Hardtop rear lock down

[cWalk3r]

Hey just wondering if someone has or knows of a diy rear lockdown? I have a hardtop but there was no locks with the top. I'm going to attempt to build some but just wondering if its been done before. Don't want to pay the price new ones will be. My idea is to use a threaded rod that has a pin through the bottom so it will twist into the body of the car. Then use a washer and wing nut to secure the top to the body. My car originally had a hardtop but one of the PO's took it off to drive topless across Canada. I'll post some pics of it up if it actually works lol

[rcsoundn1]

I think i see what you are saying. Is it an e30?

[McGyver]

Your car should have the brackets, you're just missing the pins. My top didn't come with pins either. This is what I did:
-took out the brackets (3 10mm bolts)
-removed the plastic insert
-put a bolt into the bracket from the bottom so threads stick out the top
-used a nut to hold the bolt in place in the bracket
-test fit the hard top and marked where to cut
-put a second nut on the bolt below the cut (to fix the threads after they got cut)
-pulled off bolt, put on top, bolted it down

it's been working fine for me, but you can't raise the soft top with the bolt threads sticking up, so you'd have to remove the bracket to raise the soft top.

[cWalk3r]

This is what I made, almost finished. Just have to cut the screw to size...



If it doesn't work I'll be just using bungie cords for the time being lol its going to my parents place for the winter and I'll figure something better. Need to get it out of my living room to free up room

[McGyver]

If it doesn't work I'll be just using bungie cords for the time being lol its going to my parents place for the winter and I'll figure something better. Need to get it out of my living room to free up room

Um, unless you're driving a mile or 2 at low speeds (under 25mph) bungie cords are a terrible idea. A ratchet strap might work, but the top seriously needs those pins to hold it in place. Without them it's going to bounce around and eventually fall off.

[JWHIII]

^^^Couldn't agree more with this.

[fporro]

Try adding a spring, that way you can apply tension to it...

Stud turns and locks into place then upper section pull top down to desired height.

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?p=4310610

[McGyver]

Try adding a spring, that way you can apply tension to it...

Stud turns and locks into place then upper section pull top down to desired height.

That's fucking it, I'm going to figure out how to design and produce these. I know I'm not alone in needing them, and $280 a side (or whatever BMW wants) is just not in the books for most people. I assume someone would pay $100-$150 for a working pair.

Or would something out of an e36/e46/z3 work?

[RobDog]

I need one of these hardtop mounting pins also. My hardtop only had the passenger mounting pin when I bought it. Hardtop pins can be bought at ECS tuning for 90$ a piece, but take a month to stock/ship.

[Gingerrella]

The kid I bought mine from jb welded a nut the the bottom of the brackets and put a long bolt through the top. It's kind of a pain, but it does the job.

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[Ether-D]

This is what I made, almost finished. Just have to cut the screw to size...



If it doesn't work I'll be just using bungie cords for the time being lol its going to my parents place for the winter and I'll figure something better. Need to get it out of my living room to free up room

This should work fine. Good fix.

[jayamasaki79]

the PO used a leather / button combo.
I have the electric type on mine, but motors are disconnected. So to keep it down the buttons bases are screwed in into the lid and the base above the speakers and it just buttons. Works rather well, and no drilling was required.

something like this, the red would be the straps and the locations...

[McGyver]

The kid I bought mine from jb welded a nut the the bottom of the brackets and put a long bolt through the top. It's kind of a pain, but it does the job.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

That's actually not a terrible idea. Weld a nut to the bottom of the hardtop bracket. Use a bolt slid in from the top with a washer/lock washer to hold the top down, then tighten it down with a socket wrench. Then you don't have a stud in the way of the soft top going up when you remove the hard top.

[mulberryras]

This should work fine. Good fix.

how did it work

[McGyver]

This is what I made, almost finished. Just have to cut the screw to size...

How did this work?

Last night I welded a nut to the bottom of the bracket that bolts to the car. I also cleaned off all the excess metal so it would sit flush against the car and bolt in. Then I realized there wasn't enough room to slide my giant bolt through the hard top bracket from the top. However, the bolt head was small enough to fit through the hard top bracket from the bottom. So I screwed the bolt into the bracket mounted to the car, then sat the hard top in place over the bolt head. I then cut the side out of a washer to make a 'U' shape so it'll slip around the shaft of the bolt. This keeps allows the bolt to be tightened using a ratcheting wrench.


It's not the best fix, but it'll work for now until I can come up with something better. I'll try to take some pics today.