hey all, i just picked up a 1989 4runner and im wondering how hard is it to take the top off.

 

Not too hard at all...If I remember from taking mine off (last summer around August), there are 16 total bolts, you have to take the plastic off around the bolts, which is a total of about 12 screws...It takes some time, but once all the bolts are off, make sure you disconnect the relay for the rear window and the hose for the rear wiper, they are located in a little hole on the driver side in the back corner where the top and body come together. Then just make sure you lift it about an inch and make sure the seals come off okay. The remove. I could take it off with two people, but three would be better. Enjoy it with the top off! I know I did!

 

it's cake. like he said, gotta remove the plastic and the bolts. and don't forget the electrical plug and water plug for the wiper. took me longer to remove the plastic that covered the bolts than the actual bolts themselves. i figure this summer i'll just leave the plastic off to allow for even QUICKER removal and replacement of it. minus the plastic, if you can handle a socket and ratchet, i'd say 10 minutes TOPS with 1 person removing bolts and 2 people removing the cover. little longer to put it on. if you can get 2 people for the bolts (my buddy told me to yell at him when i got the bolts outta the way cuz he didn't want to help with that part) then you obviously divide that by 2. i'd say the thing weighs about 150 lbs. 2 people of massive strength like myself (haha, i'm a liar. i'm a wuss) will have no problem at all.

oh, and one more thing. i guess i'll be the first to say it. DON'T YOU DARE SAY THAT YOU JUST BOUGHT A VEHICLE AND NOT POST ANY PICS OF IT!!! (we all like seeing pics of each other's rides! make sure you post some!) here's a link to my ride, which is also an 89. https://www.yotatech.com/forums/f2/finally-my-pics-30888/

 

oh yeah, good to have you aboard! don't be afraid to ask questions!

 

thx, i'm hopefully picking her up this weekend and i hope the weather is good to cause i wanna cruise around topless.

 

BUMP

Is it hard to get everything to line up when putting the top back on? Is leaking water a common problem?

 

Yeah it leaks bad when the top is off! But really though, not hard at all to line back up. I take mine off all the time and never have any leaking issues, usually leave a few bolts out too. Massive strength is not required either, as me and my mom have removed mine before.

 

make sure you put the window down in the back first. just in case. and it won't op once the cap is off. when you take it off, you should notice the drivers side bolt 2nd to last from the tailgate is different. this bolt activates a switch underneath. always make sure this goes in the same spot or that window won't come back up.

if you have the plastic trims to remove, put them away safely, the L shape piece is easy to break. very flimsy after 20 years of sun.

be careful putting it down on the ground. the fiberglass is easy to mash if you're struggling with the weight of it. i recommend some saw horses and lay on those so you're not on the ground with it. i actually wrapped my entire topper with saran wrap a year ago and stashed it because i have a canvas top now and i never take it off. put all that hardware in a ziplock bag.

 

yea its pie, about a half hour and 2 people, mine never leaks either

 

I take mine off and put it back on by myself. We have freaky weather here so most of the time i cant take mine off in the summer and leave it off..lol

 

cap came off with the 6 bolts the idiot had it held onwith when i bought our 88. yes bolt "A" is theone that apparantlly actuatesa switch to allow use of the window. in our re-do o our 88 we took our top off the 2nd night we had t and its of course in the garage.makes it much easier to pull everything apart without the top on. will post pis of our revival. also by having the top off it made it easy to pull off all the plastic side panels and unbelievable how much ISN'T ehind those panels. actually will elp doing bodywork by doing some of it from the inside out.

 

does anybody have a picture of a properly functioning window regulator for the back window. mine clicks alot, got a new motor for it but plan on pulling everything apart to get rid of the window tint and change the motor. i defeated the door lock by unlatching the small spring and defeated the "door lock" light that shows when the lock is up by pulling the lever(a small metal one near a switch that i believe activates when thedoor is unlocked)
any ideas for a replacement for the carpet that covers the tailgate. ??diamondplate???

 

What do you mean clicking?? When I got my 87, It would "click" near the top, and wouldn't seal all the way up without pushing it up. The click was more like a miss. Turns out the last 2 teeth of the gears of the regulator were worn down. I believe some 2nd gens have the same regulators, but their tailgates are different.

And I think diamondplate would work, but it could suck if you had to crawl in there. I thought of getting the thin wood like they already have in there, then spray with some sort of bedliner. I know vortex liners can get fairly smooth. Herculiner would be the same as diamond plate.


And there should be 2 bolts that stay in there holes, the heads are small so they don't actually hold the top down. They are used for lining the top up when you go to put it back on.

 

Look in the owners manual. It shows the proper sequence to tighten the bolts when putting the top back on.

 

2 or 3 people and 1/2 hour to remove the top? Get serious and eat your Wheaties. I take mine off by myself in under 15 minutes.

Yes, it weighs 150lbs. I weighed mine.

 

your so big and strong 2 people or more makes light work of it

 

Actually, I don't really recommend one person trying to take it off by himself. It's very easy to drop it while sliding it back. I have a trick for getting mine off without risk of dropping it and I'm also tall and strong enough to carry it around.

I eventually want to get a soft top.

 

Thanks for the tips. I realize this thread was rather old, but i just picked up my 89 for free (It was technically free, but only cost me a 2100 dollar trip to Kingman AZ to be able to get it!). I live in Redding Ca and it is prime wheelin territory here with literally hundreds of miles of trails to banch on! I looked it over and wasn't quite sure of how to get the top off (It's my first 4Runner) and the post was rather helpful! Thanks!!

 

Hey all --- Just got a softtopper for the 1st generation and went to take the hard top off today. Haven't had it off since 2005 (I know, I suck). Anyway, 10 bolts came out just fine. Two of them, however, spin and spin but won't back out. It's like they're stripped. One of them, mefears, is bolt A that controls the rear window. Tried to put tension on the one on the passenger side by using wood wedges to lift up the top, but bolt still just spins. Anyone else run into this? Any tips?

 

I would use something more substantial than a wood wedge. I would wedge against that wedge with a chisel while loosening.