softop issues

[richard1705]

I have an quite old but ok mk1 softop
I have the better hood catches and the lock in with a push .
Putting the top into the stow is a little hard . Then also taking it out again is really hard . Seems like its catching at the back as if the window panel catches the body and preventing it from lifting it out . I can get it put eventually but wasn't this difficult on my other stags .
This one has been stowed away for long time though.
Any quick adjustments you guys can think of would be great .
Cheers

[FrenchStag]

Hi, assuming your catches are "catching" properly, you can try loosening the 6 bolts that attach the rear hood rail to the rest of the frame, and (hopefully) there is some adjustment possible to move the rail inwards a little to stop things catching on the body.

Alternatively you can spend three months of spare time taking the whole thing apart and then putting it back together. Mine was bent into some quite unusual shapes in places (the frame that is). Haven't put it back on the car yet so no idea if all this effort was worth it - but if nothing else I have learnt how to use a welder!

[richard1705]

thx
yes its catching ok .First thing I checked. Will look at the bolts .
cheers

[richard1705]

ok that worked .so its not catching at the back now . but now won't go down far enough down for me to close the tannoue cover . I don't want to unzip window bcz its old .

[FrenchStag]

Is it still the back of the rear hood rail that is jamming against the stowage compartment? Or has adjusting it moved the problem elswhere? If something is jamming I'm not sure that unzipping and hanging down the window would make a lot of difference. You can always try some lubricant (silcone spray?) on the zip and see if it is willing to open.

If it is not a rogue fold of hood material that is causing the jam, I'm not sure what else you can do apart from:

(i). Removing all the rear seat and rear cubby panels trim (not to hard to get out but you mind find yourself renovating the cubby panels as a result) and seeing if you can adjust the entire frame at the mounting points to get it to sit better.

or

(ii). Take a look at the hook shaped bars that fix the rear rail to the rest of the frame. Just maybe one (or both) of these is bent out of alignment. One of mine had a serious curve in the top part that I'm sure was meant to be straight (I can only assume a previous owner had a similar sticking hood problem and put that curve in...I have since hammered it straight in the blind hope that by refurbishing my frame it will all magically fit how it should...). Before and after photos attached.

or

(iii). Spend three happy months taking the entire frame to pieces, guessing what should and shouldn't be bent and by how much, and then and re-assembling, spending a small fortune on parts and tools (actually the tools bit was enjoyable) as a bonus prize. If you hang on for another month I'll let you know if this option pays dividends (my frame was in a bad way, so it did merit this in any event).

Good luck!

[FrenchStag]

and yes I know that the hook shape is as designed....the errant curve I am refering was on the top ridge of the bars, where they bolt to the rear rail....

[richard1705]

thx 👍👍

[STypeR]

Hi, assuming your catches are "catching" properly, you can try loosening the 6 bolts that attach the rear hood rail to the rest of the frame, and (hopefully) there is some adjustment possible to move the rail inwards a little to stop things catching on the body.

Alternatively you can spend three months of spare time taking the whole thing apart and then putting it back together. Mine was bent into some quite unusual shapes in places (the frame that is). Haven't put it back on the car yet so no idea if all this effort was worth it - but if nothing else I have learnt how to use a welder!

Yes, you're not wrong about the three months time frame.
As a first time go at frame work, that's actually the same time I spent on working out how the frame works (or supposed to work!), how to fix, and what was wrong (that is bent) and missing.
It is actually a well designed frame; kudos to the Triumph engineers. The original bolts/screws are best and lots of various spacers required.
Amazing and very satisfying now how easy and well it moves even without being lubricated.
Never, ever force it. If you need to force it, there's something wrong