Top Struts

Post body issues and questions here

Moderators: kamzcab86, CalAltaDubber

Post Reply
dpawlows
Posts: 8
Joined: Wed Apr 21, 2010 2:01 pm
What year is your cabby?: 1987
Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes

Top Struts

Post by dpawlows »

Can someone tell me where the top struts are located and if you can see them with the top up, down, etc? I'm not convinced I actually have any.
User avatar
gull
Posts: 817
Joined: Sun Feb 19, 2006 6:30 pm
What year is your cabby?: 1989
Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes
Location: Auburn, WA
Contact:

Re: Top Struts

Post by gull »

D-pillar area, extending slightly down into the trunk. I think you can get a pretty good view of them with the top partway down, or you could unhook the bottom of the headliner and pull it back slightly.

A picture is worth a thousand words, so here are a couple shots from when I was redoing the top on my car. These are taken from the outside, after removing the top shell, but they give you a bit of an "X-ray view" of where the struts are.
Image
Image
VW fan who fell to the Honda side of the force
Image
User avatar
Briano1234
Whats that smell?
Posts: 4105
Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2005 5:45 am
What year is your cabby?: 1992
Do you own a Cabriolet?: No
Location: Duluth, Ga
Contact:

Re: Top Struts

Post by Briano1234 »

Where to get replacements:

viewtopic.php?f=27&t=2280

I personally would get the 150 pound ones after having installed 2 sets of 120's
Briano

Yes as matter of fact, I have the Luck o'the Irish...everything I touch turns to fertilizer of the bovine variety.
You can lead a user to a link, but you can't make him Click.... :screwy:
User avatar
gull
Posts: 817
Joined: Sun Feb 19, 2006 6:30 pm
What year is your cabby?: 1989
Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes
Location: Auburn, WA
Contact:

Re: Top Struts

Post by gull »

I should probably replace mine. Also the trunk lid strut, so the stupid thing will stop hitting me in the head...
VW fan who fell to the Honda side of the force
Image
dpawlows
Posts: 8
Joined: Wed Apr 21, 2010 2:01 pm
What year is your cabby?: 1987
Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes

Re: Top Struts

Post by dpawlows »

Thanks. I definitely don't have any struts. I assume I can replace those with the top still on?
User avatar
gull
Posts: 817
Joined: Sun Feb 19, 2006 6:30 pm
What year is your cabby?: 1989
Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes
Location: Auburn, WA
Contact:

Re: Top Struts

Post by gull »

I think you can probably do it. You'll need to remove the interior trunk panels and parcel shelf, and probably pull back the bottom of the headliner. (It's just hooked over some tabs on the underside of the parcel shelf brackets.) Open and close the top and see what position gives you the best access to the mounting points. You can prop it partially open with a broom handle or something if need be; just watch your fingers. :)
VW fan who fell to the Honda side of the force
Image
User avatar
Briano1234
Whats that smell?
Posts: 4105
Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2005 5:45 am
What year is your cabby?: 1992
Do you own a Cabriolet?: No
Location: Duluth, Ga
Contact:

Re: Top Struts

Post by Briano1234 »

dpawlows wrote:Thanks. I definitely don't have any struts. I assume I can replace those with the top still on?
Yes you can replace them with the top up.

Remove the Carboard covers on the top and you will see the pivot on the extreme edge of the parcel shelf permanent pieces.
Pull the cir-clip and washer.

Image

On the top you can get to it from inside.
Roll the window down (rear)
Put your hand in between the headliner and the top frame, if you feel for the strut you can feel the top cir-clip and washer. Remove it and pull the strut off the fixed upper pivot.

You don't need to remove the Parcel shelf.

Bottom pivot.
Image

When replacing the cartridge body connects to the top fixed strut.
The lower you may have to swing the pivot up or down to get it on the bottom of the shaft.

Rubber cap over the eyes
Over the pivot
washer
cir-clip

Washer is next to the cir-clip
Briano

Yes as matter of fact, I have the Luck o'the Irish...everything I touch turns to fertilizer of the bovine variety.
You can lead a user to a link, but you can't make him Click.... :screwy:
dpawlows
Posts: 8
Joined: Wed Apr 21, 2010 2:01 pm
What year is your cabby?: 1987
Do you own a Cabriolet?: Yes

Re: Top Struts

Post by dpawlows »

I got the replacement struts from McMaster yesterday. It took less than 2 days somehow. Anyway, went to install them, and of course, the bottom pivots have been removed. Should have figured to look before ordering. Any suggestions on where to get those other than trying the classifieds at vwvortex?
User avatar
Briano1234
Whats that smell?
Posts: 4105
Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2005 5:45 am
What year is your cabby?: 1992
Do you own a Cabriolet?: No
Location: Duluth, Ga
Contact:

Re: Top Struts

Post by Briano1234 »

dpawlows wrote:I got the replacement struts from McMaster yesterday. It took less than 2 days somehow. Anyway, went to install them, and of course, the bottom pivots have been removed. Should have figured to look before ordering. Any suggestions on where to get those other than trying the classifieds at vwvortex?
Well with the irregularities of the Vortex as of late (They are rebuilding their site from scratchola), I would doubt that they are there.
Ebay and www.thesamba.com come to mind.

I can run by the "pull-a-part local and if the cabbies are still there pull a set.
I would only charge ya what it cost me plus shipping finger around a Bazillion and a Half Dollars. send me a email if you want.
Briano

Yes as matter of fact, I have the Luck o'the Irish...everything I touch turns to fertilizer of the bovine variety.
You can lead a user to a link, but you can't make him Click.... :screwy:
User avatar
kamzcab86
Queen and Popette of Cabbydom
Posts: 1277
Joined: Wed Sep 11, 2002 3:54 pm
What year is your cabby?: 1986
Location: Arizona
Contact:

Re: Top Struts

Post by kamzcab86 »

VMG is not starting over from scratch; they transferred the forum data from ZeroForum over to vB. The forums have been up and running since Tuesday night (they went down briefly yesterday while they continued working on configuration settings). The Cabriolet forum is at http://forums.vwvortex.com/forumdisplay ... -Cabriolet. The Cabriolet Classifieds is at http://forums.vwvortex.com/forumdisplay ... brio-Parts .

Junkyards would probably be the quickest way though. :thumbup:
User avatar
Briano1234
Whats that smell?
Posts: 4105
Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2005 5:45 am
What year is your cabby?: 1992
Do you own a Cabriolet?: No
Location: Duluth, Ga
Contact:

Re: Top Struts

Post by Briano1234 »

kamzcab86 wrote:
Junkyards would probably be the quickest way though. :thumbup:
Naw Briano is faster.... as the parts are on the way.
Briano

Yes as matter of fact, I have the Luck o'the Irish...everything I touch turns to fertilizer of the bovine variety.
You can lead a user to a link, but you can't make him Click.... :screwy:
User avatar
kamzcab86
Queen and Popette of Cabbydom
Posts: 1277
Joined: Wed Sep 11, 2002 3:54 pm
What year is your cabby?: 1986
Location: Arizona
Contact:

Re: Top Struts

Post by kamzcab86 »

That's what I meant! :mrgreen:
User avatar
Briano1234
Whats that smell?
Posts: 4105
Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2005 5:45 am
What year is your cabby?: 1992
Do you own a Cabriolet?: No
Location: Duluth, Ga
Contact:

Re: Top Struts

Post by Briano1234 »

kamzcab86 wrote:That's what I meant! :mrgreen:
"Who you calling a junk yard, Willis?"

Wait I resemble that remark, I just spent the past 2 days cleaning up my basement to get one more daughters stuff in from storage to save me the storage fees. One moves out, another moves in... I didn't raise Children I raised yo-yo's.
Briano

Yes as matter of fact, I have the Luck o'the Irish...everything I touch turns to fertilizer of the bovine variety.
You can lead a user to a link, but you can't make him Click.... :screwy:
Post Reply