Soft top adjustment

[rpee]

Hi All

I have an 02 Boxster s and have noticed that the roof is rattling more an more. Looking at the outside parts of the soft top is touching the clam shell. In fact at the front it has gouged the aluminium trim somehow. Does anyone know if the top can be adjusted to horizontally lower it or has something gone out of adjustment.

Rpee

[1schoir]

Hi All

I have an 02 Boxster s and have noticed that the roof is rattling more an more. Looking at the outside parts of the soft top is touching the clam shell. In fact at the front it has gouged the aluminium trim somehow. Does anyone know if the top can be adjusted to horizontally lower it or has something gone out of adjustment.

Rpee

Rpee:

If you have a plexiglass windscreen installed between the rollbars, does the latch at the front of the top's frame hit or touch the top edge of the windscreen as you lower the top? If it doesn't touch, the convertible top is most likely okay fore and aft.

The top can be adjusted horizontally, but there is only a VERY small amount of movement that will be obtained. You have to loosen the bolts on each side of the convertible frame base (3 on each side, and remove the Phillips head screws [1 or 2] if you find any in that same area). For some photos, take a look at the DIY here: http://sites.google....gthetopandframe

Post a couple of photos of how the clamshell sits in relation to the quarter panel and to the rear trunk lid, as it may actually be the clamshell that is out of adjustment.

If your clamshell is sitting exactly where it's supposed to be, before going at the three bolts on each side described above, first check that your "tension ropes" are intact and that they are connected.

If they are intact and connected, you can adjust the rear main bow of the convertible top frame by turning the 14mm adjusting bolt Counter-clockwise.

Here is a photo of where that adjustment bolt is (red arrow), and where the lower end of the tension rope's metal ball cup attaches to the steel ball (yellow arrow) connected to the adjustment mechanism:

By turning the bolt CCW, the steel ball will be lowered, and that in turn will pull the rear main bow down and minimize the abrasion. Again, this is if your clamshell is sitting properly and doesn't itself need to be adjusted.

Regards, Maurice.

Edited May 7, 2011 by 1schoir

[gunman168]

@ 1schoir

Nice guide.

But how can I adjust and align the clamshell? The right part of my clamshell is slitghly higher then the left. I adjusted the turnable plastic/rubber on where the guides of the clamshell go in when clamshell closes but still left and right are not the same.

Thanks.

[1schoir]

@ 1schoir

Nice guide.

But how can I adjust and align the clamshell? The right part of my clamshell is slitghly higher then the left. I adjusted the turnable plastic/rubber on where the guides of the clamshell go in when clamshell closes but still left and right are not the same.

Thanks.

Gunman:

Operate the top so that the clamshell is only about 3 or 4 inches above the front edge of the rear trunk lid, when viewed from behind the car.

If the clamshell is higher on one side than the other, you will have to disconnect the drive cable on that side of the electric motor so that you can synchronize that side with the opposite side. To do that, you have to remove the upside-down U-clip by pulling straight up on the right angle tab that sticks out of its side and then pulling that end of the drive cable outboard and away from the flange that turns it inside the electric motor. Once you have exposed the inner "speedometer type" drive cable on the end of that cable, place it inside the chuck of a cordless drill, set on the LOWEST torque setting.

Then, operate the drill while observing the level of the clamshell on the side that you are trying to adjust. You can eyeball it, or use a ruler to measure the distance on each side between the bottom of the clamshell on that side and the top of the front of the rear trunk lid. Once you have the same distance on each side, and the clamshell is then level, you can reconnect the drive cable by placing it inside the drive flange on the side of the electric motor and re-installing the upside-down u-clip to lock it in place.

You may have to turn the inner speedometer type drive cable by hand by a sixteenth or an eighth of a turn to get it into the drive flange, but it will go in easily once you get it lined up.

Regards, Maurice.