Alan O'Connell
Well-known member
What is the correct way to adjust the swing arm on a 57 T Bird?
57 T Bird Swing Arm
- Thread starter Alan O'Connell
- Start date
miker98038
Well-known member
The publications from CTCI are probably the best place to start. Maybe someone has a link or can send you to the right place. As someone who never reads instructions, I don't have them. I've done the adjustment more than once on both the OEM top and the Prestige replacement top. Since the swing arm controls the soft top placement it's not just setting up the spring tension.
It's really pretty straight forward, but you have to sneak up on it. A change on one side affects the other side, so you spend a bit of time going side to side, putting the top up, laying it down, etc. If you've got a friend with a good eye it's much faster.
My car body is far from perfect, so getting all the latches and header lined up involved some compromises from "perfect". Even with new weatherstripping, some needed shimming to get a proper seal. By proper, I mean you couldn't see thru them, and there's still the odd leak or wind whistle.
If you've got a hard top too, make sure it's all lined up first, as theres less adjustment. Then you have to make the convertible top fit that body layout (the rear deck hold downs). If you reupholster the top, you'll probably go thru it again.
It's not difficult, but patience is a real virtue. When mine was recovered and all the weatherstripping redone, I also had to address the side window alignment and stops. Again, you need to deal with the hardtop also.
I redid the weatherstripping on both tops, and the fabric on the soft top, and then started from there the last time I did mine. Not difficult, just requires patience and the odd compromise here and there.
It's really pretty straight forward, but you have to sneak up on it. A change on one side affects the other side, so you spend a bit of time going side to side, putting the top up, laying it down, etc. If you've got a friend with a good eye it's much faster.
My car body is far from perfect, so getting all the latches and header lined up involved some compromises from "perfect". Even with new weatherstripping, some needed shimming to get a proper seal. By proper, I mean you couldn't see thru them, and there's still the odd leak or wind whistle.
If you've got a hard top too, make sure it's all lined up first, as theres less adjustment. Then you have to make the convertible top fit that body layout (the rear deck hold downs). If you reupholster the top, you'll probably go thru it again.
It's not difficult, but patience is a real virtue. When mine was recovered and all the weatherstripping redone, I also had to address the side window alignment and stops. Again, you need to deal with the hardtop also.
I redid the weatherstripping on both tops, and the fabric on the soft top, and then started from there the last time I did mine. Not difficult, just requires patience and the odd compromise here and there.