I have a canvas top delima as well (truck too tall)

[choppa]

So I got my M37 to a point where I want to try installing the canvas top.. since owning my 63 M37 I have never installed all the top canvas parts after removing originally and having sandblasted and repainted.

the probelm I see (without trying it out yet) is that the truck wont fit into my lame A*** garage door with a canvas top in place!

with the windsheild up it barely clears the open garage door. I can see from others posted pictures) that the rear top bow, which will no doubt raise the height even further than the height of the windshield frame, to a height where its not going to clear the garage door when top is installed.

dang! its not like a ww2 jeep top where its easy to take all this down when I want to park it insdie.... or is it? (This is my first M37.. no experience.. again not having even dry run a fit of the new canvas on the top bows yet!)

anyway.. looking for solutions to fit in the garage once installed... maybe one of you have this same issue trying to park in a suburban garage!

I thought of maybe backing it in, where the front wheels will be lower thus clearing this top bow, but I doubt this will work.
I thought of airing down the tires, but not sure this will give enough room to clear what appears to be a difference of what like 3-4 inches more in height from the top of windshield to rear bow?

So, what are my options other than taking off canvas each time and removing rear top bow?

is there a modification any of you have tried, like a hinged rear bow, one that drops down, or something like this?

again, sorry for my ignorance. I just can see this coming up and thought I would ask the forum if anyone has encountered this issue and what they did to combat the probelm with a nice clean solution.

[choppa]

BTW... I ask a lot of what seems like obviuos questions: "Go try it out" you might say!

BUT, the truck is not at my weekly residence. its at a remote location where I work on it as I can, with little time to do so at that, so these thoughts cross my mind when I am home and not near the truck.

Its killing me not having it so close to work on.. this is the longest restoration I ever done! I have owned it almost a year now.. and its at a good point working on it with an housr or two here and there on weekends I can get up there... but its taking too long for this guy to finish!!!

anyway.. thanks for your patience with this new M37 guy

[Tom P]

You need to find out how close it is?
Might get lucky by just airing down all the tires enough to get inside without breaking the bead or tube.
Just a thought.
BTW the rear bow is approximately 5" taller than the windshield frame.
TGP

[W_A_Watson_II]

Does the windshield only just clear the door at it's current fully raised position or the door opening? Sometimes the doors aren't set to fully open and it might just need to be adjusted so it opens as much as the door opening gaining you a few inches.

[choppa]

thanks for your replies!

OK.. knowing its about 5" taller helps.

I think I clear the top of the windsheild by about 1" TOPS! and I mean thats TOPS. thats to the garage door OPENING.. not the door.. itsa manual opening door, as its a workshop, no fancy garage door opener...

so... I got about 4" or more to take down to drive in.

hummm.

you'all think airing down the rear tires to near flat (without rolling the bead ) might get me 4" or so? I think it might be doable...

I was hoping someone might have come up with a cool, ingenious mechanical fix to that top bow, like hinging it, or making it slide downward somehow, or some other way to drop it down a tad.

I am going to explore this as well when I am there next, or when I attempt putting on the top for the first time. maybe what I come up with might help others wit hte same dilema..

[bill monahan]

I had a similar problem but not as extreme. I raised the tracks on the overhead door, removed the stop moulding on the frame. Still no fit. The truck seemed very high in the rear so I removed 3 leaves from the spring pack. It's still higher in the rear but about 2 inches lower. Still no go but close. I removed 1 inch from the bottom of the bow. Truck now barely fits in garage. You never even notice that the bow is 1 inch lower, top fits just great.

[W_A_Watson_II]

With NDT's or heavy ply tires airing them down won't get you much, maybe 2".

Sounds like you might need to use the Mud Truck trick, of fabing up some smaller diameter tires to use when you park it in the garage like they do to get them in trailers.

Or it's time for a remodel and install a larger garage door.
Or make a new top Bow that isn't as tall.

[j mccormick]

My truck with NDT tires aired up with a canvas top just clears my 7ft garage door with about an 1/2" to spare. So that should give you an idea of how high the door needs to be.

[8543bob]

JACK UP THE WHOLE GARAGE, 7-12". THERE IS NO EASY FIX ON THE TOP. I TAKE MY TOP OFF IN THE SPRING AND PUT IT BACK ON AROUND THIS TIME OF YEAR. ABOUT 1/2HOUR EACH WAY. THIS IS MY 5TH YEAR. YOU MIGHT TRY REDUCING THE REAR BOW AND HAVE A CANVAS GUY MAKE UP A NEW TOP. BUT DONT KNOW HOW THAT WILL LOOK?? RAISE THE GARAGE
BOB

[choppa]

hehehe!! yea. raise the garage.. ya know I was the one who had it built and didnt at the time think about the door opening size the contractor put in.

I always though that the garage doors were more or less standard sized, like 7 feet or so, but I am thinking the opening CAN and does vary. I must have one ofthe lowest I have seen. I am 6-0 tall, and I bet its not even 6-8" in that opening standing inside it. but Ill check.

The reason I havent even put mine on yet is its been a work in progress and would have been in the way of sanding and painting, plus summer was here. nice without ANY top and cruising on back roads with windsheld down is nice.

now its getting colder. I want to put it on.. problem is I would have to take it all down again before I store it away in the garage when I leave for a few weeks again

anyway, all good ideas.. I guess Ill put it all together and see exactly where I do fall.. try the easy stuff first (air down tires a tad)

then Ill see about modifing the top rear bow if I am close.

I thank you all for your replies.

I love this Forum.. you guys are all great

[ZGjethro]

My truck has the same size tires as the factory NDTs, but they are Power king Premium traction tires. I had to cut out the 2x6 trim board above my door to fit by about 1/4" I didn't touch the structural header though. If this didnt work for you, you could put in a less tall steel header and gain a few more inches. It involves some trim work inside and out though to do that.

[Cal_Gary]

You might get away with airing down your tires then untying the bottom rope, lifting the rear of the top canvas then taking the back pipe off, leaving the rest of the top limp but intact. There is no easy solution for this-it's the same issue I had with a rental garage a few years back. Do not consider cutting the ends of the back pipe under any circumstances-it won't change anything other than ruining the pipe.
Gary

[ZGjethro]

Air shocks, like the urban low riders. Slam it to the deck to get in, and jump it at the stop lights!

[superbee70]

I knew someone that made a hinged section of the garage wall above the door. This section would flip up and out of the way so that the actual height is from the floor to the raised garage door

[52 M-42]

I had to raise my garage door a couple of summers ago. No way around it unless I wanted to take my top off every time I went into or out of the garage. I raised it as much as I could (until the structural engineer screamed "NO MORE") and I still can not get into the garage with the cargo canvas on. I also can't put on my door mounted spare tire carrier because I can't widen the garage and the truck only has about 2 to 3 inches on each side of the doorway now.

It is better to just bite the bullet and do it. I did mine in the summer. Raising the door in the winter might be a little bit rougher, but you'll end up doing it in the end.