Soft top suggestions? (3 Viewers)

[Living in the Past]

Thats a better Idea!

here are the photos. Pardon the zinc spray I did to keep it rusting while I have the top off. You can see in the second photo little holes drilled on top of the windshield for I think the little channel for a soft top. I could be completely wrong but I assume its for a soft top.

View attachment 3318796View attachment 3318797

Mine (Jan 73) has the same holes on the tub’s rail, but the locations are a little different. IE: the first hole is 3” from the B-pillar

Mid sixties Toyota starting making both FHT and FST so it run the other style top. Prior to that were really only designed to run one style top. FHT did not have the pads or hooks on the hood for the windshield. FST did not fixed nuts along the top of the tub to bolt hard top on. There were other things too. Late sixties it started going the other way. The places to bolt the pieces to secure the back bow went away on the FHT (only style US was getting by that time. Top of the windshield still had the holes across the top but the fixed nut weren't there.

Looks like Julie has delivered a top…

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Interesting the pictures show no bows or a soft top. What I see is a bikini top supported by a roll cage.

 

[Unimogguy]

Mid sixties Toyota starting making both FHT and FST so it run the other style top. Prior to that were really only designed to run one style top. FHT did not have the pads or hooks on the hood for the windshield. FST did not fixed nuts along the top of the tub to bolt hard top on. There were other things too. Late sixties it started going the other way. The places to bolt the pieces to secure the back bow went away on the FHT (only style US was getting by that time. Top of the windshield still had the holes across the top but the fixed nut weren't there.





Interesting the pictures show no bows or a soft top. What I see is a bikini top supported by a roll cage.

Not disputing what you are saying just going off what the person who posted the info said in the post.

 

[whisky]

Thats a better Idea!

here are the photos. Pardon the zinc spray I did to keep it rusting while I have the top off. You can see in the second photo little holes drilled on top of the windshield for I think the little channel for a soft top. I could be completely wrong but I assume its for a soft top.

View attachment 3318796View attachment 3318797

Here are the measurements for the holes in my tub. They are not threaded. The OEM twist fastener has a threaded bolt and secures with a nut and lock washer on the inside.

 

[Roastchestnuts]

Here are the measurements for the holes in my tub. They are not threaded. The OEM twist fastener has a threaded bolt and secures with a nut and lock washer on the inside.

View attachment 3325180

Now I am curious, Ill measure and report back this afternoon. I realized they were not threaded and forgot to post that.

 

[seapotato]

So I think I'm going to have a go at making a top later this summer, and I've seen lots of pictures of the factory piece that is attached to the top of the windshield frame that these tops attach to, but not of what is sewn into the top itself that hooks to that? ( if that's clear at all)


I've had bikini tops that used "awning rope" or "rope welt" and the aluminum extrusion that it slides into, maybe even an old kayline top used it too, and that stuff is readily available, but it requires feeding the top in from one side every time which can be a pain.

Anyone have a picture of the thing I'm talking about?

 

[whisky]

So I think I'm going to have a go at making a top later this summer, and I've seen lots of pictures of the factory piece that is attached to the top of the windshield frame that these tops attach to, but not of what is sewn into the top itself that hooks to that? ( if that's clear at all)


I've had bikini tops that used "awning rope" or "rope welt" and the aluminum extrusion that it slides into, maybe even an old kayline top used it too, and that stuff is readily available, but it requires feeding the top in from one side every time which can be a pain.

Anyone have a picture of the thing I'm talking about?

I don't have a photo but it works very similar to the bestop or kayline channels. You have to feed the top which has a thick edge through the channel on the windshield. Then you have to do it across the door bows before the top can be stretched across the bows over the tub.

 

[seapotato]

I don't have a photo but it works very similar to the bestop or kayline channels. You have to feed the top which has a thick edge through the channel on the windshield. Then you have to do it across the door bows before the top can be stretched across the bows over the tub.

Ah ok, thanks, so the there's no real advantage to not using the rope and aluminum extrusion.

Thought maybe it was more of a hook shape or something so it would pop out when tension was released.

Actually makes it easier because I can use the same thing for the ws and for over the doors. I only have about 10" of tub behind the doors, so it'll be a lot smaller than an fj40 top, which will hopefully make it a more manageable thing to build.

 

[pb4ugo]

I think the factory windshield channel was made out of bent heavy sheet metal, but was a similar principle as the Kayline channel. CJ/Jeep & bestop used a slot channel on the w/s and a sewn in flat strip on the frt edge of the top. I found the bestop FJXX bikini tops sucked because periodically the strip would come out of the w/s channel when driving down the highway.

 

[pb4ugo]

I believe this channel is an early Kayline, or maybe stk. I do have the later aluminum style too, from when Kayline tried to come back under a different name. I don't recall the name, but I know I talked to the owner about their history when I purchased their bikini top and channel at that time.

 

[Living in the Past]

I believe this channel is an early Kayline, or maybe stk. I do have the later aluminum style too, from when Kayline tried to come back under a different name. I don't recall the name, but I know I talked to the owner about their history when I purchased their bikini top and channel at that time.
View attachment 3326179

Looks a little deformed but it's like the 69 and 73 OEM channels I have. 67 was shaped different like the earlier channels that were welded to the windshield. My 73 FST came with an aftermarket top. The 69 bows came with a Kayline top. I purchased a new Kayline in 1994. It is made to fit the factory channel. Both the Kayline top that came with the 69 bows and the replacement top I bought in 94 had an aluminum rods that fit the door headers. Used one they were there and new in 94 included them. If Kayline had a special channel probably would have come with the new top. I have three sets of the two piece aluminum channels. If Kayline was making them to use on the FJ40 would have expected holes to match the thread hole along the top of the windshield. All the ones I have have three holes on each piece and if they match anything guessing it would be a jeep.

 

[pb4ugo]

Yeah, my Kayline 1/2 cab top used aluminum rods to hold the top in the door header channel. It was on a 72 40. I'll have to check my aluminum channel, I think it was drilled for the holes in the windshield frame.

 

[Living in the Past]

Yeah, my Kayline 1/2 cab top used aluminum rods to hold the top in the door header channel. It was on a 72 40. I'll have to check my aluminum channel, I think it was drilled for the holes in the windshield frame.

If the channels were drilled I would be thankful. All the sets I have only have their original holes. Do have some very nice windshield frames with holes from sheet metal screws. I never understood why the channel weren't drill to match the factory holes in the windshield frame. A decent washer would have the section where the two halves met.

 

[pb4ugo]

If the channels were drilled I would be thankful. All the sets I have only have their original holes. Do have some very nice windshield frames with holes from sheet metal screws. I never understood why the channel weren't drill to match the factory holes in the windshield frame. A decent washer would have the section where the two halves met.

I was incorrect. The STC/Kayline channel is 2 piece and the holes don't line up with the windshield frame. It's weird they way it's setup. Idk why I didn't redrill it when I installed it. I must have used sheetmetal screws too. Some of the scallops match the bolt holes and would be ineffective. I guess I was in a hurry to hit the trail. It was a long time ago. It's deformed too.

 

[Living in the Past]

I was incorrect. The STC/Kayline channel is 2 piece and the holes don't line up with the windshield frame. It's weird they way it's setup. Idk why I didn't redrill it when I installed it. I must have used sheetmetal screws too. Some of the scallops match the bolt holes and would be ineffective. I guess I was in a hurry to hit the trail. It was a long time ago. It's deformed too.

View attachment 3326301

I was thinking a different style channel. My first FJ25 had that style with a Kayline top. That top used Best Top style bows made of aluminum. Mounted half in the back section and two bows made a V shaped. Separate frame around the front doors. Didn't realize Kayline provided that style channel to fit OEM bows? The style I have that fits OEM bows is very robust but not easy to take on and off.

 

[pb4ugo]

That's what STC sent me when I purchased their bikini top.

 

[Catching Neutral]

Anyone know the bolt size for these? Holds these brackets for soft top bows I tried a standard M10 and it started but didn’t go very far in all four holes. So it’s either smaller or different thread pitch.

 

[red66toy]

M8 x 1.25 at most. The 4 hole softtop brackets use like a M6 bolt. So definitely think smaller.

 

[Living in the Past]

Thought the bolts used to secure the hard top sides to the tub used the same bolts. I see one in the back corner, I would pull it out and check it.

 

[Catching Neutral]

No idea what I was thinking…. I was trying M6x1.0 (10mm socket) and they didn’t want to go. I tried again today and once I put a socket on them, they went in just fine.

 

[Catching Neutral]

I received my TROA soft top and am very happy with the product. Instructions were not included which isn’t a big deal but will likely add time to the install.
I admit that I am asking this question without having looked. I don’t believe my window frame has captive nuts to attach the soft top window. The seven holes are there. If it doesn’t have captive nuts how should I attach.
Tap the holes? None of the hardware included is self tapping.
Primer starts today