Thread: Removing a stuck canopy

Hi all,

I'm trying to remove the canopy off my ute. It has been stuck down with a thick silicone bead all the way around the wellside and has pretty much become one with the ute as a result. After undoing all the bolts holding it onto the wellside, it won't budge at all. I tried getting a stanley knife and cutting under the canopy join, but not having any luck. Also tried pulling fishing line back and forth at the join, but it's pretty adamant it was never meant to be separated ever again. I'm also wondering how on earth I'd separate the side at the front of the canopy if using these methods, as there's no way to access the join on this side (the lip of the canopy folds over on the inside of the wellside, meaning the canopy/wellside join can only be accessed from the outside...the ute cab makes this impossible).

Does anyone have experience getting a stuck canopy off a ute (preferably without destroying the ute and canopy in the process)? If I'm unable to do it myself, who would even do this sort of job? A panelbeater? Mechanic?

Cheers in advance!

If it has a deckliner, is the canopy bonded directly to the liner? If so, and you can access the bolt-down points for the liner, you may be able to remove it all as one unit?

Sounds like a pain of a job anyway.

Thanks Striker, yeah actually it does have a liner (over rail) and that is what the canopy is stuck to. I was planning on replacing the liner as it is pretty stuffed (hence removing the canopy), so your suggestion is a really good one. Cheers.

Sounds like flat deck time to me

orange base citrus cleaner like desolve-it
wont be quick but will be bugga ll damage

How about the wire rhe windscreen guys use

hair dryer maybe bit of heat then belt in wedges and work your way around ??

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. Might try a combo of all of the above. I've got a heat gun so will try get it started with that. Have some steel wire/cable traces that would probably suffice as a windscreen remover too. And can easily obtain some orange citrus cleaner. Failing that I'll just go with Ryan's suggestion and start again with a flat deck haha. Cheers!

If replacing the deck liner use a skull saw to cut the liner just below canopy on inside and remove the you can get to the join easier after turning canopy up side down .

,Had to help my son same senerio, heat gun and a 25mm putty knife. Heat putty knife and work into the silicon takes a while but you will get there in the end.

50 to 80kg braid should go through it like a hot knife through butter.......

Originally Posted by Doon

,Had to help my son same senerio, heat gun and a 25mm putty knife. Heat putty knife and work into the silicon takes a while but you will get there in the end.

Lube the knife with wax (not silicone crap) and it should peel straight through. Wedges to get access for the knife is a good idea too.

Big hammer.

Originally Posted by m101a1

If replacing the deck liner use a skull saw to cut the liner just below canopy on inside and remove the you can get to the join easier after turning canopy up side down .

skull saw

we have done the same in the past using a water blaster to cut through the silicone, along with piano wire as others have mentioned.
Drive a wedge in at the end and start cutting your way around.