Soft top interior spring/wire?

[nahuston]

Not sure what this piece is called (see pics) or really what it is supposed to do. On my car the pass side wire slides in and out of the hole on the top frame base. On the drivers side it slides in a little and then makes a hard stop and bends the wire. After a couple times it pops out of its hole all bent up. I just looked at two other 230's - on one the wire slides nicely on both sides and on another is seems to be permanently attached at the base and just bends into a circle. How is it supposed to work and what is it's purpose? Thanks.

[mbzse]

.../.. How is it supposed to work and what is it's purpose?

This rather stout wire pushes the soft top fabric to the side as you close the soft top. If not there, real risk that the fabric becomes caught and frayed by the soft top scissors frame...
The wire should operate and smoothly slide into the groove of the lower rear bow on _both_ left and right side, of course.

The wire was only there on 230SL type (early W113) frames, the one that has the snap locks on each side of the lower rear bow
(oh, just noted that these snap locks are indeed missing on your car)
I borrow a picture to illustrate
/Hans in Sweden
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[georgem]

Great bit of information (another piece of the jig saw). I am missing, so I now discover,   both wires and one of the snap locks. Are they available?

[nahuston]

Interesting, thanks! I'll try to figure out why the left side only slides in for a couple inches before hitting a stop. Maybe there is a screw in the bow that is too long. I have the snap locks in a box of parts - never knew where they went!!

[mbzse]

../... I am missing, so I now discover,  both wires and one of the snap locks. Are they available?

Yes, try Mercedes Classic or a vendor from the list "suppliers" that you can find in the Tech manual section of this Forum. Parts No are A113 770 0329 and 0429
/Hans in Sweden
.

[georgem]

Thanks Hans

[Paul99]

I have noticed the same thing on mine.  So silly question but what does the snap lock - lock?  What do they do.?  I have the locks but the wires have long gone.

[mbzse]

.../...question but what does the snap lock - lock?  What do they do.?

They ensure that the rear lower bow in the soft-top frame stays in position while you raise or lower the soft top of your 230SL.
Making sure they have "snapped" (locked) prevents you from experiencing what is discussed in this thread:
http://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=21179.0
/Hans in Sweden

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[Paul99]

ok, great.  Got it now. Thanks.

My top is a bit tatty now, its the original top from 1965 but when the first owner bought the car new, she had two plastic windows added one on either side of the rear window, to help see when she would reverse.  I bought the car from her in 2012. I guess the wires were removed as they might scratch the side windows.

[stickandrudderman]

Paul, If you have an original top I bet that it's much easier to fold than most. I've only seen one or two original tops and the material is much thinner which makes for a much more fluid storage.

[pj]

Hi guys,
I realize it's been 2 years, but this topic will keep coming up for anyone who rebuilds the soft top or fixes it when something goes wrong. Over on the German-language forum "Pagodentreff" there was quite a discussion about the "soft top interior spring/wire" and the German word for it is Stoffabweiser. As you might guess, the German word means "thing that pushes the canvas material to the side," which perfectly describes the purpose of this piece. I suggest we use that word -- funny as it may sound -- whenever we discuss these little interior spring/wires because it will make web searches much easier.

Authentic Classics has an item in their online catalogue that looks similar. They don't call it a Stoffabweiser of course. (Not yet anyway ) See
www.authenticclassics.com/Torsion-Spring-Convertible-Top-Frame-right-280SL-p/auth-007194.htm
but I don't know if it really is the correct item. It doesn't look like the Stoffabweiser that's shown in this thread.

SLS has this part on this page
www.sls-hh-shop.de/230-280SL-R113/78-Dach/77-Verdeck/
showing as index number 26 on the drawing, but that's only one side. It has the part number A1137740365. I can't imagine why they would not sell the similar part on the other side.

I have no idea how things work in a machine shop, but these Stoffabweisers don't look all that complicated. Could someone try bending some strong wire into Stoffabweisers and offering them to our forum members?

[Scottcorvette]

I've just got a pair of the wires from Mercedes, the part number MA113 774 03 65, they were £11 each