I have done some extensive searching about top tears and preventing as such. I have been looking to buy some sort of vinyl/nylon patches to put where the normal holes develop. I was curious if you think this would work as a preventative measure? Thanks.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Tarp-Tent-Canopy-Repai...=item4a977a01f2

 

Possibly, it depends how adhesive it is and where you're putting it. I had a worn hole that was threatening to become a tear, and I covered it with a tear-aid patch and a strip of black duct tape on the inside. It's help up fine for over a month with no signs of wear or releasing.

 

i think to put anything to protect the soft top from tearing would be a good thing as long as it doesn't interfere with the top operation. i have an 08 and my soft top ripped recently right above the drivers front latch. and had to replace the top as in the svc bulliten. i replaced the top and both front latches, didn't file the rear hinge as in the svc bulliten as it is only perform in the svc bulliten if you have the tear in the right rear, just above the passengers ear. still after top replacement. i put felt tape from my work "honda" and put it everywhere the soft top could rub and tear. as in the svc bulliten. also put felt tape over the passenger rear hinge instead of filing it and spray painting it. put felt under both front latches just where they look like they touch the soft top when it is in the down position.
also got new straps for the second rib. but didn't want to drill the rivits out and have them rolling around. modified it so i am actually running 4 elastic straps. the 2 oem ones and 2 new oem ones put just outside of each original elastic strap, so they are side by side.

 

Check this out. You just need one and cut it in half.

https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=686754

http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=m5...Protector+Jumbo

 

if you don't have a hole yet, then you should really shave that part of metal down. you can feel how sharp that area is by your finger.

 

Great. I will shave that part down. Is it just the part at the point on the passenger side?

Will a dremel be a good tool to use?

Is it best to shave down while the top is up, half way down or completely down? Thanks!

 

And, once it is shaved down, use this on the inside of the top


As long as the underside of the top is cleaned very well with rubbing alcohol and then rinsed and allowed to dry, and the instructins are followed, this stuff will stick for years and years. I had a couple spots on my top I thought looked a bit questionable, my patches have been on for 3-years

 

^that is great. I'm calling Camp-mor right now for it!

thanks a lot

 

[QUOTE=RsxFlyBy,May 3 2010, 11:03 AM] Great.

 

I did this thing that I found on the UK site.
You make a patch out of original top material (get it from someone with an old top that has been trashed or you can buy a repair piece of cloth about 1ft by 1ft from your Honda dealer).

Make the patches using a credit card as a cut out template.

Make two for each side. Apply on the inside using Copydex, a water-based rubber glue. You can go on EBAY and find it and order a tube. From England. It'll be like $8 total including shipping.

Put the glue on the fuzzy side of the patch and stick that to the inside of your top where it is wearing or where you are afraid it will wear. There are two main spots.

Use a lot of glue. Don't worry. When it dries it cleans up really easily so all that oozing out etc. . don't worry about.

You can also cut an extra patch for each side, cut it in half and then put it where there might be latch wear.

I also then bought these things called lizard skins which are neoprene rectangles with velcro along one side. They are for wrapping up your mountainbike frame so that when the frame is protected from the chain banging it when you are riding. Anyways you put these on the U-part of the frame and it covers up the rough part of the frame that has a tendency to wear a hole in the top on both sides while the top is retracted.

I am now 1 1/2 months and approx 60 cycles after doing this fix and the patches are holding up and there is no sign of them delaminating or coming off.

Here's the thread that I learned from: https://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.ph...ic=684692&st=0