older style with single bolt that holds the bar to the rail

Think he is talking about a bracket in the picture used for the verticals at the back opening. Never seen that bracket near paid attention in diagrams since I didn't have that style of bows anyway. Believe these aftermarket bows were made to be used without the bracket. The tabs on back bow are probably at the wrong height. I now have that aftermarket part with no use for it. I bought that bow separately a few years back but I see with my Kayline tops the opening widens at the bottom and center roll up panel uses a twist on each side of the tub beside the six straps for the footman loops. Guessing currently available top are straight down in the back and this bow could be used with velcro straps sewn in the top.

Edit: appears by 3/69 that bracket was gone from that center bow in the back. Bow just extended down to the tub and flatten and bent over like they did with the just seats. They also show that center cross bow did that mod 6/72. But I disagree with that date. Here are the bows off of my 2/73.

Cruiser hasn't been on the road since 1988 and I've owned it since 1994. It came with a red 72 hard top and doors. Everything for the soft top came with it except the original vinyl top. All in the original orange.

 

[SC-Cruiser]

Think he is talking about a bracket in the picture used for the verticals at the back opening. Never seen that bracket near paid attention in diagrams since I didn't have that style of bows anyway. Believe these aftermarket bows were made to be used without the bracket. The tabs on back bow are probably at the wrong height. I now have that aftermarket part with no use for it. I bought that bow separately a few years back but I see with my Kayline tops the opening widens at the bottom and center roll up panel uses a twist on each side of the tub beside the six straps for the footman loops. Guessing currently available top are straight down in the back and this bow could be used with velcro straps sewn in the top.

Edit: appears by 3/69 that bracket was gone from that center bow in the back. Bow just extended down to the tub and flatten and bent over like they did with the just seats. They also show that center cross bow did that mod 6/72. But I disagree with that date. Here are the bows off of my 2/73.
View attachment 3649077View attachment 3649079
Cruiser hasn't been on the road since 1988 and I've owned it since 1994. It came with a red 72 hard top and doors. Everything for the soft top came with it except the original vinyl top. All in the original orange.

I see what you mean with the way the center bow attaches. Here is how my top looks

Here is where the back verticals currently want to land.

I do like the idea if I want or need to I could attach the top to the verticals with Velcro. I doubt I will need it. I have 9 holes for the twist locks with the last one just above the hinge for the barn doors.

Love the original orange the doors and bows look in fantastic condition.
You have quite the stash of parts there

Thanks for the help figuring out my bows.
Next challenge is fitting the door frame tops. I will need to do some trimming and bending to make them fit