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Canvas/Hardtop Questions ???

When I got the M37 it had the hard top on it... but being in So. Calif. in the lower desert I have a feeling I might not use it as much... but still want to retain it as the truck started off it's life as an Air Force Truck just in case the next owner has a Strata Blue Fetish...

So my problem is this... When they installed the top they used sheet metal screws that screwed into the outer windshield frame and I would like to make it so that sheet metal screws are no longer required and tig weld in a few threaded D nuts would this interfere with installing canvas at all... I'm also looking at an improved way to fasten it to the back of the cab the bolts through the cab back. I'm thinking about making another attachment point that might fit behind the seats vs. putting a bolt all the way through the back of the lower cab...

The top itself has got some real issues like people had either sat or stood on it but I am going to make a real effort in trying to keep the top with the truck...

My hardtop is bolted to the top of the windshield frame from inside with 5 or 6 bolts. I don't have a canvas top but understand the piece that holds the front of the canvass at the top of the windshield frame uses the same bolt holes. If its been altered or is not the original design hardtop, your situation may differ. Somebody that has both should chime in too.
Jess

You sure those are bolts... cause when I removed mine I thought they were going to be bolts but they were a hex cap sheet metal screw...

I'd have to take one out, but am pretty sure they were not screws. Somebody with an outer windshield frame lying around could check. The way the rest of these trucks are put together, I would be surprised if the screws were not a later attempt to deal with rusted threads in the frame. Anybody else????
Jess

The front frame brackets for the canvas top are secured with 2 3/8 Fine thread bolts per side. The canvas top front fits thru a 3/8 channel that you install side to side, runs the entire width of the windshield frame, then the front of the top covers up the channel when you fold it over the top of the windshield.

I can't speak to the true M37 hard top, but I also have a CCKW hard top that I never put on my M37 but it has a pair of holes in the corners that I assume 2 of the aforementioned bolts would pass through. The back of the CCKW top has two metal strips that would protrude down inside the back of the cab, and from what I can tell, someone likely bored a pair of holes thru the cab in order to secure them with nuts and bolts (which is why I never added the hard top. I like the look and feel (smell) of the canvas top).
Hope this helps,
Gary

Oh boy sounds like more stuff to look for... I'll have to see if I have that channel on the top of my windshield frame... Other wise I'll have an issue putting a canvas top on...

Your hardtop sounds like the same type of hardtop that I have... It looks like it was converted to fit. I had the two bolts on the out side edges but then between those they had hex cap sheet metal screw holding the front of the roof down to the windshield frame...

My four trucks are all M37CDNs, with either the sheet metal liner or the improved foam sheeting inside the factory top. The foam lined tops have easy access to the bolts. The other, not so much. Rust in that area makes it difficult to impossible to remove the bolts. I gave a friend a hardtop off my parts truck and after removing the sheet metal liner, we had to use a sawzall to cut away the bolts. The outer windshield frame is rusted beyond reuse, so the cuts were into the frame. Heat, penetrating products and snake oil may get you better results. If you place new bolts, use an anti seize. On my main runner, we only use the corner bolts, to make it simpler to go topless. All CDN trucks were fitted with hardtops and any up here with canvass are either US origin or retrofitted. I keep the hardtop on as it also keeps my dry in our wet season.
Jess

So Oddjob,
If your hardtop has the oval window it's a CCKW top. I still may get mine into serviceable use some day-it has some holes on top where someone once installed clearance lights, and it has no glass either, but my locale gets heavy snow each winter, and since I'm now driving the M I may not want to risk the canvas top over the winter.

Jess, thanks for the wealth of info you've posted here!
Gary

Oddjob:
I've r and r'd two genuine artic tops with sliding glass. Both were bolted to the windshield frame and as mentioned,
extremely hard to remove the first time. If your top has "sheet metal screws" attaching the front of the top to the
windshield frame then someone probably destroyed the captured nuts in the window frame and then used sheet metal screws to replace the bolts. Are the captured nuts in the window frame still usable.???
I really don't see anything wrong with using sheet metal screws again. Do what you have to do.
Jerry

I'll have to climb up there and take a look... I'll have to take some pictures...

For what its worth, my 53 has what appeared to be a flat bar with threads cut into it that ran the full width of the windshield frame.(inside) I found this out after I took the home made top off and attempted to install the corner pieces for a canvas top. There were several rivet holes along the top of the windshield frame that held this piece of metal up against the upper-inside skin of the WS frame where the bolts go through.(but rivets had broken free) I was able to slide the anchor nut bar around with a punch untill I could get a few bolts started so i could pull it back up and re-rivet it in place. No issues since then. When I installed a CCKW top a few yars later the 5 bolts aligned right up no issues. I greased the threads well and just removed the top yesterday for the first time in about 5 years with no issues.

just fyi