are the hardtops metal or fiberglass?

 

I put my money on metal of course. Why would a factory top have expensive fiber glass?

Anyhow, there was also a recent thread about how heavy those suckers are, so they are definately not fiberglass.

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Marko

 

they are fibreglas, i had an 86 & an 89. yes, those tops are heavy, definately a two person job to remove them safely.

lee

 

My 87 is fiberglass. So there, nyah

 

You guys gotta be kidding? How come they are so heavy then?

 

its really thick fiberglass, thats why you never see them cracked

 

They are packed full of gold in between the layers of fiberglass.

 

I don't know. Lead core? But I do know for a certainty that mine's fiberglass, or has a fiberglass covering over a metal core? That I doubt. I think it's just old, thick, heavy fiberglass...Bit I am CERTAIN it's fiberglass. Lost enough paint that there's absolutely no doubt in my mind.

 

Glass is heavy, moreso than steel.

 

I've been proven wrong, never thought of the glass; yeap, it can get heavy that way.

 

Fiberglass, 140lbs, I take it off and on and move it around myself. It's all in how you lift it.

 

i use 'the force'

 

Yep - it's FRP - thats why its so heavy. It sturdy enough to walk on.
They mould it - from resin with glass strands in it - not the usual fiberglass layup you generally think of. They made it strong (I applaud that - these things are durable!) but that made it heavy. It could be just as strong at half the weight but cost 4x to make with a hand layup of matt and roving (like a boat is built.)

 

When my rig was at stock height I used to take the top on and off by myself. Now that its lifted I cant do it.

 

Then obviously a lift adds weight to the top, right?

Just kidding. It's late and I get silly aometimes...

 

Glass. I take mine on/off alone and it weighs about the same as I do. As for lifted trucks, yeah, it is harder. I have to park the rear tires in a hole.

 

What I used to do is unbolt it, slide it straight back untill its about to tip over, and then gently guide it down to the ground, tip it back, and move it out of the way. Not a good way to do it since I've dropped it once, and scratched the hell out of the bedsides.

To put it back I would sit one end on the ground and the other end on the bedsides. Then grab the back of it, lift it up and slide it on the truck at the same time.

Getting it over the roll bar is a PITA.


Now you can see why I cant do it with the lift. The top is not tall enough to sit on the ground and reach the bedsides.

I have taken it off once by myself since its lifted, but that was when I parked the rear up against a big dirt wall that was as tall as my tailgate.

 

i wouldnt lift it solo...not only because i cant, but i wouldnt want to drop it, which i would if i tried.

 

Build ya one of these...then it is easy to put on and take off all by yourself.

 

I have a 4 point block and tackle type of lift in my carport ceiling - I actually use it to store a boat up there. But I've used it to take off canopies and things like that. Handy. 4 lift points run to 2 blocks then to one block and only one rope to pull - all in all 8 to 1 ratio. Easy.