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Surrey soft top


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Any ideas on how to keep the front of the soft top from starting to lift out at about 50mph. I have used a spoon handle to widen the "slot" where the front of the soft top fits in and have made the top as taught as possible by adjusting the H frame, but it still lifts out at the front. I have been told this is not uncommon, so any tips please.

 

Richard

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Richard,

 

Yes, do a search on "Surrey Top securing" or any derivatives of it, there are pages on it.

 

Mick Richards

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I have used the Surrey soft top extensively for several years and never had this problem. it's essential in Australia to protect my bald patch from the sun, even in winter.

My first top wore out, the current one is a NOS Stanpart item that fits perfectly with the original fittings.

My tip is to keep the side windows wound up firmly int the slots in the soft top. Traveling with the windows open builds up pressure under the soft top. At 50mph the face level vents should give plenty of fresh air.

Save the spoon for stirring your porridge.

Hope this helps.

Cheers, TOM

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with a repro capping I solved the problem by closing the angled (45°) front edge of the capping in a vise. Wrap the jaws of the vise with a thick cloth and squeeze until the angle closes. See drawing

 

Also, a 10 cm Velcro on both front rods of the H frame prevents the flapping

Edited by Geko
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I expect that was to try to get more of the stiffened edge under the capping. My experience is that if you over tension the fabric it tends to pull out more. I had no problems with mine until, after fitting a pair of Roger H's shiny metal things to the backlight, I thought I'd mess with the tension and it subsequently popped out on the M40. I slackened it off a bit, it's still taught but not drum like, and it's fine. I aimed to get the sides as parallel to the window tops as possible and that seems to work.

Edited by peejay4A
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Why did you widen the slot?

 

Don't you want it tighter?

 

It's another counterintuitive thing: the slot space between the rubber and the edge of the capping remains the same but closing the angle of the capping allows the metal strip of the soft top to slide deeper into the slot and to sit above the rubber and locking it under tension otherwise it rests against the rubber and slips under tension. See drawing

Edited by Geko
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Richard

 

Quick follow up on Geko's comments, he's right. I had exactly the same problem, couldn't secure the leading edge and discovered that the metal bar in the 'pattern soft top was too thick.

 

So, rather than widening the gap I had a trimmer insert a thinner bar, which can now be pushed fully home (deeper), securing the leading edge to the screen top, problem solved,

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