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chopping a postal top

4

40below

Basic User
City
Fairbanks
State
AK
no, not a 4" drop! I need to separate a postal top along the seam. Just looking at it, guessing that the hat channel must be removed to get to what are probably spot welds. Anyone done such a thing?
 
Here's a photo I had in my files of another Overlander as you can see there's a support there but I think the support is just resting in there maybe possibly seem sealed in and the actual two top pieces are spot welded together underneath that support.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1408964349.596016.jpg
 
that's what I thought, bust the hat channel loose then to the spot welds. This top has the headliner, so if there is a trick to removing that, need to know.
 
I have no idea on how to cut it apart, I would guess that you're right, the seam has to be under that channel, but I have no clue how to remove it/separate the pieces.

The headliner is simple, just unscrew the plastic header piece across the back edge and push it up out of the channels along the sides and front edge.

Here's the thread I did on unbolting it from the jeep, once you've done that's the sides unbolt/unscrew from the top and that's as far as I've ever gone.

https://www.cj-8.com/content.php?28-World-Cab-Postal-top-removal-steps-w-pics
 
oops.. I read, take it apart... didnt realize you meant cut.

BE GENTLE!!!
 
Since I'm the only person I know of that's cut up a World Cab to modify it, and since I take lots of photos, I checked to see if I have a photo of that section of the top. Unfortunately, since I scrapped the area around that joint because it wasn't part of my final design, I don't have any photos of the joint, but what I recall is that the two roof panels are spot welded together under that hat section. There isn't really a way to get them apart that's guaranteed to be non-destructive; I'd recommend a spot weld cutter but I think the welds are so close to the roof that you won't be able to get the spot weld cutter 90 degrees to the weld you need to drill. The World Cab I cut up was a CJ-7 version, but it's identical in design to the CJ-8 version so I assume the joints are spot welded just like mine. Good luck.
 
jscherb said:
Since I'm the only person I know of that's cut up a World Cab to modify it, and since I take lots of photos, I checked to see if I have a photo of that section of the top. Unfortunately, since I scrapped the area around that joint because it wasn't part of my final design, I don't have any photos of the joint, but what I recall is that the two roof panels are spot welded together under that hat section. There isn't really a way to get them apart that's guaranteed to be non-destructive; I'd recommend a spot weld cutter but I think the welds are so close to the roof that you won't be able to get the spot weld cutter 90 degrees to the weld you need to drill. The World Cab I cut up was a CJ-7 version, but it's identical in design to the CJ-8 version so I assume the joints are spot welded just like mine. Good luck.
Click to expand...

Not what I was hoping to hear. Well, fools rush in, I'll borrow a camera someplace, get the dremel out and get it done.
 
Getting started on foam removal. Going well, using long sharpened stainless blade and some careful prying. Top is in better shape than I had thought. top2.JPG
 
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put the trim piece and the headliner in the other postal to keep it out of the rain. Cutting it close, supposed to be a hard freeze tonight. t4j.JPG
 
Looking ahead, some advice is needed. If top is to be separated, looks like drip rail will need to be cut and that cut will be near bolt that connects side panel with top. hmmm. seam1.JPG
 
another view of seam; this picture also shows how maybe half of the top gasket holes line up with attaching bolts. I don't think this top has ever been separated so must be that way from factory.seam2.JPG
 
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more seam and gasket. V-cut in gasket is factory, notice paint. This gasket looks to be a mile long and is probably unobtanium these days. seam3.JPG
 
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