Series/Military Door Tops Glass

[tuko]

Today I managed to snap one of the studs to my military door top. The stud snapped with the threads in the door top, so the only solution I can see is to drill out the remains of the stud and ream the threads. In the mean time though I do have a half decent series door top, is it possible to use the military glass in a series door top and will the series lock work? The lock is the later series 3 type.  We are heading back up to northern Sweden next Friday so I'm for the time being looking for a quick remedy that'll do for the trip. 

 

Todd.

[Snagger]

If you mean 90 or 110 military door top with the aluminium rails for the glass, then the blazing will not work in a SII/SIII window channel, or with the SIII lock.  If you’re asking if it’s possible to fit all the window related parts from one of those later tops to a SIII empty door top, then I’d imagine it is, but I don’t know and haven’t heard reports of anyone trying it.  It’d be interesting to hear the results if you have a go, or even just measure up the dimensions and look closely at the details of the aperture.

[tuko]

I may have a go tomorrow trying the military glass in the series door top. But see the prices today of the aluminum door tops I was considering a galvanized series door top with the military dual sliding glass as that is what's preferred. Or is there on the market a dual sliding glass door top for a series other than the military route?

[Snagger]

5 hours ago, tuko said:

Or is there on the market a dual sliding glass door top for a series other than the military route?

 

There is.  Rocky Mountain make them.  They’re not cheap, so Plan A might be worth persisting with initially if it looks viable.

[Ex Member]

5 hours ago, Snagger said:

There is.  Rocky Mountain make them.  They’re not cheap, so Plan A might be worth persisting with initially if it looks viable.

You can get galv ones from SP4x4 now.  Not expensive, but appear only single sliding.

https://www.sp-4x4.com/category_s/119.htm

 

 

Edited September 7, 2020 by Red90

[tuko]

@Nick, I was looking a the Rocky mountain door tops on Sunday, the problem that my friend has with them is the front sliding glass, the locking latch which is screwed to the frame is vibrating on the glass edge which has chipped the glass. I thought it was a poor design but the rest of it was perfectly fine. 

@John, I saw them to and thought that they would be a great solution if only I could have dual sliding glass. We've come to enjoy the dual sliding glass and would like to keep that option if possible at a reasonable price. 

Todd.

[Ex Member]

So you have the Defender aluminum windows currently then?  You should be able to extract the stud. Get the glass out and the lower channel so that you can get to the top of it.  Heat should help as the aluminum will expand away from it. Start with left hand drill bits,  Worst case you need an oversized insert if you get into the threads.

[Snagger]

Do a little measuring, Todd - if the void at the bottom of the frame aperture is wide enough for two window rubber channels, then there is no reason that you can’t fit those channels all the way around and have two sliding panels using SII or SIII parts.  You might have to be a little creative with a lock for the outer pane (the front pane, usually), but all you’d need is a similar latch to the inner pane on SIII that is deeper, or a longer one moulded below the galv capping in the lower door (that does risk water leaks into the door).  I’d look at modifying the SIII latch with a spacer to make the tenon sit further outboard, in line with the outer pane, and fit that just behind the standard latch for the inner (aft) pane (that would allow for the pane overlap when closed).  If you wanted the front pane to latch tightly closed, you’d need to fit an L shaped addition to the back of the existing tenon, reaching the same height but with the protruding part forward of the latch centreline, so that the bulk of the latch and its mounting face can sit clear of the standard one for the inner pane, so from the inside, you’d see two of those latches side by side, the one nearer the dash being completely standard and locking the aft pane, the latch behind having the kinked tenon to latch the front pane.  You could try for having the front latch locking the front pane, but the tenon would need much bigger doglegs and so would likely be more fragile or troublesome.  Make sense?  It all depends on whether you can get two window channels in the bottom.