In article <sbc44fd7.007@GWIA>, Nolan Penney <npenney@mde.state.md.us>
writes
>Lets imagine puting the top up, but only as the metal framework,
>not the fabric cover. When you do this, if the metal framework
>is aligned correctly the pins will fall right into the holes in the
>windscreen frame.
This is what happens. Mind you, the leading edge of the door window on
the driver's side is not completely parallel to the windscreen frame
when this is done. There is no clearance at the top when the window is
fully wound up, and there is about 2-3mm clearance at the bottom. In
other words, the top of the windscreen frame on the driver's side is
2-3mm out of position. It is barely out of position at all on the
passenger side.
>
>Now lets put the fabric onto that metal framework. We use the
>framework to hold the fabric in position, and to put tension on
>it as the fabric mounts to the back of the car and the front
>edge of the framework. There is also some tension side to
>side by the snaps alongside the doors. But it is the metal
>framework that is providing the tension, not the windscreen.
>
>If the framework were a perfect thing, this tension would not
>cause any distortion of it, and the pins in the metal framework
>would still align perfectly with the holes in the windscreen frame.
>
>But it's not a perfect frame, so the fabric tension is going to cause
>some distortion, and now going to take some adjusting to get it
>to close right. We do this via the bolts that hold the framework
>to the body of the car. With these we can slide the frame
>fore and aft, up and down, and rotate it.
Sorry - my bolts only go in in one position; there is minimal adjustment
left.
Whole car twisted/sagging?
>I may also be misunderstanding the degree of misalignment.
>If it's just a few millimeters off, I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.
>But if you've got to wrestle the top up, then I'd say it's far
>off enough to benefit from adjustment.
The soft-top doesn't require wrestling - merely a bit of a tug, as I
said. It is the hard-top that's the real b***er, because you can't
shrink that with an equivalent shove.
Thanks for taking the time to explain what is supposed to happen. I
don't think I'll ever get this right on Carly, but if I buy another
Spit, I shall know to look out for the problem.
ATB
--
Mike
Michael Hargreave Mawson, author of "Eyewitness in the Crimea"
http://www.greenhillbooks.com/booksheets/eyewitness_in_the_crimea.html
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