83 SC Cabriolet body/top squeak

[mark waller7]

Hi All,
Searched the forum but nothing has popped up. I have an 83 Cabriolet with 66,000 miles on it and I am getting a squeak right behind the driver seat when going over a bump. It is not the spring plate bushings, and my mechanic thinks it might be from the convertible but am not finding anything. Thoughts on where to look or possible location?
Thanks in advance,

[Lammers]

I noticed on mine that a bunch of the large bolts (hex) that function as hinges, were getting loose from opening and closing.
It was obvious with the roof down looking down from the outside of the car.

[mark waller7]

Thanks. I am going to play around with it a bit more. Top seems very solid and going to double check the spring plate bushings as well.

[MTN930]

Does the sound happen with the top up? Top down? Both? You may get different squeaks depending upon whether the top is up or down... and whether the windows are up or down.

My Cab makes all sorts of squeaks when the top is up but not when the top is down. I find that I need to lubricate the rubber door seals and the rubber seals where the door windows rub on the convertible top, and (finally) where the top meets the windshield header.

Cabs are "loose" and can tend to be squeaky if: a.) rubber seals aren't keep soft and lubricated; and b.) if the convertible top mechanism (arms, bushings, etc) aren't kept tight to spec and also lubricated at hinge points and bushings.

[mark waller7]

Thank you. Top is solid and it still squeaks on the driver side with the top up or down. Just started doing this a couple months ago.

[MTN930]

Ok. Is the rattle up high or down low? Assuming down low as the noise is the same with the top up or down.

Perhaps a few other items to check: 1.) all the bolts holding the top frame together; 2.) all the bolts that hold together the frame and mechanism to the car; 3.) perhaps the door striker/latch mechanism (the stuff that holds the door closed) has become loose or there is play between the striker and the door latch?






That it suddenly showed up after all these years and is the same open or closed would tend to indicate that it might be something else (as the tension on the entire mechanism and components is different when up vs. down). So, perhaps look away from the top to something else?