Welcome to the Corvette Forums at the Corvette Action Center!

Creaky coupe roof -any fix?

Bluemill

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 20, 2005
Messages
107
Location
Scituate, MA
Corvette
2000 Navy targa
I've got a bit of PIA problem with my removeable roof on my 2000 coupe, it creaks, like a rapid, loud, double creak when you go over major bumps in the road. IT REALLY SOUNDS LIKE THE ROOF IS LOOSE, IN THE REAR OF THE CAR, but you know how deceiving sound is in a car.

My car is navy blue and the panel is the lexan tinted type. I have tightened the front strikers almost all the way down, and I have gotten inside the rear "ribbon" and tightened the loop that the rear hook attaches to, and beleive me it's so tight, I can barely secure it now. I've also covered the two sides of weatherstripping with some premium rubber dressing, which is in the Armour-all genre. I've also checked all the hardware that attaches the roof panel. Yet, almost every time I'm on a dippy, rough pavement, I get the creaks up top, like the sound of a sheet metal car with a weld loose in the roof. Imagine being inside a giant beer can that someone's twisting....

Could this be a just a bit of cowl shake/twist that's endemic of the design? I know the hydro-formed chassis is a pretty tough hunk of steel, but maybe it too has its limits. ONE more clue for you body people out there......this really is MUCH worse in hot weather, like an expansion with heat issue.

Any suggestions?

Thanks
Bluemill
;help;shrug;help

EDIT: Bluemill, it appears your post had some form of code error at the bottom. I've deleted it to prevent any problems anyone coming across this thread may have.
-Patrick
 
Sounds like (no pun intended) that you have just about covered all your bases BUT have you looked into the b-pillar head liner. There are 4-push pins that hold it in place and the plastic push pins can pop out which happened to mine on the passenger side. Wife was complaining about the squeaking until I replaced one of the push pins.

Good luck
 
Sounds like to me the bushing that the little ball ends insert into on each side at the rear are broken!;shrug;shrugI've had to replace mine on the left once!!It only comes with the bracket that bolts to the car under the trim!!I think my cost was $28.00:upthumbs
 
Sounds like (no pun intended) that you have just about covered all your bases BUT have you looked into the b-pillar head liner. There are 4-push pins that hold it in place and the plastic push pins can pop out which happened to mine on the passenger side. Wife was complaining about the squeaking until I replaced one of the push pins.

Good luck
$4.60 EACH from the General....had to replace 2 of mine, but I wasn't getting any squeaks!
Andy :w
 
Uh, get a ragtop? C'mon, there had to be one smart ass reply.
 
Uh, get a ragtop? C'mon, there had to be one smart ass reply.
Yeah then it goes from squeaks to downright clanks, rattles, and bangs:boogie:boogie
another smart a$$ reply!
Andy :w
 
Sounds like we got the same car......

I think that the ratlling is the little pivoting male, plastic pins that go into the round hole strikers. The last thing I tried was wrapping electrical tape around the the pins, all the way back to the foundation, or rather the base of the pins that they pivot on. After doing this, no rattle at all EXCEPT at high noon 90+ full sun heat, and very rough roads. Under that scenario, the pin tips can move a bit beacuse the stick on the tape won't work when it's that hot and there is movement within these pins to where they are attached. Any way, my car is a navy, 2000, made in the millenium year. =Bluemill

6 speed, Pirelli P Zero-Neros ( Love'em), Z-06 exhaust, Z-06 air cleaner cover, cut out fog light bezels for more cold air, zebra wood shift knob, HUD, oriental type "blue chariot" (AutotSport) floor mats for color cuz my interior is black, CAGS eliminator, girl in the box drink holder, big crack the length of my front spring which is the next big project.

Enjoy,

Bluemill
 
I think that the ratlling is the little pivoting male, plastic pins that go into the round hole strikers. The last thing I tried was wrapping electrical tape around the the pins, all the way back to the foundation, or rather the base of the pins that they pivot on. After doing this, no rattle at all EXCEPT at high noon 90+ full sun heat, and very rough roads. Under that scenario, the pin tips can move a bit beacuse the stick on the tape won't work when it's that hot and there is movement within these pins to where they are attached. Any way, my car is a navy, 2000, made in the millenium year. =Bluemill

6 speed, Pirelli P Zero-Neros ( Love'em), Z-06 exhaust, Z-06 air cleaner cover, cut out fog light bezels for more cold air, zebra wood shift knob, HUD, oriental type "blue chariot" (AutotSport) floor mats for color cuz my interior is black, CAGS eliminator, girl in the box drink holder, big crack the length of my front spring which is the next big project.

Enjoy,

Bluemill
The bushings that thous pins go into are what I was talking about in my post above!!:upthumbs

gmjunkieSounds like to me the bushing that the little ball ends insert into on each side at the rear are broken!;shrug;shrugI've had to replace mine on the left once!!It only comes with the bracket that bolts to the car under the trim!!I think my cost was $28.00:upthumbs
 
Sounds like (no pun intended) that you have just about covered all your bases BUT have you looked into the b-pillar head liner. There are 4-push pins that hold it in place and the plastic push pins can pop out which happened to mine on the passenger side. Wife was complaining about the squeaking until I replaced one of the push pins.

Good luck


Hey Rhys, need your expertise on the C5 removable hard top. As I told you during CF07, I have the same coupe as you, but mine is a 2002. I have both tops. About 6 weeks ago my solid top started rattling and squeaking, Never did before. I have about 6/10 of a mile of dirt road that has "washboard" surface" that is really bad this year. Drive it slow, but it still shakes the car. Anyway, I read your past posts about the top, to see if your solutions work. I checked the 4 pins - all there. Lubed the weatherstrip, still rattles and squeaks. As a check, I replaced the solid top with the glass top this past weekend. It never rattled in the past, and did not this weekend, even on the washboard road. I believe that the culprit may be the windshield latches and the rear latch themselves, but I am not sure. I read your recent post in the C6 forum on the C6 top noise, and you said to use the shrink tubing on the 4 pins. Other than resulting in a tighter fit, what else does the shrink tubing do? Is the squeaking from the pins themselves rather than the top resting on the weatherstripping and latches. If so, does the tubing stop the squeak? Are the latches adjustable? If adjustable, do you have any info on how to do it correctly?

Thanks for your help in advance. Hope things are well with you, the wife, and the pups.
Barrett
 
Hey Rhys, need your expertise on the C5 removable hard top. As I told you during CF07, I have the same coupe as you, but mine is a 2002. I have both tops. About 6 weeks ago my solid top started rattling and squeaking, Never did before. I have about 6/10 of a mile of dirt road that has "washboard" surface" that is really bad this year. Drive it slow, but it still shakes the car. Anyway, I read your past posts about the top, to see if your solutions work. I checked the 4 pins - all there. Lubed the weatherstrip, still rattles and squeaks. As a check, I replaced the solid top with the glass top this past weekend. It never rattled in the past, and did not this weekend, even on the washboard road. I believe that the culprit may be the windshield latches and the rear latch themselves, but I am not sure. I read your recent post in the C6 forum on the C6 top noise, and you said to use the shrink tubing on the 4 pins. Other than resulting in a tighter fit, what else does the shrink tubing do? Is the squeaking from the pins themselves rather than the top resting on the weatherstripping and latches. If so, does the tubing stop the squeak? Are the latches adjustable? If adjustable, do you have any info on how to do it correctly?

Thanks for your help in advance. Hope things are well with you, the wife, and the pups.
Barrett

Don't really know what the shrink tubing ultimately does. It makes a tighter fit for sure and I bet as the tubing wears through it helps "lubricate" the pins. Since I just got the C6 and just installed the shrink tubing a couple of weeks ago I haven't had much time to really figure it all out. So far they seem to work (BTW I only put tubing on the front pins of the C6 since I did niot have a large enough tubing for the rears). I need to get the C6 away from the wife, drive it to work, let it bake in the sun all day, and hear if the top "pops". She says it doesn't, but she parks in the shade at her work.

Re: the C5 painted top. I presume you've removed and reinstalled it making sure the top is seated correctly. I lower the windows to do this to make sure everything lines up...WOW as I write this Barry Bonds just hit 756...I've never tried adjusting the strikers. My problem was missing one of the pins on the headliner.

Really enjoyed C07. Hopefully C08 will be within "reasonable" distance. Maybe we can drive the C6:upthumbs
 
Rhys

Thanks for the reply and information. Sent you another PM. Didn't know you purchased a C6. What model is it? Year, color and tranny? Would love to see it. I'll bet it is a coupe for the pups pleasure also. If CF08 is not too far east, maybe we can hook up along the way.

Barrett
 
I think you will find that most of the creaking noises you get out of a C5 roof up front is coming from the little rollers on the stricker if you remove the top and look at the stricker you will see a little roller that helps reduce friction when latching the top if you get a can of oil put a rag under the roller then coat the roller with oil then work the oil into the roller I think you will find the noise gone.

David Fulcher
 

Corvette Forums

Not a member of the Corvette Action Center?  Join now!  It's free!

Help support the Corvette Action Center!

Supporting Vendors

Dealers:

MacMulkin Chevrolet - The Second Largest Corvette Dealer in the Country!

Advertise with the Corvette Action Center!

Double Your Chances!

Our Partners

Back
Top Bottom