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2004 soft top speed adjustment possible?

R

racsix99

Member
Bronze Member
Last seen
Joined
May 27, 2024
Thunderbird Year
2004
Is it possible to adjust / control the drop speed / force of the softtop? I have to stop the closing of my ragtop at about the 3/4 closed position to avoid having it "crash down" in an uncontrolled manner. Is there an adjustment that can be made to maintain the tension until completely shut to avoid the free fall that occurs otherwise?
 
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You may be low on hydraulic fluid for the top or have a leak in the lines, fittings and or cylinders. You may want to check for leaks first then maybe fluid level in pump assembly.
 
I've noticed this too. Thought of putting my hand to cushion the impact of course not at point of contact.
 
forums.fordthunderbirdforum.com

2002+ Cylinder Replacement & Bleeding for top

Here are the steps I took to replace the convertible top cylinders after one finally began leaking (2002 with 67k). Same steps if just topping up with fluid and bleeding (usually the issue when the top starts taking longer to lift or squeals in the process). Note that I removed the trim and...
forums.fordthunderbirdforum.com forums.fordthunderbirdforum.com
You can start with this thread and then do some more searching for any questions that you might have.
 
racsix99 said:
Is it possible to adjust / control the drop speed / force of the softtop? I have to stop the closing of my ragtop at about the 3/4 closed position to avoid having it "crash down" in an uncontrolled manner. Is there an adjustment that can be made to maintain the tension until completely shut to avoid the free fall that occurs otherwise?
Click to expand...
I always stop the top a few inches up anyway, to make sure that the lever is fully pulled back before the top goes completely down. Mine goes pretty fast both directions, but it’s certainly not a problem.
 
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