Soft Top Vibration Noise

[Coachcal]

I bought a used soft top off another Gladiator and I am having a hard time with it. First, the passenger side latch just doesn't seem to catch correctly. It feels like the spring may be warm out as it just doesn't click into place as firmly as the driver side. It has flung open at highway speeds several times and scares the crap out of me. I have it clamped shut for now. I ordered a replacement and am waiting on delivery. I suspect that this will fix the latch issue. BTW, I tried adjusting the latch and hook and it helped a little bit it still came unlatched at highway speeds.

The second issue is a vibration that turns into a loud hum in the front fabric at around 65 mph. It gets really violent and loud. I can put my hand on the fabric just in front of the first support and make the vibration stop but it returns when I remove my hand.

Any suggestions on how to fix the vibration?

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[BrooksC]

Hope its not the case for you, but I run a premium top that the prior owner backed into their garage. It has the exact same issues. No visible signs of damage at all. The guy gave it to me for free and let me know about the isues. I also changed the passenger latch and it helped quite a bit. Before, it popped open at 45 and now its good to about 75. I put a small bungee around the latch for freeway driving. I just put up with vibration at 65. I dont drive it that fast often and put the hard top on for long trips. On the positve side it doesn't leak and is awesome in safari mode. Best of luck to you. Hope the latch sorts it.

 

[Gren71]

If this is your first soft top the noise MAY be just the sound difference between the hard and soft top. Between my jk and this jt i swap into a hard top in the winter and a soft top most of the rest of the year. The sound difference is significant between the two.

that said the sound may also be more related to your loose latch

 

[Coachcal]

It definitely isn't normal soft top noise. I've owned Jeeps (and a 74 Bronco) with soft tops for decades. It seems like the fabric is just loose or something. Is there any type of adjustment that can be done?

 

[Coachcal]

Hope its not the case for you, but I run a premium top that the prior owner backed into their garage. It has the exact same issues. No visible signs of damage at all. The guy gave it to me for free and let me know about the isues. I also changed the passenger latch and it helped quite a bit. Before, it popped open at 45 and now its good to about 75. I put a small bungee around the latch for freeway driving. I just put up with vibration at 65. I dont drive it that fast often and put the hard top on for long trips. On the positve side it doesn't leak and is awesome in safari mode. Best of luck to you. Hope the latch sorts it.

Any idea what was bent?

 

[Gren71]

It definitely isn't normal soft top noise. I've owned Jeeps (and a 74 Bronco) with soft tops for decades. It seems like the fabric is just loose or something. Is there any type of adjustment that can be done?

The only spot of “adjustment” is where the soft top bolts into the door frames. Atleast as far as I know. Ill see if i can find a pic…or stop being lazey and go take a pic of mine

 

[Coachcal]

The only spot of “adjustment” is where the soft top bolts into the door frames. Atleast as far as I know. Ill see if i can find a pic…or stop being lazey and go take a pic of mine

Interesting, I hadn't thought about that point of attachment and how it might impact the tension. I'll mess with it tomorrow and see if it helps. Should I assume that pushing it backwards would make it tighter?

 

[Gren71]

Interesting, I hadn't thought about that point of attachment and how it might impact the tension. I'll mess with it tomorrow and see if it helps. Should I assume that pushing it backwards would make it tighter?

That would be my assumption yea

 

[BrooksC]

Any idea what was bent?

Everything looks straight on it. The guy thought the header bar might have bent. I replaced it, but the top acts exactly the same after. The header bar I removed looked perfectly straight. Just really weird.

 

[Coachcal]

Okay, I got the new latch in the mail yesterday afternoon and replaced it. That fixed the issue with it popping open. It appears to have helped the vibration also. I ran it pretty fast on the highway and it didn't make the vibration noise until 80 mph or so. I guess the latch was letting in some air and causing turbulence.

 

[Gren71]

Okay, I got the new latch in the mail yesterday afternoon and replaced it. That fixed the issue with it popping open. It appears to have helped the vibration also. I ran it pretty fast on the highway and it didn't make the vibration noise until 80 mph or so. I guess the latch was letting in some air and causing turbulence.

Do you have a link to that latch? I went to open mine today and found the drivers side latch to be pretty loose.

 

[Coachcal]

Here you go, but the dang things aren't cheap. https://www.moparfactoryparts.com/oem-parts/mopar-folding-top-latch-68391566ab

 

[Gren71]

Here you go, but the dang things aren't cheap. https://www.moparfactoryparts.com/oem-parts/mopar-folding-top-latch-68391566ab

ooof yea they arent.

 

[Rocksalt]

I bought a used soft top off another Gladiator and I am having a hard time with it. First, the passenger side latch just doesn't seem to catch correctly. It feels like the spring may be warm out as it just doesn't click into place as firmly as the driver side. It has flung open at highway speeds several times and scares the crap out of me. I have it clamped shut for now. I ordered a replacement and am waiting on delivery. I suspect that this will fix the latch issue. BTW, I tried adjusting the latch and hook and it helped a little bit it still came unlatched at highway speeds.

The second issue is a vibration that turns into a loud hum in the front fabric at around 65 mph. It gets really violent and loud. I can put my hand on the fabric just in front of the first support and make the vibration stop but it returns when I remove my hand.

Any suggestions on how to fix the vibration?

the latches are adjustable

 

[Gren71]

the latches are adjustable

How?

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