Hard Top support questions

ander12

Cadet
Joined
Jan 11, 2020
Messages
7
We just bought (Yesterday) a 1989 Riviera Cruiser 24' with a collapsible hard top. We LOVE the hard top and it is in NEED of help. The upright support cross members all have the welds broke out which makes the op extremely flimsy. We are wondering if we can remove the aluminum cross members and replace the with either treated or teak wood, THEN add a light weight skin on both sides of the supports? I am assuming since they were welded they do not shift or move so skinning them would not interfere with them going up and down?
We also are looking to put on struts to help raise it and place a "stand" that can store up inside so 1 person can deploy the top.
Andy other suggestions?

Thanks and appreciate the add as a new member!

Andy and Kathy
 

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ahicks

Captain
Joined
Sep 16, 2013
Messages
3,957
Before getting too carried away, why don't you remove the supports and take them to a local welder to get a quote on fixing them up? Or better yet, have a mobile welder stop by! Judging by what I see in your pics, there's nothing there that's not easily handled.

Signed: another hard top lover.
 

ander12

Cadet
Joined
Jan 11, 2020
Messages
7
Commander Hicks, Do you think the bolts were an "AFTER THOUGHT" once the welds started break as a precaution? Or were they there when the unit was built? Thanks on the idea of taking it to a welder!

Andy
 

HotTommy

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Mar 15, 2013
Messages
1,025
I built an 8' x 16' hard top for my old boat using three single verticals on each side (forward, center and aft. They provide plenty of vertical support but were not adequate for resisting fore and aft forces. For that I connected one 3' x 1" x 1/8" aluminum bar to a vertical on each side. Each bar connected the vertical to the fence rail forming a triangle. Like cables, these bars are too thin to resist compression, but they resist extension very well. By having one connect to the rail forward of the vertical and the other connect aft of a vertical, one kept the top from rotating forward and the other aft. .... If your hardware is strong in the vertical, perhaps you can put a brace on each side to keep it from shifting forward or aft. Of course you'd want them to be easily removable for lowering the top.
 

ahicks

Captain
Joined
Sep 16, 2013
Messages
3,957
My bet would be that the bolts are/were an afterthought - something added when the welds started breaking. Why the broken welds were not addressed earlier is a mystery here. My boat is a '99, has that same top on it, and I have had NO trouble of any sort. The bolt holes aren't even elongnated like you see on so many of these. They're kept snugged up just for that reason!
 
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