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Glass tub / hard top / hard doors, fit up?!

954 views 4 replies 2 participants last post by  LEVE 
#1 ·
Hello again, the "Jeep Thing" never ends does it! I have been driving around in my CJ-7 for the last couple weeks, really enjoying it. So I decide to put the hard top & hard doors on this weekend. Drop the top on, fits great (thanks LEVE for the helicoil idea for mounting it to the tub!/wwwthreads_images/icons/cool.gif), put the passenger door on, almost FELL into the right position. Drivers door...grrrrrrrrrr. The top of the window frame doesen't close the gap for the w/s frame, the front edge of the door hits the speaker grille for my Cerwin Vega's, the back edge of the window frame hits the edge of the hard top, and this is with the hardtop slid almost 1/4" back from where it should be! It's like the body tub on the drivers side is a half inch shorter than it should be (please tell me it can't be THAT).
Oh well, I don't know if anyone can help, but I just felt like venting. Sorry.


Mike H.
1983 CJ-7 Laredo
 
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#2 ·
Most of those problems can be cured on a YJ by adjusting the bars that go from the roll bar to the windshield.
I would suggest loosening the windshield holding bolt on the dash and then playing with the top position. This will allow the top of the windshield to be adjusted for door fitment. Where it hits the hard top at the back of the window, I can only think to adjust the "hinges" where the door mounts to the body. There is some play there that may help.


'88 Sahara, 4.2 that runs. The rest is getting there!/wwwthreads_images/icons/blush.gif
 
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#3 ·
Smokngun or anyone else with a 'glass tub...
Have you all used rubber for body mounts or are any of you using poly? The tub suppliers all say that poly mounts won't work; too hard, not enough flex or they don't grip the body well enough. I have a complete poly set I hate to see go to waste. Any suggestions. Thanks rick

'85 CJ7 in pieces..
Daily driver - 2000 FLSTC
 
#4 ·
Stooby, the windshield brackets (that attach it to the dash) are unbolted and sitting on the seat. I have been playing with moving the w/s back but the hardtop goes back with it and is now hanging 1/4" off the back of the tub (drivers side only). The front of the door is touching the front of the tub so the door can't go any farther forward. The door fits the opening in the tub just fine, it just doesen't line up with the hardtop/windshield frame. It is getting very frustrating. The passenger side fits perfect, could I have a drivers door with a sprung window frame? That would suck bigtime!


Mike H.
1983 CJ-7 Laredo
 
#5 ·
Mike, make sure the windshield affixed to the Tub is dead-straight on in relation to the tub. It' GOT to be square, there's not bones about it. You've got two points to be concerned with:

1. Squarness of the Windshield Frame to the tub.
2. Squarness of the Hard Top mounts to the tub.

If these two things are true... then the doors hinges and the tub hinges should have enough slack in mounting holes to align correctly. I can assure you that then about the only point that you may have problems with is the top door frame to windhield seal and that's easily cured with some sticky backed foam insulation.

What I did was the following to mount the Hard top and the windshield frame.

1. Roll into the garage.
2. Mount the Hard Top the Tub.
3. Using a Plumb drop the line to the garage floor from the tip of the Hard Top, driver side.
4. Mark the floor with masking tape and precice marking pen.
5. Do the same on the Passengers side.
6. Pick a point on the rear of the tub and the rear of the Hard Top to drop a plumb bob from.
7. Mark the floor as in step 4, for both passenger and driver sides.
8. Drop a plumb from the firewall/fender seam to the floor, and mark it.

Now you have a pretty good understanding if the Jeep's "square" by measuring from the firewall mark back to the rear tub mark ( I used the seam on the rear corner to rear quarter panel). If the tub's square, then it's a good base to lay the Hard Top upon.

Now measure the points from the front of the tub to the windshield. Are both the driver's and passenger's equal distance from the firewall? They should be.

Now measure from the firewall mark back to the rear of the Hard Top Mark. These measurements also should be the same.

Once any inequities are corrected then, and only then do you hang the doors.

I'd not suggest moving the Jeep a bit while these meausrements and corrections are being made. It can become a lenghty and prolonged correction process but is greatly shortend because you now have some starting points and metrics. I really prefere using the fire wall as a starting point. You've got to assume a starting point, and that's about the best place I could think of to start.

I'v you're really anal about this, when you're fished you could drive the Jeep out, and measure width between marks and the length between the marks and then get out your slide rule and have great fun checking for squarness. Though that's not for me, some people love that kind of stuff.

 
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