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soft top repair

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soft top repair
« on: November 14, 2010, 02:54:31 PM »
i've got a 91 sidekick. just got a soft top but there are two small holes in the windows. do they make a repair kit. if they dont is there something else that i could use

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Offline keith

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Re: soft top repair
« Reply #1 on: November 15, 2010, 05:42:49 AM »
One of my tops just had packing tape over small holes in the window.  If they are small it will work okay.  I replaced that top with a Rampage brand top bought off E-Bay for $170.  The Rampage top worked well.

Re: soft top repair
« Reply #2 on: November 15, 2010, 11:45:23 AM »
i also thought about a pool repair kit. i saw one at the store the other day and the patch was clear. it looked pretty heavy so i might try that.

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Offline Drone637

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Re: soft top repair
« Reply #3 on: November 15, 2010, 12:53:39 PM »
Are there any marine shops nearby?  Most of them will probably know of a soft top repair place that can patch the holes for you.
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Offline keith

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Re: soft top repair
« Reply #4 on: November 16, 2010, 11:28:58 AM »
i also thought about a pool repair kit. i saw one at the store the other day and the patch was clear. it looked pretty heavy so i might try that.

I've used that clear pool repair patch kit from HTH on my pool and it does make the pool able to hold water.  Should work well on a window.

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Offline TX-Trak

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Re: soft top repair
« Reply #5 on: November 16, 2010, 02:39:17 PM »
On my old tracker, i replaced a side window due to someone cutting it to break in.  I was a broke college kid, and didn't have the money for a new top, and the cuts were too large to patch, so i just went and bought the heaviest clear shower curtain liner i could find.  I cut the old window out along the edge of the vinyl, then cut the liner material to approximate shape but a little over sized.  I laid them both out on the driveway on a hot summer day to heat them up, and expand the liner.  after heating for about an hour. put a small bead of clear silicone around the window opening on the inside of the vinyl top not too much silicone, so it doesn't seep out on the outside of the top.  Then I laid the liner material over it pulling it tight as i could all the way around.  placed a small piece of plywood over it with some cinder blocks on top.  After the silicone dried, i pulled the top into the house to cool it down, and trimmed the excess liner material from around the inside of the window.  It ended up working great.  you could hardly tell from the outside of the vehicle, and it didn't look too bad from the inside.  the shower liner fix was usually good for about a 12 to 18 months before it degraded, started discoloring, and becoming brittle.  I used this process to replace the same window 3 times over about a 4yr period, and i never had a problem with leaks.  it only cost me about $10 and a few hours of my time to do it each time.  You probably don't want to do this fix for yours if they are just small holes, since you should be able to patch them, but if anyone ever needs a cheap fix for a full window, this will work.  I probably wouldn't try this on the rear window though.  the liner material is too soft and flexible to cover such a large area.
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Re: soft top repair
« Reply #6 on: November 24, 2010, 08:55:44 AM »
there is a marine shop nearby and i will ask them about it.

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Offline wildgoody

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Re: soft top repair
« Reply #7 on: November 25, 2010, 08:42:32 AM »
Years ago I worked at a tool store, and we had this counter display for
a vinyl repair liquid, looked like glue, smelled like solvents but once dried
it was tough and could not be ripped where the cut had been.

I can't remember what it was called, but there should be a way of
finding it and getting some

Update: I just did a search for vinyl repair liquid and got a product
called VLP available at ACE hardware and Do It Best Hardware stores

There ya go

Wild
 
« Last Edit: November 25, 2010, 08:47:17 AM by wildgoody »
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