Glad to see that this thread is still useful...


Tim

 

I've got to revive this old post to give props where they are due. I developed a bad rattle on my passenger side front latch for my Mugen top. I stuffed it with foam and she is all good, immediately got rid of the rattle. I just used some foam pads that they sell for tire gel applications, cut them up into strips and stuffed it into the joints. It was much easier to do with the latch removed and I did it from the back side which seems a bit easier to access. One extra thing I did was to add a nice piece of foam in the latch itself just inside the front edge, so when the latch closes the foam keeps pressure on the top so it remains tight against the interior clasp bar and doesn't bounce up and down.

 

Thank you for bring this thread back from the dead.
my biggest pet peeve was this.

 

or just put business cards between the metal and plastic and cut off the excess

 

I tried pretty much everything stated in this thread to fix the rattles from the front on my factory hardtop (I have a CR - the roof rattled when I bought the car but I figured I could fix it). Most solutions helped for a day or two but the rattle eventually came back or developed into a very annoying squeak. When the temps dropped below 50F it got really bad. I ended up getting new front latches from a honda store in utah for about $170 for the pair- installed them 2 months ago and the roof has been silent since. The new latches have A LOT more tension than the ones on my car. Probably will need to do this every few years so I'll just consider it a maintenance item.

 

O-rings over the male cone end helps as well. I can't remember what size but they help.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

yeah I had to replace the latches that were on my oem hardtop when I bought it used, they seemed to have lost their tension, new latches fixed the problem right away. It takes a lot of adjustment with the rear catchers as per the shop manual procedure, lube on the rear seal (such as Shen Itsu grease) helps with squeals. Stuffing foam bits into front latch gaps reduces rattles. I grease the front strikers and the male end of the front latch, as well as the hook of the front latches. I lube the pins on the rear latches and contact surfaces between the rear latches and rear catchers.

When you release tension always do the rear latches first then do the front latches, the close the front latches first and the rear latches last. If you open and close the front latches without touching the rear latches the tension is lost and it will rattle. If you lift your car up on jackstands release tension on the hardtop.

Lube the front windshield seal that goes along the front of the car that contacts the front underside of the hardtop, I use Shen Itsu Grease, this also helps to reduce squeaks and maintains the seals.

Also make sure that that the tops of the windows don't touch the bottom of the driver and passenger side metal moldings as that can cause a rattle, if there is contact you can adjust the height of the window travel or adjust the hardtop height a small bit, or adjust the door closer latch if possible to get the door to close a bit lower. Just some options if all else fails. I've done a bit of everything on my car.

My Mugen hardtop came with o-rings on the male end of the front latches, my oem latches did not have them though. Might be a good idea to use them, can't hurt.

 

O-ring. Cheap, temporary help for some.


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Gonna have to try this when i get back home.

 

good stuff, i had upgraded to hard top strikers when i bought my car couple yrs ago and there was no rattling. over the past yr though the hard top rattling has gotten progressively worse, definitely gonna give this latex rubber foam stuff a shot.