Thanks Kim!

I had envisioned the cylinders pushing on the lift bar or the top supports.
What you've done needs a shorter throw from the helpers.

Seeya, Jake

On 2/3/07, Kim Brennan <kimbrennan@mac.com> wrote:
>
> Bug me enough and you might just get:
>
> <http://homepage.mac.com/kimbrennan/PoptopAssist/index.html>
>
>
> On Feb 3, 2007, at 12:05 PM, Pensioner wrote:
>
> > McMaster - Carr sells a wide variety of gas struts.  Kim Brennan
> > mentioned
> > that he installed some on his westy just for raising the top.  I
> > suspect he
> > could post some pix of that clever installation on the yahoo
> > vanagon group
> > to give you an idea of how to do it.
> >
> > Kinda works like this.  You will buy two sets of struts, one for
> > just the
> > top and one for the top plus whatever you have currently mounted up
> > there
> > (cargo box, spare moose, that extra vaganza).
> >
> > The struts help you lift the top.
> >
> > Or you can just get several varying lengths of the ubiquitous PVC
> > irrigation
> > pipe add a rubber crutch tip to each end and you have a prop that
> > will help
> > alleviate the 'clean and jerk' move to raise the top.  Raise it a
> > ways,
> > insert the first pipe, take a break, raise it the next step, insert
> > the
> > second pipe...pipe is placed between the top and the ledge at the
> > front of
> > the roof where the latch is.  Rubber feet keep it from slipping.
> >
> > Of course you should carefully lubricate the hinges both at the rear
> > (they're plastic bushings) and at the front so rotation is as
> > friction-free
> > as possible.
>

--
Jake
1984 Vanagon GL
1986 Westy Weekender "Dixie"
www.crescentbeachguitar.com