What's new
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

Intrested in soft tops for K5's? looking into Manufacturing them. update post 118

BulldogK5 said:
Looks like a PITA for the full tops.

I gotta know about the wagon on the roof though.:D
Click to expand...


Your right, it is, thats why I want to build a better mouse trap :D. The Red Wagon on the roof was to help hold down a tarp when I had a bad roof leak. I had all kinds of stuff on the roof to hold down the tarp. Its been supposedly fixed by the land lord fixed for a while but I never got the wagon down. Looks like I need to.
 
Nah. No need to take it down. I thought maybe you were that neighborhood guy that takes anything that touches his property. you know, a baseball, frisbee, bike or wagon flies into the yard and all of a sudden it's yours.:haha: That, or the kids really made you mad.:bow:
 
I'm interested in helping on this project. I'm an industrial designer and have some prior experience designing soft tops for boats (Fountain Powerboats).

I've got a Kayline Snap Top (one of their older models prior to the Fast Trac) and it's in good condition. I'd be willing to take some measurements, do some patterns in CAD, whatever. I can help process all your work into CAD as well.

Just let me know where I can help. I'll shoot you a PM with some contact info.
 
I have a STC top and like it but wish it was more like the can back top. i have a 90 k5 and love how theres is a complete frame. maybe hats something you could look in to for us half cab guys. if there was one like canback with out the ridiculous $$$$ i would jump on that in a sec. i love how you can rool all the windows up and get a safari feel. STC is a great top don;t get me wrong but if u have the sides down and doors off it whips around pretty bad. just my $.02
 
I have been thinking about this one for a while. Let me know if you get close to doing, and what type it is going to be. Like the Can Back style or the STC.
 
I guess I have to take a look at the Can Back tops. I know there not for K5's but they sound like some guys like them. My top is going to be basically like the STC top but greatly improved. I want it to be taught without having the side window pannels and rear window pannel being locked into the challen. I want it to be Taught with all the three windows rolled up. It that like the Can Back??
 
http://www.can-back.com/

Their site is a little unclear to me but according to one entry, they should have a top available for the Blazer/Jimmy... though they also don"t indicate what year model applications they've made them for. Still at $1300 each, they cost more than my K5 did :)

Plus, everything I gather from any review of the Can-Back indicates that it is NOT a convertible... as in, the bows/spreaders are always in the upright position. You can roll the sides up but that's about it. I'd prefer a convertible myself.

The review here: http://coloradok5.com/can-backreview.shtml and the picture: http://coloradok5.com/reviewpics/canbackmain.jpg makes it look like it is fairly tight even when the sides are rolled up. It'd be great if you could see how they accomplished that. Maybe the reviewer can be contacted and you can get a look at how they accomplish this?

This photo of a Can-Back looks different, the top seems to wrap down the sides a bit (not a Blazer though): http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1093365523033691998OhwNtD

Somewhere I think I have a link to another Can-Back review but I can't seem to find it right now.

I posted up a link to instruction manuals for many tops for our K5s... I have that link on the work computer so I'll post that next week to this discussion... there may be something you can harvest from other manufacturers instructions.
 
canbackmain.jpg


This is the boss' truck before he went full on crazy. I'm sure he could be contacted.

This one is Stormtrooper's truck.
Storm-bumpdump3.jpg


DSC00554.JPG


1486DSC07447.JPG


And the blue one you posted a link to I believe belongs to a member here.
 
What about a single peice of molded plastic to reinforce the back. A grove or a track for the tailgate window in it, so you eliminate any kind of a roll up plastic window all together?

Use the glass window you already have and probably keep the elements out a little better.
 
85-m1028 said:
What about a single peice of molded plastic to reinforce the back. A grove or a track for the tailgate window in it, so you eliminate any kind of a roll up plastic window all together?

Use the glass window you already have and probably keep the elements out a little better.
Click to expand...

Just ditch the K5 gate and put on one from a pick-up. It takes 5 min and with the P/U gate you can fit a 35 and probably a 36 in the stock spare tire cairer.

Yes, the CanBack frame is ridgedly mounted so you don't get the fully open look, but if you have a cage back there you don't get that anyway. If you want, the full fabric part comes off -or removing the frame work is still quicker and lighter than the hard top.
 
yeah the can-back ones are slick. and you can take the top off easy. to make it a convert. also the bows are strong enough to hold a rack and 300 pounds the have 3 bows and are only offered for the half sells. thats why they are so tight. plus i just like the system they have. its like the hard top. u can just pick it up and take it right off like the hard top.


canbackadjust.jpg


RoofBasketInstalled.jpg
 
I'd love to be able to throw the spare or some sleeping bags or something up on the roof rack, but my guess is that it wouldn't fare too well against low hanging branches. I guess you could leave the roof rack at camp....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest Posts

Top Bottom