Soft-top Push Rod Ball snapped after replacing Top
 

I replaced the entire soft-top on my 2001 yesterday with a NOS, (new old stock) unit that has a glass window top, the swap went pretty easy, and I installed the NOS top using the exact same adjustments my old top had, push-rods, cables, cambrio's and bump-stops. Everything went fine until I went to close the top completely, just as it got got right to the point of being able to latch it, the passenger side push-rod end snapped. So obviously something is out of adjustment.

I have been digging around for hours trying to find where or how to set the adjustments for the push-rods to prevent this from happening again but to no avail. What are the push-rods adjustments for, and what caused mine to snap?


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When you install a new top it is recommended that it be put in the closed position manually and left closed for at least a month so that the fabric can stretch. I don't remember if the color of your push rods is the new or old (I think the new one's are white) but if they are the old one's they got brittle over time and the pressure put on it from trying to stretch the new fabric was most likely the culprit. I say this because I got impatient after three weeks with mine and put the top down on a sunny day and snapped both.
The new replacement plastic pieces are sold on eBay for not a lot or you can buy the whole pushrod set with new OEM plastic pieces from the dealer for about $75.
I doubt it was a misalignment just the weak point breaking under pressure.

The red cups are OEM, as mine are. I did notice that the cable snaps were a bit easy to install, my original cables were quite snug to attach. Could it be that I need to tighten up my top cables in order to get the rear of the top tighter upon closing?

The top had been previously installed on a car, not sure of for how long, so I can't be sure if this is a stretching issue or not. But since these rod cups are now 13 years old I guess the one could have just failed, but I would still like to know the cause of why it happened on a replacement top upon the first full closure.

If the top had been installed it probably is stretched but no way of knowing without knowing how long it had been on.
The red cups are the original one's that get brittle over the years and eventually fail. These are the new upgraded better plastic one's- New Porsche 986 Boxster 1997 2004 Convertible Top Push Rod Repair Kit | eBay
I just randomly selected this auction so you could see what you need and I've heard good feedback from other Boxster owners about these.
When your top is operable again have someone lower and raise it while you observe. The top should go up and down evenly and without jerking. If not you've got another issue but it is hard to tell you what without observing it.

It did, or was moving smoothly, it was just odd that it snapped as soon as it got to the latching point.

I saw those, and I also saw these metal ends, any comments? Coming from Germany they could take a while getting here.

Not sure about the metal, Porsche made them plastic so they'd break before anything (read expensive) else does. Sounds like your OEM one's were just old and brittle.

Get the black ones ...a few sellers on -bay have them. Install and try again. Don't adjust anything.