creaking sound with hardtop

FreddyK · Post by **FreddyK** » Tue 17 Nov, 2009 16:32

As the weather will not be improving the coming months, I have put the hardtop on again (as I have done every winter for the last 6 years).

This time however, I hear these little creaking sounds at the rear of the hardtop whenever I'm driving. I didn't have that in previous winters. Could it be because I have treated the rear rubber seals of the hardtop with Gummypflege ?

I already tried to remove and re-install the hardtop, but that didn't make any difference.

motco · Post by **motco** » Tue 17 Nov, 2009 16:42

I hope it's not the rubber treatment Freddy because I, too, am about to treat my hardtop rubbers with gummipflege.

bowei001 · Post by **bowei001** » Tue 17 Nov, 2009 16:59

I've also just Gummipfleged my hardtop rubber and put the hardtop on and I have a creak that wasn't there last year. Mine comes from the passenger side rear. I was thinking that the rubber has been softened and allows a bit more flex. If I were doing it again, I'd fit without treatment and try it and then treat the rubber and drive it over the same road again. At least that would establish the cause - too late for me, I just have to live with it for the winter! Ian

Post by **Robert T** » Tue 17 Nov, 2009 18:17

It's not the seals that are the problem.

The hardtop sits on two large rubber stops at the rear and it is these that seem to get stick and rattly with age - there is a thread on here somewhere about replacing them - I really need to do mine now as the combination of Cheshire potholes and rattly hardtop is a tad annoying now.

Part #32 below I think:

Hardtop parts - BMW parts catalog

Cheers R.

gookah · Post by **gookah** » Tue 17 Nov, 2009 22:02

I had the same creak from parts 32... they looked like they were covered with an insulating tape type material, which I removed and put some vaseline on instead.... Result ...Creak gone!!

TitanTim · Post by **TitanTim** » Tue 17 Nov, 2009 22:08

Hardtop, whats all that about then

Definition
roadster noun
/ˈrəʊd.stər//ˈroʊd.stɚ/ n [C] a car without a roof and with only two seats

Tim.

FreddyK · Post by **FreddyK** » Thu 19 Nov, 2009 08:36

gookah wrote:I had the same creak from parts 32... they looked like they were covered with an insulating tape type material, which I removed and put some vaseline on instead.... Result ...Creak gone!!

Haven't had the chance to take the roof off yet.
Are these parts 32 easily accessible or will I have to disassemble (a part of) the hardtop ?

Post by **Robert T** » Thu 19 Nov, 2009 10:00

FreddyK wrote:Are these parts 32 easily accessible or will I have to disassemble (a part of) the hardtop ?

They are clearly visible just in front of the rear lip of the roof when it's off the car. I haven't quite sussed out how they are attached yet to see how to replace them, but from other's experience it doesn't sound too difficult.

Cheers R.

FreddyK · Post by **FreddyK** » Sun 22 Nov, 2009 14:00

Creaking sound fixed !

As in my case the creaking seemed to be coming from over the whole width of the hardtop, my guess was that it was the rubber gasket that was rubbing over the rear of the car.

So I took off the hardtop, treated the whole part where the hardtop rubber touches the body, with Johnsson Renovator until it felt smooth like silk. The hardtop went back on and a quick test drive told me that the creaking was completely gone.

I've also been looking for this infamous part 32 that was mentioned earlier, but couldn't make out where it was. In my case it wasn't the problem anyway.