QuestionI cant see any thing differant in the top ,it will land with locks lined up ,both frount and back ,it is at proper attitude in respect to body ,both at frount window and rear quarter ,it goes smoothly through ihe raseing and lowering cycle untell it reaches that final stage as we talked about .the linkage was removed and stored on a shelf ,no chance of any damage done while off ,,the shocks as you call them , I removed to check for freedom of travel ,and they cant be out of travel at my point of trouble ,because they start to compress only after the top moves past the point where the top stops ,I feel that the problem is that somehow the two sets of linkage pivet points are off ,,,meanung that the rear linkage pivit point need to change,,but I cant see any way this could be changed ,it is not made to be changed ,I guess my next pan is to buy a bunch of steel and make a small frame ,with the same locations of linkage mounts as the top ,then mount it inplace of the top ,then I can see what is happening at the point of the problem ,an expenceive and time cosumeing plan ,but I can not think of any other course any more thoughts you have I would appreciate Dave -------------------------
Followup To
Question -
I am electricaly hooked directly to the roof retract motor ,the roof retract jacks will stall out when I reach this point ,and if you try to shake the roof it is unshakeable ,bound up tight ,with a great stress on the back window area where the mount pads for the rear linkage is .I hooked a hoist to the roof while at this point and disconneced the roof jacks from roof and ran the motor to see if there was more travel left in the jacks ,and there was .-------------------------
Followup To
Question -
the top will retract to the trunk ,and the two guide pins located on the rear linkage will just start to go in the two guide channels on the trunk floor ,I belive at this point the two linkage pivit points are supposed to be close to the same plane ,letting the weight of top to drop the frount of the top ,useing the spring assimblys to control speed of drop ,for some reason ,at the point when the top should drop there is a stress on the rear linkage ,like it is fighting frount linkage ,I have removed the two spring assemblys and checked to make sure they are not hanging up ,I appreciate your help ,hope I have made things clearer Dave
-------------------------
Followup To
Question -
I had to remove the top to have sandblasted and primered,it was working when I took it off ,now on reinstall ,it will not fully retract to trunk,it goes to where it is in guides and that is it ,it stops there ,and I mean stops ,rock hard ,I have used fords system for step by step on reinstall and ajustment ,but nothing seems to change the problem ,I have been working on this problem 9 days streight and am getting nowhere ,,help thanks Dave
Answer -
Hi Dave,
These tops can be mystifying sometimes. Don't start complaining about nine days straight...I'll have to tell you my story...but we don't have that kind of time!
Do me a favor...I understand that the top stops while it is retracting, but I don't understand where. What do you mean when you say: "it goes to where it is in guides and that is it." Write back and I'll give you a hand.
Dave
Answer -
+++++++++++++
Follow-up...09-17-06
Hi Dave,
That's an excellent description, thanks a lot.
Like you, I'm really surprised at the suddenness and the location where this happens. It would seem momentum, if nothing else. would finish this job.
It sounds like the issue is mechanical, but first I'd like to eliminate the possibility it is electrical.
Questions: First, when you say the roof stops and this straining occurs...are the roof retract motors still running at this point? Or do they shut off when the roof stops moving, meaning...is it possible the retract motors are stopping the retract screws? If so, the roof-at-rest-switch (I know there's a more technical name for this but hey, it's still early Sunday morning) may be activated way too early. Any chance of this?
Dave
Answer -
Hi Dave,
Wow, you are all over this problem...doing all the right things.
Obviously you've now eliminated the possibility of an electrical problem. It's getting hard to imagine the strain you're putting on things without being there to see it. I hate to be a nag, but I imagine the only thing I can do now is ask the questions you've been asking over and over again for 10 days.
1. What's different about how you installed the roof compared to how it looked when you removed it?
2. When you had the retracting jacks separated from the roof and the roof attached to the hoist, you're saying the roof still could not be budged or even wiggled?
2a. Is there any chance the shock absorbers have run out of travel? I'm having a hard time visualizing their position relative to their mounting points on the lifting arms...but I'm stumped as to how there could be binding without your being able to see it.
Question 1 again, asked in another way: Between the time the roof was removed and then re-installed, were the lifting arms moved?
Question 1 again, asked in yet another way: Can you remove the top and start over?
By now, I'm no longer your friend, just a nag..sorry. If you can tell me more I'll keep thinking...
Dave
AnswerHi Dave,
I am sorry, but I'm quickly running out of ideas. You've stumped the expert. Congrats. You win nothin'! It's really impossible to install that roof improperly...is there any chance there were shims used at those four roof mounting points and they're missing now? I know, searching for needles in a haystack at this point. I'll keep thinking about it. Dave
