hard top rattle

[patric]

I cant see the hard top not rattling since the car flexes its just a bad
design.Both of my links are good and it still rattles. Funny on the highway
its quite but on the street it rattles

[Sandman]

Re: hard top rattle

Hi Robert,

I had the same problem with my new 05. I put some of the weather strip tape some of the members have used and all the rattles disappeared. You can purchase the tape in most hardware stores. I don't recall the name off hand since I am not at home right now. It comes in a roll with one side sticky so it goes on easy and comes off the same way. All you do is lift the top off and apply the tape where the top meets the car body and your problems are over. I'm sure some one will chime in with the name of the product.

Ron

[AZTB]

Re: hard top rattle

It's open cell weatherstripping (make sure you don't get closed cell). You can buy it at any Ace Hardware store (they have their own brand of it). My suggestion is to experiment with the size...I started out with 1/2 inch width (on the '02), but I now use 1/4 inch on the '05. And then, when you remove the top, it just peels right off. Good luck...and don't forget to give thanks on Thursday!

[Leroy]

Re: hard top rattle

Ford used a cheap weather stripping. It's like a hollow rubber hose about 3/8" in dia. I bought a 03 top for my 04 and on my way home with the top on my car it rattled on rough pavement and RR tracks. As soon as I got the top home I took it off and discovered the weather stripping was old and in some places damaged only on the area that seals around the back deck. I cut all the old Ford stuff off and found some 1/2" Dia. stripping that is solid not hollow and I used rubber cement and glued it were I had cut off the old stuff. One continueous piece from end to end around the back of the top were it rests on the car. I put the top back on my car for the Fall and haven't noticed any rattles yet. Leroy

[FEsTbird]

Re: hard top rattle

Did you apply some silicone grease to the gasket? If you use that you must apply some strips to the car -- either the strips from the hardware store or the plastic strips from Ford -- or the paint might be damaged.

[Leroy]

Re: hard top rattle

FEsTbird, I used the good masking tape that the Pros use. I got a roll that's 3/4" wide and put it all the way along the edge of the rear deck from door jam to door jam with about 3/8" on top and 3/8" under the edge. I think next time I do it though, I'm going to only leave about a 1/4" on the top becuase the tape is Green and if you look real hard you can see it in some places. Nobody else has noticed it, just me. I think if I was going to try anything else it would be the Stainless Steel strips. I saw them on another T-Bird and they look pretty good but I don't know if they would show with the hardtop on? And they're way over priced I think. I took part in a HT relay this last Summer and along with the top someone provided a piece of soft plastic that was sticky on one side. I used it becuase I had never had a hardtop on my car and I was concerned about it leaving marks, it worked fine, I had no marks even though the top did rattle. Leroy

[Birdlover]

Re: hard top rattle

I bought my '03 in April and noticed a lot of hardtop movement right away. I bought the stainless trim strips from ShopSar and they solved the problem. I thought they were overpriced then at $145.00, but I see they are now $187.50 and Thunderbird Concepts has them at $189.99. Both are way overpriced, but do look nice and make a great trim accessory when the hardtop is off and the soft top is down. By the way, you cannot see the trim when the hardtop is on the car. I have read other posts that after a few weeks with the hardtop on, it will move again. This has not happened to me. After we installed the stainless trim, we left the hardtop on until late June to make a good seal, and there was minimal movement of the top. Leroy, this is an expensive solution, but it is attractive and works (in my opinion). We put the hardtop on at Columbus Day and I will drive my bird as weather permits until it snows. I still have minimal movement of the hardtop. I love it!

[FEsTbird]

Re: hard top rattle

FEsTbird, ... I took part in a HT relay this last Summer and along with the top someone provided a piece of soft plastic that was sticky on one side. I used it because I had never had a hardtop on my car and I was concerned about it leaving marks, it worked fine, I had no marks even though the top did rattle. Leroy

The plastic strips sound a lot like the kit of 4 sets that come from Ford. They have sticky stuff on one side--insulated by paper--and stick to the car with the aid of an isopropanol solution that comes in the kit. Part number is 4W6Z-78202W30-AA. They need to be ordered by the parts counter. Price when I got them in 2007 was $150. [Purchased after I had used up the original set that came with the car.] Using the Ford strips the only time I have had a noise from the hard top is one a long trip when I hit a bump that caused a pretty big flex. However, I have always used the silicone grease, which can be purchased from Ford as well.
Do a search on TBN for hard top rattle -- it is important that the hold down levers snug the top down tight as well as screwing down the front of the top. Sometimes the plastic piece on the top of the place that the hold down pins go in needs a little shimming.

[Sandman]

Re: hard top rattle

When I started to look at all the stuff the previous owner left me in the trunk, I seen a sealed package with the factory strips. The only time the top was off the car is when he went to the dealer to pick it up and asked them to take the top off so he could check the operation of the soft top.
When I took the top off last week,to my surprise there were'nt any marks on the trunk or fender areas. I did put the open cell weather stripping on to eliminate any rattles. It only costs about $4 for a roll and you can get it at ACE hardware. Works great!

Ron

[buddy]

Re: hard top rattle

I also put the hard top trim on my 03 and it made a big difference. My local ford dealer has a 05 on his lot and the paint is all rubbed off where the hard top and tape that was used. he is real proud of it also asking $29,500.00... Bud

[patric]

Re: hard top rattle

I have the expel tape on the sail panel to protect the paint.As far as the rattle goes
i just turn up the radio works for me.

[Icebluebird]

Re: hard top rattle

Check this out http://www.thunderbirdnest.com/forum...ead.php?t=4153

It worked for me. I also put the Protrim strip around the sail panel to protect the paint and put silicone grease on the top gasket.

Seems to work for me!

[Hill on Wheels]

Re: hard top rattle

Hi All 'nesters!

'Bird is an 2003

We put the hardtop on for winter two weeks ago. The problem is not that the top itself rattles, or at least that doesn't appear to be the problem. Rather, we hear a rumbling noise that seems like it's coming from where the soft top sits in the cavity and/or below it. When we bought the car in July of 2008, it had this same noise. We removed the hardtop for summer and honestly had forgotten about it. It's still there now that the hardtop is back on it. While we had the softtop only (hardtop in the garage) there was no noise at all. The noise is very anoying and it really detracts from the fun of driving the car. As another 'nester said, it only shows up on bumpy roads, r/r tracks etc...out on the highway, it's perfectly quiet. Any and all help, suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Jim & Nancy Sasso
Hill on Wheels (user name)

[Leroy]

Re: hard top rattle

Your weather stipping is shot around the rear of the top and the locking levers can't pull it down tight so it is noisey on rough roads or RR tracks. I cut my old stripping off and glued new on and that solved the problem. I used 1/2" OD stripping I found at a Hardware store and a small jar of rubber cement with the brush in the lid. Cut the old off with a razor knive and glued a new continuous piece in place of the old. You can tell when you lock the rear levers and the top is pulled down it's alot tighter. I also put a continuous piece of professional use masking tape on the paint were the top seals on the car, to protect the paint from any wear. Leroy