hard top not fitting?

[bigblackblazer]

I have a 71 and just bought a 72. I took the hard top off the 72 to put on the 71 but it seems that go forward another half inch or so, but it is hitting the windshield frame. Was there differences between the years? Have any ideas on how to fix this?

[Shock_Me]

I don't know about yours, but my windshield frame used to "relax" about 1/4" or so when I took the top off. It's probably just a shimming issue, but I never tried shimming it to see if it made a difference. I just got a couple of helpers to push from the back of the top till the bolt holes lined up. Shimming would have made more sense I guess.

Pete

[bouncytruck]

You probably need new body mounts. Once the top is off, if the mounts are shot, the tub tends to "sag" in the middle. You'll probably notice that your door gaps are different than they were with the top on. Try loosely bolting the top in place and driving around the block. Also, parking on un-even ground can add a degree of difficulty.

There are also two types of tops, double-wall and single-wall. The single wall tops mount with bolts down from above the bedrail and the double wall bolts up from under the bed rail. Single wall tops were not introduced until 72, but not all 72's have single wall tops. The overall mesurements are basically the same, with the exception of the bolt holes.