Sorry Nobby, I cant get a picture quite yet. But the only thing that can go wrong that can be illustrated in a photo is the bar tethered to the elastic does not swing back and you forget to tuck in the tail portion of the top by the locking pin. I was just trying to do a search of a thread I did see a few years ago where a guy recommended a rolled towel be put in the folded of the transparency. I think this is a good idea, to keep the transparency from creasing. Also watch the corners by the hinges, they will scuff the seal for the top cover, I don't know any work around for this except to have a second person on the other side to help in folding while guiding the top into the stowage area.

I will try to post pictures later.

 

Hope these are good enough, nobby.

Loren

 

Hi Loren,

I can't see the rubber "draft seal" strips in your pictures. Do you have them installed.? I believe they do come with the WU tops. If you do, could you post a picture to show where your installer put them?

Graham

 

Tired of the Thread? Quite the opposite and I am sure others will agree...

I took a pic of mine but I think it is the way to NOT train it properly as mine bulges out by the hinges and rubs on the pass. side when you try to put it in the boot. It also rubs in the rear.

 

OK after folding mine for the first time I understand Nobbys concern. First the right rear window now has a chaff from rubbing the bar. second the left rear window got a crease at the lower edge. Nothing that cant be fixed but if folding like this continues problems will arise in a short time.

Next looking at rowdie's pictures and thank you rowdie, at the movable bow the one attached by elastic, rowdies showing the corners tucked in, my first attemp was pulled out not sure which is better. I will have to try tucked in. Also elastic between two bows forces the canvas to fold outward instaead of inward like an accordian as rowdie's is. It is possible that I made my elasitcs too tight. It seams the elastics job is to just get the bow moving in the right direction but I think I may be holding tension too long and interfearing with the canvas fold.

Sorry I have no more pictures to add, my son just got home from school and I'm at the library.

I definately need to do some experimenting. for one I think I'm going to try to find a cotton or lambs wool wrap for my rear bar to avoide chaffing. I also am going to try to find a rolled towel scheme.

 

here's a link (107SL top folding technique-- Large pictures - PeachParts Mercedes ShopForum) to a good tutorial with pics

 

That's the one I was looking for. According to his post #6 he recommends the canvas fold out away from the frame. Mine wants to do that so I will give it a try.

 

Boot Protection

Actually - in order to prevent the chafing/scratching issue on the windows while it's in the boot - I cut a T-Shirt up both sides and left it at the collar, so that it can provide some sort of scratch and dirt protection. The T-Shirt is not thick enough to prevent it from closing, easily disposable, and easily to replace. It's white, so I can see if it's ready to be replaced due to wet / grease / dirt.

Works quite well. You might try it.

Just a suggestion

 

Thanks everyone.
I have a baby crib flannel sheet to use. Walmart. $7.00.
I guess I will frig around with it until I'm happy.
I do know that the stowage boot seal is worn on the left and right sides from years of the folds rubbing it.
Also the source of the first black marks on my new soft top.
Man, keeping this thing clean is going to be a challenge.

 

I did some experimentation today and I think I came up with my solution. Essentially its that link from PeachParts provided by Juice1492.

As Mr dmorrison explains in his thread post #6 its best to let the fabric fold out away from the frame as it is in my first picture and second pictures.

The difference between the first and second pictures is that the corners of the fold aft of the elastic bar are pulled out in the first picture and tucked in the second picture.

Mr dmorrison doesn't explain this but I can see by his post #8 he leaves them out like in my first photo.

So when you do this you get what I call the Prince Charles look in my third picture.

Then what do you do with those big gear sticking up. Mr dmorrison tucks them in as in my 4th photo. I prefer at last for the moment to let the cover just fold them forward as you close the cover. I assume closing the cover will fold the corners forward like in my 5th picture.

In any case I have found that folding the top as in my first picture gives you the most room in the storage compartment and the top cover is easiest to close. Seems to be the least stressful situation.

I'm still working on how to fold the window area.

 

Very helpful.
I'm thinking this weekend for the bows and folding.

 

John, the photo you show where you are holding the folding corner up? My M-B top manual suggests taking that portion and tuking it under the hinge.

 

Agree, Picture #5 has been voted off the island. And also since MB is showing these corners needing to be tucked in that means that the fabric has to be away from the frame as in picture #1 and the corners pulled out as in picture #3.

So therefore the correct way is in accordance with Pics 1, 3 and 4. I will still be experimenting with rolled towels and bar covering etc.

 

Thanks Loren - I think I have now got it!

Still concerned about why so many tops wear in the same places. an inch or so inboard of the inner edge of the draft seal. Also need to try and do something to prevent the sharp bend in the side windows when stowed.

 

Graham, I know it's fine for me to say sitting here, but I think you just have to Do It!
You are going to overthink it and overplan it, and it won't be like that at all when you get there.
Kind regards.

 

Dugald,

Have you got your top installed yet?

Paraphrasing something Churchill is reported to have said - It's better to do a little thinking before rather than panic in the middle of the job. A lifetime of engineering also taught me that

 

Curiousity question about the soft top, aside from the folding issues.
My top looks to be only a few years old, GAHH (I think that's what's stamped in the plasic window). Seems to be nicely done--good tension, fits and folds well.

Took the 560 up to Carlisle a few weeks ago for the Import/kit car show.
When buzzing up Rte 15 at, ummm, 55+, I noticed something I hadn't seen in the way the top responds to highway speeds--it pulls away from the driver's and passenger's door windows (above the frame). Guess it's like it pulled out to the side and slightly up. Surprised me to see a visible gap like that, because I am used to the way tops lift at speed (as in my 66 Chrysler convert), but not the sides lifting slightly away from the frame.

Is that normal? (sorry, not trying to hijack the post, just thought since we were talking tops....)

 

I bet your side cables a broken.

 

....just took a close look at the top. The side cables aren't broken....they aren't installed.....

Next step?

 

They're supposed to thread through a sleeve sewn into the soft top. The front has an eye hook that goes under the visible screw at the front of the top, the back goes to a screw on the soft top frame, just behind the door glass.

I have no idea how you'd manage to install it with the top on.

 

Okay, I've taken a closer look at the placement of the lateral lines and this is what I've found. They are present. But, something's funky on the back end of the line. Not sure I understand how they are supposed to attach on the back.

(I've totally redirected the initial post--my abject apologies to all).

Here's the best I can describe what I see Cable runs through the fabric channel just fine. Emerges at a point above and past the back of the window. Line has a curve in it coming down behind the window (is loose), then appears to attach at the back of the rear vertical window seal.

I note a bolt in the top mechanism, just behind the upper back corner of the window, which is not fully screwed down and has what looks like a washer that is loose between the top frame and the nut.

Is the cable supposed to stretch behind this bolt? There seems to be almost enough play in the line to make that happen. So, the run of the cable would be this: Start at front exterior screw, run through fabric sleeve, exit behind window, wrap over backside of bolt described above, then attach to vertical window seal frame .

Shot in the dark....

 

That's correct.
The cable comes out of the pocket, around that nut (13mm) under the washer.
Pull it tight, tighten down the nut.
The remainder of the cable goes through a hole in the vertical window seal retainer...under the seal.

 

Well, this is where I am at the very end of the weekend.

After much finagling, got the wires pulled across the backside of the bolts.
Locked the top back into place. Passenger side is still loose--connected at both ends--needs tightening. Driver's side was nice and tight, took an extra tug to flatten the sides of the top into place before latching down.

Shortly afterward came the surprise and the explanation for why it was not pulled back across the bolt. It's too tight, so tight I could not open the driver's door, 'cause the weatherstripping on top is binding with the top of the window.

Plan to release the driver's side in the morning.

First question--are these lines fixed in length?

Okay, so now it looks like I have to--if possible--loosen up (or tighten up, as the case may be on the other side) the line where it enters the vertical weatherstrip support. How does it attach there?

(Even more power to you guys doing your own tops. This minor part of the process has me frustrated....)

 

Go to this thread and read the whole thing or go to post 132 for your problem.

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/r-c107-sl-slc-class/1444973-r107-soft-top-replacement-6.html

 

Nobby, thanks....

So, to make sure I am clear about this, the wire is held primarily by the nut.
The excess is just fed through the hole in the vertical piece and glued down (then held in place by the weatherstrip rail, when it is screwed into place).

So, to reverse this, I need to pull out the weather strip, unscrew the weatherstrip rail, release the cable, and adjust until fit seems okay.

Correct?

 

This is not Nobby, but having just done this on my old top:

Your understanding is correct.

Just to tension wire, there should be no need to remove the weatherstripping and trim.

I put top up with rear and front only partially latched. I then fed wire under the washer with nut tight enough so wire just fitted between washer and frame. I then pulled on wire with a pair of pliers until it was 'just' tight. Then tightened nut (which took up some of slack on loose side). I then latched top at front and tried to tension at back - At first I had it too tight, so backed off a little a and next time it was about right.

It's a little hard to describe, but it only took a few minutes to do.

 

Here is a tip on how to protect the seal where the top rubs when stowing it in the compartment. Get a used anti freeze container and cut the two wide sides off. Crease it into a kind of Z shape with the largest portion in the middle. When stowing the top lay a piece on each side where it rubs the gasket. With the top in just keep it in the compartment.

Will get some pics for you all tomorrow if interested.
Oh and I'm sure you know to clean the plastic thoroughly before using

 

Pictures would be good!

I have not figured out why almost every 107 top I look at has wear in the same place.

I was thinking about having a sacrificial wear strip sewn onto my top, but don't know whether it should be on inside or outside of top opr just what exactly causes the wear.

 

A rhetorical question is a figure of speech in the form of a question posed for its persuasive effect without the expectation of a reply.

 

Often a rhetorical question is intended as a challenge, with the implication that the question is difficult or impossible to answer.

Wikipedia is great isn't it

Seeing my top was made by Robbins, I checked their website. They have a Canadian agent - George N. Jackson Ltd. Their website lists Canadian prices for our SL. What do you think of the prices for accessories, never mind the tops! Now, back to the hockey game...

 

I have had my top up and down dozens of times too recently - mainly because it keeps raining here

But, I think I now see why the tops wear where they do. I am going to try and get some pics of it, but the culprit seems to be the second bow back from the front. The wear holes in my top lay exactly over the short side section of that bow. It appears to wear from the inside out. I picked up a couple of different products from Michaels that may be able to be adhered to the inside of the top to reduce the wear hole problem. I will try them on my old top. Alternatively, some loose pieces of foam could be inserted in the wear area as the top is folded.

I am going to have another look at it tomorrow and take some pics.

I can also see why making sure the top folds the right way is important - Those elastics give up fairly quickly on most tops and cannot easily be replaced - Not a problem if you push that section the right way as you fold, but if you don't, it goes the wrong way.

 

Pics are not great but may illustrate the problem. In order below:

1. Wear points on top (up) exterior
2. Wear points on top (up) inside
3. Wear points on #2 bow as it folds
4. Another view of wear points as top folds
5. A wrong way fold - Mine goes that way unless I push it opposite way. (bad elastic)

The bow where the wear takes place is the second one back from windshield (when it is folded)

Question I have now, is whether to add a wear strip (foam or felt) to the inside of my new top or add a foam or felt cover to the bow or insert a piece of thin foam when folding the top.

A piece of pipe insulation or something softer is probably needed across the entire window are including the side windows (which is where I have cracks)

 

Came across this illustrated link on another site - not sure if it is a lift of the MB soft top manual or an original.

It does have some good info on the care and use of both soft tops and hard tops:

http://tinyurl.com/ltrwwd

 

Came across this illustrated link on another site - not sure if it is a lift of the MB soft top manual or an original.

It does have some good info on the care and use of both soft tops and hard tops:

ourSL, Chop, Cut - part 2

Good find.
Yes, that is original MB. I have the book here at home.

 

I think i have been slow to pick this up, but seeing that others may have missed it too, it seems to me that there is one very important step in folding these tops that I have just found out about after 20 years of ownership!

My top has always folded much like Rowdie's :

But the proper way is like Loren's (this looks really good):

Roncallo's also folds this way, but still has a crease:

Seems like the elastic first needs to pull the second bow back proper way (or you do it manually). Then the fabric needs to bow aft so as to move it away from the frame.

It may be that the draft seal is springy enough on new tops to do this automatically, but on my old top, it wants to go the other way and I have to pull back on both sides to get it back to Roncallo's Prince Charles ears position ( and then tuck the ears away)

Incorrect folding probably has a lot to do with the wear marks we see on many SLs.

 

Fold it like Loren's. Maybe I should delete my pictures that are incorrect. I tried to clarify that in a later post.

 

I put a link to this thread in the Master Sticky.

 

It appears to me that the first fold goes in and last fold goes out. My top is original and in excellent condition. It had a towel in the glass when i bought it. My only problrm is the very bottom of top wants to curl up a little on each side when top si up

 

My only problrm is the very bottom of top wants to curl up a little on each side when top si up

I haven't seen one yet that didn't.
OK, maybe a new one....but over time....it just does.