Anatomy of a '90 K5 topper

[6.2Blazer]

Okay, probably pretty worthless tech but I found it halfway interesting to see the internal structure of a topper. It weighs right around 200 lbs. (I've weighed the Blazer with and without the topper) and wasn't nearly as easy to hack up as I expected.

This is off a '90, so basically the last generation topper and contained the upper mounts to the 3 point rear seat belts so not sure if it had more reinforcement than earlier versions or not???

This is the B-pillar of the top. Right side is the seal that goes against the cab, bottom sits on the rail, left side is part of the window channel.

The portion that sits up against the cab has a steel channel (exposed on the outside)...this is the side facing out with the bolt hole in it.

This is the back section, like you standing on the side of the truck with the front towards the left...bottom sits on the rail, right side is the upright very back of the top, left side is the window channel.

This the above piece if you were standing towards the front of the vehicle looking back. The bottom is the part that sits on the bedrail. Just single layer fiberglass.

Same piece, but if you were standing on top of the vehicle looking down the back corner. There is fairly substantial formed metal piece (kinda' "S" shape) between the layers of fiberglass.

This piece is if you were standing at the back of the K5 looking forward, this is the upper roof like (top of picture is the roof, bottom is the rear window channel) as it is cut at the middle of the top going forward.

This is looking in from the right side of the above piece, you can see the large "S" shaped metal shown in above that goes up the C-pillar (very back upright) and continues to wrap around over the rear top.

Same piece as above, but looking through the middle towards the outside. The metal is actually double-layered over the rear window.

Here is the interior piece where the upper rear seatbelt bolts to (if you were sitting in the back seat and looked up at the part running from front to back). The inner fiberglass part you see on the interior is facing up, and the metal brace that runs from the B to C pillar is the bottom. The outer fiberglass layer is not present.

Here is where the upper rear seatbelts mount.

 

[rufusbooth]

Not worthless to me! I have been looking for just this information.

Thanks!

Rufus

 

[Blue85]

So is the center roof span just single-layer fiberglass or something else?

 

[txfiremank5]

That's pretty much the same construction of the early 80's top I cut down.

 

[moneypit_K5]

wow, theres alot more to those than I thought!

 

[badmix]

Nice info. Thanks

 

[Metrodps]

Ahh man I wish I knew you were going to do this ! With you being in Ohio I could of bought it off you and had you cut it for my topper thought.

http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=241410

 

[chaser0517]

That's pretty much the same construction of the early 80's top I cut down.

I like that. Did you have some material attached to it? Or how do you use it on your blazer?

 

[txfiremank5]

I like that. Did you have some material attached to it? Or how do you use it on your blazer?

I have a soft top that was on my old 84 K5. When I sold it, the track that holds the front of the soft top was riveted onto the cab roof (previous owners did it after the hard top got stolen). So, when I sold it, I kept the soft top, but let the track go due to not wanting to fill & repaint the holes. So, I eventually plan to shorten the soft top the fit just the cut down hardtop. It will snap all the way around (without me needing to put snap into the body of my current K5), and it has the usual x-members that swing into place to hold the middle and rear section. This way I can take the whole thing off as easy as a hardtop without the weight, or simply fold it down so that the soft top and supports lay on the rear of the bedsides and tailgate.. sort of like some old convertable cars. Or, I can of course have it all the way up. I don't suspect that it will be as waterproof as the OG method... but it will work good enough to get home if I get caught in the rain. Here is a pic of the soft top sitting on a pair of saw horses.

Right now my K5 project is, and has been on hold for a long while. Just too many things going on, and we're about the build a new house. But once the house is done, I plan to get on it as soon as I can.

 

[rdn2blazer]

Since this is a half cab top, I wonder how much more a full vert top actually weighs?

 

[dirtygoat]

Very good info...

I've been thinking about cutting up mine to bob it and dove it like the back of my K5...



This is almost like having x-ray vision...

Thanks for posting...

 

[6.2Blazer]

So is the center roof span just single-layer fiberglass or something else?

Yes, basically the entire center section of the roof is just single layer fiberglass with about a 2" wide strip of 'glass running down each side from front to back.

Glad this might actually be worthwhile for some! The pictures were literally taken as an afterthought and were already sitting at the curb waiting for the garbage man the next day.

I did use part of the top for a bikini type covering over the back seat. Kept the 4 bolts that attach to the cab and back about 3/4 of the length back.

 

[K5er4Life]

Though while a top will not subsitute for a rollcage it is a little more comforting knowing that steel band runs across the back.

 

[jonathon]

The top will still flatten like a pancake if you put it on it's lid..

 

[txfiremank5]

The top will still flatten like a pancake if you put it on it's lid..

Yeah, as some have found out, just carrying a bit of a load up there on the removable hard top will cause cracking in the seems. I suspect the metal reinforcements are just to keep the top from shaking itself to death durring the normal day to day rigors of useage.