SW top on a ST with ST rollcage?

[Chris Cox]

I was just wondering if it is possible to mount a SW top on a ST with the ST rollcage? Seems like all you would have to do is cut the side panel and top where the cage enters, form a "bump" where the cage sits on the side body cappings to clear the cage. May be completely wrong. I haven't got my ST cage here to compare it to the SW, and the SW leaves tonight or tomorrow for TX :( . I know this question has been beaten into the ground, but I figured it was worth asking, as I am not willing to give up the ST, but really like having the ability to use a SW that is not a complete POS like the fiberglass tops.

Thanks in advance

Chris

[waveridin1959]

i'd let you compare mine if you asked Chris. I think the only differnce is the cage has been rubberized making it thicker.

[Chris Cox]

Thanks Brian. One of my concerns was wether or not the rear part of the cage was small enough to fit under the SW top. The SW only has a roll bar behind the front seats, no cage in the rear. Also, I didn't know wether the cage would fit in the SW top where the cage meets the rear tub. I thought maybe somebody had already pondered over this a little more than I have had time to.

Follow-up Post:

Thanks Brian. One of my concerns was wether or not the rear part of the cage was small enough to fit under the SW top. The SW only has a roll bar behind the front seats, no cage in the rear. Also, I didn't know wether the cage would fit in the SW top where the cage meets the rear tub. I thought maybe somebody had already pondered over this a little more than I have had time to.

Chris

[evilfij]

I can see no way that it is just rubberized version of the SW cage. I think this is completely wrong. My eye says there is no way that the two will work together.

Ron

[Chris Cox]

Yeah, I realize that the 2 cages are completely different. I just didn't know if it was possible to modify an aluminum top to fit like the fiberglass top, of course with a little aluminum work. I guess I should have taken note of the differences between aluminum and fiberglass before I sent you all the parts that weren't broken :>)

Chris

[jaherring]

I had a conversation with a guy who had seen an aluminum top modified to fit the ST roll cage. This is *exactly* what I want to do eventually.

My supposition was: if the outside dimensions of the fiberglass and aluminum tops are approximately equal, then the only difference would be on the inside where the ST roll cage must interfere with the aluminum top in some way. I imagined that the aluminum top would have stiffners made of formed aluminum (I've not seen an SW top up close and personal, so I imagine it's not unlike the stiffners in a unibody vehicle chassis). If this is the case, then it seems that it would not be impossible to make this fit as these could be cut and reinforcement welded around the weakened area. Bear in mind, this is all guesswork.

Another individual informed me that the Port-Of-Entry 1994 wagons (with the series III-style lift up upper tailgate) had an aluminum top over the ST roll cage as these were all improvised hard tops due to strong customer demand - the difference was actually cut-outs as mentioned by the thread author to fit over the different mounting mechanism of the ST cage (riding on the rim of the tub rather than inside the tub to the floor - thus there is interference w/ the aluminum top mount which also rides on the top of the tub).

Both of these discussions made me feel optimistic about mounting the aluminum top, in a slightly modified form, over the ST cage.

That would be Defender utopia in my world.....

[norros]

I got a question that may help or may not help with this situation...

The 94' POE's that came in with the 'wagon/alpine' roof... did they have an ST cage ?
It was similar to the 95 wagon roof except for the rear door if I remember correctly.
I'm sure someone knows on this board.

It would probably make things a lot easier if they did, and it would be fairly unique.


Nicholas

[dmarchand]

Search: http://www.d-90.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2401&highlight=POE

[Mike Hippert]

Talk to Read Kerlin his user name is read, he may know a thing or two about POEs.

[evilfij]

NO NO NO NO NO!!!!

POEs only had the front part of the cage, nothing in the back. They did not have the ST cage. There is no way you could modify a SW top to fit over a ST cage.

The fibreglass top is like a shell. It bolts on to the cage. The alum top is self supporting and goes where the cage is.

The two are mutually exclusive. The way to do it would be to pull the ST cage and put an alum top on when you wanted to, given the difficulty I would not want to do it more than once or twice a year, others may have more time.

Ron

[TDI Guy]

Chris, I have looked into it since I have both for my truck and the only way to do it is when you want to run the SW top in the winter, remove the upper rear hoop and make it like a POE. THen bolt the roof on. The only thing you would then need is the extentions for the front cage that would bolt onto the roof. The ST rear cage is too thick for the hard top to work.

[rover4x4]

External

[TDI Guy]

Phillip, I think that an exo cage makes the truck top heavy but thats just my opinion... Too much heavy tubing up high.

[Chris Cox]

That was what I was looking for Randy. I was just wondering if the SW top could be made to act as a shell, with some fabrication of course. Guess not. I really don't like the idea of using just the front part of the cage, as POE's did, as they are just for looks in that case. Looks like it is going to stay a ST, as I don't feel like ponying up for a SW cage and top at this time.