Anbody ever question why you'd put a drip rail under the top?

[skorpioskorpio]

When you look at the Blazers and Jimmys, knowing it's basically a hacked shortbed I guess you just never question it, but if you think about it, and look at other vehicles that have removable or retractable tops, you have to ask, why is there a drip rail above the windshield and not on the front lip of the top? Seems like this would only promote leakage and eventual failure of the gasket. Why is it there?

[cleszkie]

Perhaps its because of the pinch welds in the drip rail that hold the top of the frame together. If the engineers removed the rail, they would have to devise another way of attaching the two pieces of the frame, and that would require more blazer specific tooling. Probably cheaper to leave the drip rail on the frame and not mold it into the top. Just a thought.

[skorpioskorpio]

Oh, I am sure it is something like that. Since my project needs work on the top bridge anyway, I may take it as an opportunity to shave the front gutter. I understand that shaving the gutters over the door tends to make the door glass leak but I don't really see how shaving the front could have much negative effect since the windshield seal is pretty much the same type as the '73-75 trucks and they don't have a front gutter.