Does Anyones Hardtop Rattle??!??
10-23-2004, 07:28 PM
#31
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Unless I missed it.. WRONG!!! 
What you guys have to do is take off the "A" pillars on each side of the hardtop. (to the left of the driver and right of the passenger on the hardtop). Once you remove that panel, you will see a few bolts there that holds the inserts. Once you losen all of the bolts, you are able to ajust the fitment to your desire. Once completed, tighten them up, put the panel back on and you're set!!
What you guys have to do is take off the "A" pillars on each side of the hardtop. (to the left of the driver and right of the passenger on the hardtop). Once you remove that panel, you will see a few bolts there that holds the inserts. Once you losen all of the bolts, you are able to ajust the fitment to your desire. Once completed, tighten them up, put the panel back on and you're set!!
10-23-2004, 08:01 PM
#32
Originally Posted by s2kmugen,Oct 23 2004, 09:28 PM
Unless I missed it.. WRONG!!!
What you guys have to do is take off the "A" pillars on each side of the hardtop. (to the left of the driver and right of the passenger on the hardtop). Once you remove that panel, you will see a few bolts there that holds the inserts. Once you losen all of the bolts, you are able to ajust the fitment to your desire. Once completed, tighten them up, put the panel back on and you're set!!
What you guys have to do is take off the "A" pillars on each side of the hardtop. (to the left of the driver and right of the passenger on the hardtop). Once you remove that panel, you will see a few bolts there that holds the inserts. Once you losen all of the bolts, you are able to ajust the fitment to your desire. Once completed, tighten them up, put the panel back on and you're set!!
I'm sure you must mean the "A" pillar covers. Also, the "A" pillars are not on the hardtop. So, are you talking about the strikers in the windshield frame or the latch assembly on the hardtop??
Once you remove these covers, you also have to remove the top windshield frame cover and interior light. When you say "inserts", do you mean the black strikers that the top hooks into? Those bolts run into tapered holes in their strikers. They are self centering and have no adjustment. Once they bite and lock down the striker, they will always go back to their original position. What can sometimes happen is that those bolts back off, leaving the striker a bit loose. All you can do is to re-install those bolts with Locktite.
10-24-2004, 12:15 AM
#33
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Xviper: How would i adjust the latches using shims? Do you suggest me unbolting the latches and inserting the shims that way? Do you think adjusting the rear mounting points would effect the tension on the latches in the front? I might try adjusting the rear latches in order to get a tighter fit in front. Thanks again.
10-24-2004, 04:18 AM
#35
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I'm getting a LOT OF noise on the HT... creaking noise in the front... sounds like it's bending or seomthing... and clicking metal noise in the back, over bumps.
But once I unlock the rear locking device..and the front ... then lock the front first.. and relock the rear.. the creaking sound goes away for a while.... but it'll come back later.. then i'll have to relock it again....
This really annoy me..... is the striker = the locking device in the front?
But once I unlock the rear locking device..and the front ... then lock the front first.. and relock the rear.. the creaking sound goes away for a while.... but it'll come back later.. then i'll have to relock it again....
This really annoy me..... is the striker = the locking device in the front?
10-24-2004, 07:19 AM
#36
s2kmugen, now it's more clear. You are talking about the "B" pillar, which is on the hardtop. Yes, you are correct. This is one way to fix this issue. You are referring to the rear side striker assembly and HT pin/locking assembly.
The biggest mistake that some installers make to to tighten up the bolts up for both of these without having the front latches done up. It is clearly stated in the installation instructions that the fronts are to locked in BEFORE finallizing the rear/side bolt torquing. The front latches MUST be allowed to pull the whole HT forward, THEN the rear assemblies can be bolted down tight. Doing it the other way around may create a gap between the front edge of the HT and the windshield that can never be completely closed.
StinkyTofu, I don't have the instructions anymore. If you go to the HandA site, you can download the HT install manual. There, you will see mention of these shims. It's not difficult BUT does require specific steps to do. What it does is re-aligns the front catches so they pull on the striker more firmly.
LemonS2k, whenever you put on the HT, you should ALWAYS do up the front latches first, THEN lock down the rears. Taking off, you do the reverse - undo the rears (along with disconnecting the defroster plug), THEN undo the fronts. The creaking you hear is most likely the rubber seals going a bit dry. About twice a season (once when you put the HT on and again when you take it off), you should treat all the rubber seals with a silicone grease. This will minimize or eliminate most of the creaking. For those who had the rear assemblies bolted down WITHOUT the fronts being latched first, you may have "stretched" (or warped) the whole HT over time. In doing so, the plastic panels covering the interior of the HT may have gaps and no longer match the surfaces they try to cover.
The "Striker" is the black thing that sticks out from the edge of the windshield. The "latch assembly" hooks onto this striker and pulls towards it to close the gap. The "pin/locking assembly" are the things just behind your head on the HT. These are the things that have the big handles that you turn to lock the rears in place. They look like "pointy things" (pins) that go into the hole (under the brushes). The hole is part of the "receiving assembly" that is bolted to the sides of the car.
The biggest mistake that some installers make to to tighten up the bolts up for both of these without having the front latches done up. It is clearly stated in the installation instructions that the fronts are to locked in BEFORE finallizing the rear/side bolt torquing. The front latches MUST be allowed to pull the whole HT forward, THEN the rear assemblies can be bolted down tight. Doing it the other way around may create a gap between the front edge of the HT and the windshield that can never be completely closed.
StinkyTofu, I don't have the instructions anymore. If you go to the HandA site, you can download the HT install manual. There, you will see mention of these shims. It's not difficult BUT does require specific steps to do. What it does is re-aligns the front catches so they pull on the striker more firmly.
LemonS2k, whenever you put on the HT, you should ALWAYS do up the front latches first, THEN lock down the rears. Taking off, you do the reverse - undo the rears (along with disconnecting the defroster plug), THEN undo the fronts. The creaking you hear is most likely the rubber seals going a bit dry. About twice a season (once when you put the HT on and again when you take it off), you should treat all the rubber seals with a silicone grease. This will minimize or eliminate most of the creaking. For those who had the rear assemblies bolted down WITHOUT the fronts being latched first, you may have "stretched" (or warped) the whole HT over time. In doing so, the plastic panels covering the interior of the HT may have gaps and no longer match the surfaces they try to cover.
The "Striker" is the black thing that sticks out from the edge of the windshield. The "latch assembly" hooks onto this striker and pulls towards it to close the gap. The "pin/locking assembly" are the things just behind your head on the HT. These are the things that have the big handles that you turn to lock the rears in place. They look like "pointy things" (pins) that go into the hole (under the brushes). The hole is part of the "receiving assembly" that is bolted to the sides of the car.
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