[DLFoust]

Two years ago, my roof stowage compartment lid started to bind when opening. The lid would rotate back against the bed cover instead of first raising up to clear it. It was diagnosed, here on the forum by Dicktator and Mike in Arizona, that the hinges may be bent. I was skeptical because the hinges looked heavy duty to me and I couldn't imagine that they would bend, and they sure didn't look bent on the car. I finally got around to ordering and installing the hinges for both sides and that cured the problem. The drivers side hinge was bent. The attached photo compares the old hinge to the new hinge. I still don't know how it got bent.

 

[jackatg450]

'03 Hinge

The lid rotating before lifting straight up 2" says that you had the old style hinge that were a poor design. I changed old style hinges on another '04 just before the International. It was manufactured well after the supposed change for '04's.

Jack

 

[BlueStreak]

Two years ago, my roof stowage compartment lid started to bind when opening. The lid would rotate back against the bed cover instead of first raising up to clear it. It was diagnosed, here on the forum by Dicktator and Mike in Arizona, that the hinges may be bent. I was skeptical because the hinges looked heavy duty to me and I couldn't imagine that they would bend, and they sure didn't look bent on the car. I finally got around to ordering and installing the hinges for both sides and that cured the problem. The drivers side hinge was bent. The attached photo compares the old hinge to the new hinge. I still don't know how it got bent.

Have you ever opened or closed the roof while moving. I am guilty of this and bent one hinge when I got going too fast and the operation froze until I could stop. That big sail puts a lot of pressure on the hinges that they were not designed to handle. I still open and close the roof while moving, on special occasion, but I am very careful about the speed I go while doing it. (Usually in a parking lot, or parade)