Soft Top Latch Fix

Next I had to decide how to fix it so it would stay latched. Since the lever needed to protrude further at the latch end, I decided to add a screw to it as the extension to make it latch more securely.

The piece was thick enough to drill a hole and tap it for an 8-32 Allen head screw so I drilled it and tapped it. I had to use Vise-Grip pliers to hold it securely while I drilled it on my small drill press. The hole must to be square with the surface at the end of the lever for the screw to fit flush.

I screwed an Allen head screw in and put the latch back together. The screw protruded too far for the latch to open. So, I removed the screw and ground off some of the Allen head until the latch would hold secure. It now opens when the lever is pushed in.

The latch holds better than new. It will not droop and sometimes takes extra effort to push it in far enough to open. Problem solved.