Hardtop on for Winter- Avoiding Roof Wear?
 

Hello All,


It’s about time the hardtop goes on for the winter. My concern is that ive read up on what causes a hole to be worn in the vinyl roof just above the drivers head- which the consensus seems to be that it happens when the roof is in the down position and one of the internal ribs with a sharp edge can wear a hole.
Ive done numerous searches on this forum for solutions-
A. Adding a bicycle chain guard to the offending metal rib (with some reports that this didn’t work and some owners experience the hole appearing anyway)
B. Filing down the piece of metal causing the problem!
C. Adding duck tape to protect the material

Thankfully my roof is perfect at the moment, however im concerned that a winter of driving around with the roof down and hardtop on may start to rub a hole!

Anyone experienced this and found a quick and easy solution for protecting the roof ?

Thanks in advance :drool:

Dave

I was under the impression that it was the raising and lowering of the roof which caused the bar to act in a saw-like motion against the material?

I've had both the chain guards and duct tape on the rooves of my last 2 S2000's and fingers crossed, they have both been ok...so far!!

It's ok once it's down. As above, it's the raising and lowering that causes the problem.

That's wrong I'm afraid. The OP is correct - the wear in question is caused by the rough edges on the frame and is only caused when the roof is down. This is described in the Honda USA technical bulletin.
This describes the problem as only occurring on later 08-09 cars

D.

Well that last statement is definitely wrong. I've seen many pre MY08 cars in the few years I have been on this forum with the same issue.
The bars that form the soft top frame aren't rounded or smooth and act as hacksaws, simple.
I fail to see how when the roof is folded down and relatively static causes the roof to be 'sawn' open.

From what I read it bounces up and down and is also pressed on the hood when folded. I installed the bike chain guards as they are meant to help.

This is the sharp edge that does it:
https://www.s2ki.com/s2000/topic/686...aring-of-hood/

That statement of mine merely reports what is in the Honda bulletin and is so is correct. Similar wear may occur on earlier cars but isn't cited in the bulletin.

My personal experience of this wear is on a 08 model and it cannot possibly occur in any other postion than fully down. I carefully tracked what touches the wear point- nothing does until its folded down.


I recommend smoothing the rough edges per the bulletin and also making sure the hardtop rubber stops are in place and doing their job. It's possible the rubber link stops fitted to the GT also help here.

Edit:
Let's not make this a war of who's right and wrong - and try to help the OP. The fact is that wear can occur, similar to that described by the OP, when the top is down - ONLY. This is well documented by posts and the Honda USA TSB. Many users suggest the sharkskinz covers for the elbow. My fix was to moan to the dealer citing the TSB and have the work done with a Honda UK goodwill supply of the parts.

I can highly recommend covering the offending arm with helicopter tape (as used to protect rotor blades on helicopters). It doesn't snag or add any additional thickness unlike the sharkskin chainstay protectors. It is also perfectly smooth if you take just a little time (5 min) to carefully apply it (i.e. don't get an wrinkles in it) and it's exceptionally hard wearing. Also used to protect MTB frames.

Some users have reported wear still occurring even using the chainstay protectors (neoprene is comparatively abrasive over time), helicopter tape is also a lot cheaper!

http://www.convertape.com/helicopter-tape-14-c.asp

I never had any problem with my soft top and i use the hardtop for the winder since 2007. This wear is from up and down the roof not when it is folded. Also i recommend you to use the rubber spacers in the soft top which are described in the hardtop installation pdf. There is a chance the wear in the roof you are describing with the soft top folded to be associated with that, although i doubt it.

do you have any pictures?