At 06:35 PM 6/3/2011, Rocket J Squirrel wrote:
>I can't tell if mine is undergoing the same failure. The poptop has
>gotten harder to move.
>
>Here are shots of mine:
><https://picasaweb.google.com/j.michael.elliott/PoptopHinges?authkey=Gv1sRgCKXnpcK_gtDDuAE&feat=directlink>

I'm sure it is; question is how far.  My photo is of an extreme case,
as you can see by the photo of what's left of the
crossbar.  Unfortunately it's a few hundred miles away so I can't run
out and measure/photograph the joint after repair.  I do expect to be
visiting it this summer.

I don't *recall* that there was much difference in effort, but it was
a while ago.  You might want to put some oil in the big hinge at the
rear.  It might also be age error on user...I semi-vividly remember
when 60# sandbags suddenly started feeling like 95# cement sacks.

Neil N had his apart not long ago - I think he can advise whether the
measurement should be symmetrical around the axis.

But given the high loading and horrendous design of that joint, it
seems unlikely to me that it wouldn't have significantly deteriorated
by now given reasonable use.

Yrs,
d