C-INRED

Paul...in your opinion would I be better off getting the new style handles for my '06 or staying with the e-clip/shrink tube/lubrication 'fix' (which has pretty much taken care of the noises for now)?

talon90

If you are having the problem with continuous or random unexplained panel noises then I would get the new handles. I caution those that want them for the sake of getting them or those that fear that they might have the problem someday. It sounds like the other methods are only serving as band aids for you currently and may be just masking the underlying problem.

talon90

Thank you Gene. I'm very glad that the new handles have done the trick for you. GM put a lot of development effort into this problem and I'm glad to hear when it pays off. I hope it remains the fix for you.

talon90

Thank you Joe. I would enjoy that. I'll let you know if I have occaision to make it out to LV and please do the same if you are coming to Ma or Ky.

Paul

Marina Blue

Paul,

Very informantive write-up with excellent illustrations.

I picked up my replacement roof yesterday. Mine had started to delaminate even after the foam fix. The new roof with new style latches are keeping things quiet so far.

This thread should become a sticky.

Phil

Jeff Pedersen

Incredibly informative post. My 09 has no rattles or noise at all. I hope it stays that way. Thanks for the info just in case it starts.

LMB 4 ME

Paul is !

AORoads

Hi Paul, and I agree: it is a great, detailed and easy-to-understand writeup.

But I think your follow up post (#17) is really important, too, so I repeat it here (and bring this to the top!):

"...There is always going to be some variation (no matter how small) in a manufacturing process. It has to be worth it to the supplier to keep that variation as small as possible. Automotive manufacturers seldom are able to provide that incentive. The assembly plant receives parts in lots (batches) and they inspect them based on statistical measures that are designed to identify the least number of parts required for inspection to provide the greatest odds of finding a defect. Sometimes those levels aren't adequate. The suppliers are also required to maintain and submit statistical data from their inspection process for review. If the process capability doesn't match the quantity inspected or the distribution of defects is flat across the tolerance it is almost guaranteed that some defective parts will make it in to the final assembly.

There is very little that the plant can do to "inspect in" a suppliers quality. The nature of this part makes any defect other than a flagrant one to be detected in the process. Flat tire, sure. Bad fuel pump sure. A roller that may be .003" smaller than it should be, a little more difficult. Combine all of that with a JIT supply chain and an assembly line that moves regardless it is a better than average chance that a problem can occur in one of the 2,800 parts that go in to the Corvette. ..."

For all those who batch and moan about quality in cars, not just ours, I think the above is super-relevant.

Of course, the squeaking-removable top is not exactly relevant to me....

Pipedreams

Now I even understand the issues and best of all the options

bradc6

Good information.

I've had my '07 for 18 months and almost 13,000 miles and I have heard no noises from the top. And I have it in and out all the time.

talon90

Thanks Bill. Damn you convertible people.

AORoads

Top down, all the way, baby!!!!

not08crmanymore

and for rattles when the top is stored in back..??

talon90

There was a TSB out to dealerships. For lack of a better description it involves putting the equivalent of the loop side (softer piece of the two piece hook and loop assembly) from a piece of Velcro tape on the plastic storage hub that is mounted on the wheel well carpet. This will isolate the frame from vibrating on the plastic. That's at least how I understand it anyway.

BriscoCounty

Good post, but I'm not sure if you were trying to explain why there are so many problems with the roof or that once we all understand how complex it is, we should forgive GM for making a creaking/popping roof. As an engineer myself, not in the auto industry, poor quality in mass production usually is 1 of 3 things; poor original design, good design but too complex to mass produce with high quality, or poor production methods (or actually, some combination of the above).

Given the history with the roof since 2005, seems to me like in general, a poor design and possibly poor production of that design. No one should have to put up with the creaking and popping of a brand new car. If the roofs lasted 5 or more years before they started making noises, that would be okay, but most of us found these noises within months if not sooner after original purchase.

I've got the thermal expansion issue. Leave car out on any day above 60 degrees in the sun, and I can expect a rather rude ride home after work. Apply some grease every 3-4 weeks, and not much if any noise at all. Applying grease that often seems excessive to me, and is the only reason I ever take the roof off. I'm in the minority on this, but I would have loved a solid roof option.

Thanks for the original post. Nice to read something besides LMB vs JSB or Z51 vs F55!

talon90

Frankly, neither. What I was trying to do was help owners that have a problem with their roof creaking. There are several owners that have one of the aforementioned problems and doesn't know how to deal with it and many if not most live with it because they either can't or won't take their car to the dealership. If I can save some of them the headache or the heartache all the better as far as I'm concerned.

My goal was to simply explain some of what goes in to the design and the manufacturing as well. Nothing more, nothing less.

The legitimate, repeated creaking popping removable roof is actually only on a fairly small percentage of the cars which leads me to believe that it is a manufacturing tolerance issue. My car has a bit of the thermal expansion but it dissappears in about 1 minute from the time I start driving. Frankly, my 2005 roof is silent, problem free. If that was all I cared about I never would have wasted my time putting this together.

ohmy

It would be great to actually find out the real percentage of cars that do this... I have no idea what it is but my gut tells me it's a bit more that a small percentage, just bc every used one that I drove seems to do it...

Mine only makes noise on the driver's side. It's crazy, but if noises came from both sides I'd be happier! It would probably not even bother me. The way it is now, I keep thinking that if I could just figure out the difference in fit between left and right side I'd be able to fix the problem, which ofcourse I will most likely never figure out

Anyway...

Talon, do you know if this problem occurs on the Z06 (I'm thinking it does not)... If not, how is the permanent roof attached on the Z06? Is it bonded to the pillar? Is the weather stripping the same? How hard and expensive would it be to convert from removable to Z06 top? I would gladly do it if I could...

Once again, great job on the write up, THANKS....

DesertDog

Thanks so much for the info! This is very good stuff.

DesertDog

talon90

The Z06 does not have this issue. The Z06 roof panel is bonded and bolted to the windshield frame and b pillar. As I recall there are 16 attachment points (someone will correct me if I'm wrong) but that number is sticking in my mind. The roof panel frame while shaped similarly and based on the same tooling it is modified to accomodate the fixed roof panel attachment and provide additional rigidity.

Have you considered trying or have you all ready tried the new design handles? They may very well do the trick for you. You will need to lubricate the depression in the steel receiver plate as I outlined in post #2. They might be worth a try. You could also look at the fit section of post number two, you may want to adjust the latch handle bolt or the two torx screws that hold your receiver plate on above the windshield. Just changing the way the two parts fit together might do the trick, actually just tightening them up might do the trick for you.

Y2K3CL-S

Tks for this extremely timely thread Paul. I'm taking mine in on Monday because the original fix that was performed back in January (removal of excessive "slag" from the drivers side A-Pillar) didn't last, and during the summer my solid roof has become intolerable ... the last straw being my trip back from the Pocono's a few weeks ago. Funny thing ... I put the clear roof on last week and it has been as quiet as a mouse, so I'm hoping it's just the handles/latches on the solid roof.

I'll be printing this out and taking it to the dealership.