Ragtop Rubbing Problem

[Austin Vert]

Hey Folks,

I'm asking for help from any forum members who might KNOW what is causing the passengers side vinyl edge seam to be making contact and rubbing up against that side chrome mould when the top goes up and down.

Can i say in advance please, that i know forum members will kindly come forward and make suggestions as to what may be causing this problem to occur. My problem is that i have been wrestling with this problem for over a year now, and believe me, i have tried many remedies to try and fix it. So far nothing has worked. I have just about run out of solutions. My trimmer has given up as well.

So to save us playing a guessing game, could i please get a response from any members or member that either have had the same problem as me and have managed to fix it, or knows about this problem specifically and knows what to do to fix it.

Briefly, when i bought the car back in mid 2011, it still had the original cream colored vinyl top on. It was showing bad wear and needed replacing.

See my pic below. I did not realise at the time that the bad tearing and chafing that you see at the bottom corner where the side egde meets the chrome mould around the quarter glass area was being caused by a problem which i knew nothing about. I thought it was just part of the ageing of the old top and nothing more.

When i got my trimmer to install my new Robbins black top about a year or so ago, i got a surprise to see this chafing or rubbing problem on the side edging happening again to me. When you take the top up or down, the side vinyl roof edge makes contact with the trim chrome mould edge. When this happens, there is a fair amount of side pressure on the vinyl edge to start tearing into the edge and destroying it. I have had the edge, vinyl repaired, but the tearing problem still keeps on chewing into the edge and stuffing it up. Believe me, i have tried just about every tick in the book to stop this from happening and ruining my top, but have run out of ideas, as nothing i do seems to work.

The drivers side gives me no problem at all, as no rubbing occurs on that side on the vinyl roof edge. I can't be 100% sure, but i don't think the roof frame has ever been damaged or bent out of alighnment at all. So could this issue be a factory problem as such? If you know about this problem specifically, and know what to do to fix it, i would love to hear from you, and i would be very gratefull for your help to remedy it. It's a real pain.

Thanks,

Greg.:huh:

View attachment Rag top damage.jpg

See the tearing and chafing in the bottom corner next to the quarter glass.

 

[TommyK]

Not sure I am qualified to answer your post but I will give it a shot

The top frame attaches to the body at the quarter panel door jamb with 3 bolts. The bolt holes are slotted which provides side to side adjustment for the top frame. Have you tried loosening the bolts on both sides and tweeking the frame over to center it better?

My top has the same issue. I haven't attempted to adjust it yet because I need to replace a leaky lift cylinder first.

 

[Austin Vert]

Thanks for your reply Tommy,

To be honest, i don't know whether my trimmer has ajusted the three bolts on each side you have described or not. I know i have not myself. I have only loosened and tightened up and adjusted the top bolt on the passengers side frame. Do you know how to get access to the other two bolts or for that matter, the whole six bolts on both sides to adjust the frame sideways.My car is at the moment all together. What do you need to take apart to get access to all the bolts and make your adjustments?

Logically, it sounds like you might be onto something here.Could you get back to me, and talk more about these six bolts and adjusting them please? Any pics would help as well if that's at all possible T.

What side of the car is your side edge rubbing on, drivers or passengers?

Thanks,

Greg.

 

[will e]

Mine does it.

 

[Austin Vert]

Mine does it.

Hi W,

What side does it occur on, and can you add any thing more to that?

Greg.

 

[will e]

passenger side. Same thing. Has done it with all three tops I have had.

 

[judge]

The top should be secured and pulled in under the weatherstrip. It must be torn loose or was never secured to the top frame. I checked to cars and operated them, they never come close to rubbing. Always have 5/8"-3/4" clearance from the chrome.

 

[TommyK]

Thanks for your reply Tommy,

To be honest, i don't know whether my trimmer has ajusted the three bolts on each side you have described or not. I know i have not myself. I have only loosened and tightened up and adjusted the top bolt on the passengers side frame. Do you know how to get access to the other two bolts or for that matter, the whole six bolts on both sides to adjust the frame sideways.My car is at the moment all together. What do you need to take apart to get access to all the bolts and make your adjustments?

Logically, it sounds like you might be onto something here.Could you get back to me, and talk more about these six bolts and adjusting them please? Any pics would help as well if that's at all possible T.

What side of the car is your side edge rubbing on, drivers or passengers?

Thanks,

Greg.

Mine rubs on the passenger side like yours. You access the bolts by removing the interior quarter trim panel. Here is a pic.



I loosened one of the bolts so you could see the slot.

 

[Austin Vert]

The top should be secured and pulled in under the weatherstrip. It must be torn loose or was never secured to the top frame. I checked to cars and operated them, they never come close to rubbing. Always have 5/8"-3/4" clearance from the chrome.

Thanks for that Judge,

I don't fully understand what you say here - -

The top should be secured and pulled in under the weatherstrip. It must be torn loose or was never secured to the top frame.

Could you try and explain to me in more detail, what you mean there please?

Thanks,

Greg.


Thank you very much Tommy for going to the trouble of taking the photo for me. I can see now what's going on here. This now has to be investigated to see what bearing it has on this problem.

I will be seeing my trimmer tomorrow for a front seat repair, and i will disscuss this matter with him, and see if he has tried to adjust the three bolts on both sides properly at all etc, etc. I will get back to you and let you know how i got on.

Many thanks again,

Greg.

 

[judge]

When the top is new, the seam around the quarter window area has a 90 degree leg that fits under the window weatherstrip. When installing the top this seam and the leg portion gets glued to the top frame at the quarter window position. The weatherstrip attaches through the leg portion of the top. The top should still be tight to the frame and glued in place as it passes through the well chrome.

 

[Austin Vert]

When the top is new, the seam around the quarter window area has a 90 degree leg that fits under the window weatherstrip. When installing the top this seam and the leg portion gets glued to the top frame at the quarter window position. The weatherstrip attaches through the leg portion of the top. The top should still be tight to the frame and glued in place as it passes through the well chrome.

Thanks Judge,

I get what you say now. I will take this up with my trimmer when i see him tomorrow as well.

Greg.

 

[luxstang]

I'm only chiming in to say that the old top rubbed on the passenger side and tore in the exact same spot as yours.

With the new top (been about 9 years now) it no longer does.

I know this doesn't help you but I only wanted to let you know it's not uncommon.

 

[Austin Vert]

I'm only chiming in to say that the old top rubbed on the passenger side and tore in the exact same spot as yours.

With the new top (been about 9 years now) it no longer does.

I know this doesn't help you but I only wanted to let you know it's not uncommon.

Thanks Mike,

That points to something the installers did to your roof when the new one went in i guess.Yes, from the feedback so far, this passengers side rub issue seems to have a common link with our cars it would seem, which as i said before, could indicate a design or factory problem maybe.

I'll take it up again with my trimmer and let everyone know how i got on.

Cheers,

Greg.

 

[sdstang]

When the top is new, the seam around the quarter window area has a 90 degree leg that fits under the window weatherstrip. When installing the top this seam and the leg portion gets glued to the top frame at the quarter window position. The weatherstrip attaches through the leg portion of the top. The top should still be tight to the frame and glued in place as it passes through the well chrome.

This is why I spend so much time on this forum. My top had the same problem so know when I install my new top I know what to look for!

 

[Bill73Ragtop]

I've seen original un-restored cars with abrasion at those points. My top, which has been on the car since 1998, has wear along both edge seams. It's not ripped, just worn. Initially it was barely noticeable, but over the years with hundreds of up and down operations it has recently become pretty apparent. I have not been ready to justify spending +/- $1K for a new top (installed) since the top functions as it should in all other respects.

Judge is correct as to what steps need to be done to correct it, but it may not be a simple 1-hr fix.

 

[Austin Vert]

I've seen original un-restored cars with abrasion at those points. My top, which has been on the car since 1998, has wear along both edge seams. It's not ripped, just worn. Initially it was barely noticeable, but over the years with hundreds of up and down operations it has recently become pretty apparent. I have not been ready to justify spending +/- $1K for a new top (installed) since the top functions as it should in all other respects.

Judge is correct as to what steps need to be done to correct it, but it may not be a simple 1-hr fix.

Thanks for your input Bill,

I believe what you have said here is very true. My car is at the trimmers right now and i am talking to him about all the aspects that have been raised so far in my thread.

When i get my car back in a couple of days, i will post another thread and report to everyone how i got on and the conclusions to this problem.

Thanks,

Greg.

 

[Bill73Ragtop]

I've been meaning to post some pics of my top (Yikes! The flash makes it look worse than it appears). So here is the result of 16 years of operation.

 

[Austin Vert]

Thanks for sending the photos Bill. Yes, unfortunately, you are a victim of both sides rubbing, and your pics tell the story. You could get both sides vinyl repaired at this stage, and that would make them look 100% better, and give them a new lease of life so to speak.

I posted a new updated thread about the conclusions i had reached after i got my car back from my trimmer a couple of days ago. That will be of help to you as well for the future.

Your Reference.......................

http://www.7173mustangs.com/thread-ragtop-rub-problem-update

Thanks,

Greg.