Soft top/Cross bracing Elastic and Velcro

[RayD]

Was there anything in between the cross bracings and the inside of the canopy originally? Mine seems to have had the felt side of a strip of Velcro glued to the top of each one. It needs to come off and be replaced as it is pleated up every two inches or so and the ridges can be seen from the outside. Is there anything better for this job? and any glue to suggest.


See later for the remedy...

[Dico]

Not much help but mines exactly the same. Been putting it off for 3 years now
I'll probably reuse my felt and use contact adhesive.

[Enright]

I didn't realise it was the felt side to self-ahdesive velcro, but that sounds like quite an elegant solution.
And if the original has lasted 15 years then I would suggest that a direct replacement is well up to the job, and your best bet!
If I was doing the job (and I probably will), I would just make sure that the rail is nice and free of dried glue residue before wanging on a replacement strip of velcro.

[theelanman]

I had a brand new frame and hood put on by trim tech...and the fluffy stuff is on that.....it was also on my original.....
I think it'll be some thing to cut down abraisive wear as the material moves over the frame....also it should cut down on heat transfer and therefore condesation on the hood and frame and hence reduce the likely hood of getting water in and on your frame and making it rusty!!!
just a guess.....
probably best off asking trim tech as theve always done the elan hoods and frame from the day it was made

[ailwyn]

Mine has been done by trim tech and they used sticky backed velcro.

[theelanman]

Mine has been done by trim tech and they used sticky backed velcro.

only the fluffy bit on the frame I'm guessing.....

[RayD]

Thank you for your help.

Yes there is only the fluffy part on the frame - sticking the other piece on might tighten the head up minutely.

There is a self adhesive ‘Velcro’ in Wilkinson’s at £2 per metre.

[theelanman]

tightening might be true and might work but should make opening the hood hard.......
the material lifts off the frame when you lift it....hence if it wont lift you may stretch it over time........it will also keep the tension over the bit just behind you ear which is where , if youre, not carful, they'll tear anyway...
and you'll get that lovely ripping sound everytime you take it down....so you will end up looking all over checking its not ripped....
personally I wouldnt....
you can tighten the hood up by playing with the heared rail clips and also the bolts that hold the frame.....
Ive not tried it but that was the info trim tech gave me.......

[RayD]

Sorry, you misunderstood me, I was referring to sticking the other half of the Velcro to the felt, but not to the roof, and having the slight benefit you would get from the thicker packing. I realise now, to do this you would need self adhesive on the felt side, and no adhesive on the hook side.
Ray

[theelanman]

ah...ok ...got your meaning......
but wont that give you only mils......
enough to make a difference????
just a thought!!!
cheers
g
ps my hood was refitted by trim tech as it had stretched an become a little saggy..........it still lifts about 5mm over about 60mph......

[RayD]

Done it...

Method:

With the roof in place, and closed
Removed the over centre clips and the front plastic trim.
Removed the two cross beams.
Removed the two lengths of elastic and all the pop rivets.
Removed the old Velcro and cleaned the adhesive from the beams using petrol.
Made two plastic “buckles” for the front and two aluminium angled ones for the back. Using a sewing machine, made up the new elastic stretchers by forming two loops for the cross beams to pass through.
Sewn the front buckles onto the elastic.
Threaded the elastic onto the beams and replaced them in the car.
Fixed the front buckles into the original pop rivet holes.
Threaded the elastic over the back rail and fixed into the angled buckles.
Stuck the self adhesive Velcro on the beams while the soft top was closed.


Not using a rivet gun, the elastic could now be replaced in an hour or so if needs be.

[tubaman]

Looking at your diagram I cannot figure out how you make the two loops - seems like they are too small to sew separate pieces to the main strap. Are they just a simple stiched fold in the strap? (not much of a sewing kind of guy, so I am probably not doing a good job of describing my question

Also, what holds the fixed part of the clip to the front bow? You say it is riveted to the original holes, but through what? Is there a particular clip that you found? I don't find many 2" wide clips in my local camping supply!

Dave Richoux, Palo Alto CA

[quote="RayD"]Done it...

Made two plastic “buckles” for the front and two aluminium angled ones for the back. Using a sewing machine, made up the new elastic stretchers by forming two loops for the cross beams to pass through.

[RayD]

Hi Dave,

The red lines on the drawing represent stitches.

The elastic is in one piece.

I identified the size of the loop by simply wrapping it fairly tightly round the cross beam, then sewing across maybe four times with a sewing machine. Just a simple stitched fold, as you say.

I haven’t used any rivets, just nuts and bolts through the original rivet holes.

I made the clips, by hand from sheet plastic.

I’ll take another picture or two.

The elastic needs to be slightly tighter than you imagine...I had to make some adjustments after my first guess.

Cheers

Ray

Edit... I may change the aluminium angle brackets for flat plastic ones using the same screw holes. The alloy ones are over complicated and too close to people’s heads from a safety point of view.

Having identified the proper tension the new flat plastic clips could be sewn in, in the same manner as the fronts, passed over the cross beam and screwed into place.

[RayD]

...

[tubaman]

Now all I have to do is make a similar set of brackets and find the proper elastic - plenty on eBay.uk, but seems not as available in the US.

Dave Richoux

There you go Dave... hope this helps.

[lotusgirlmarie]

I got tired of the elastic and used nylon webbing. never need to replace it.

[tubaman]

Did you use some sort of adjustment buckle(s) to set the proper tension?

I like the general idea of web strap instead of elastic!

Dave Richoux

I got tired of the elastic and used nylon webbing. never need to replace it.

[lotusgirlmarie]

nope. When I pulled off my canvas to replace it, I just adjusted the metal framework to the proper locations then set the nylon webbing and re-riveted it to the frame with the proper amount of tension. Been on there 3-4 years now with no signs of stretching or slack.

[JIMBO]

being a simple person, I just stuck male to femail velcro onto the rail, peeled of the top sticky paper cover and pressed the hood material onto the frame. I never thought about the materiel moving over the metal hoops, and as I havn't used the car since I dont know what the outcome will be!!

[RayD]

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Related thread ... Here