lifted club cars - lifted ezgo
Home FAQDonate Who's Online
Go Back   Buggies Gone Wild Golf Cart Forum > Golf Cart Repair and Troubleshooting > Electric Club Car
Electric Club Car Electric DS, and Precedent golf cars



Post New Thread  Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 02-12-2020, 10:37 AM   #1
fstop
Gone Wild
 
Join Date: Oct 2019
Posts: 646
Default Club Car extended top (DoubleTake OEM) squeaks - remove rivets?

I solved the squeaks coming from the upright supports to alum. perimeter frame point of connection (nylon washers) a few months ago, but the plastic top is squeaking apparently at the rivet points (rivets holding thin plastic top onto aluminum track frame) due to movement. Mainly just the front cross frame member (running driver side to passenger side, only about 3').

I've shimmed with various thin nylon, rubber, foam etc... as near to the rivets as possible to limit or quiet any movement (which you can hardly see if you try to move the top around while looking at the rivets - they are petty tight). Still squeaks.

I know some on the forum are drilling out the rivets and using screws / washers from the top side to re-secure the top to the aluminum track frame, with gasket material of some kind sandwiched between the plastic top and the aluminum.

My thought is that the rivets you drill out (14 of them in total) will bounce around in the aluminum track tube frame right around your head and make their own noise, even if you solve the squeaking?

So I was thinking I'd have to pop the aluminum track tube frame apart at a minimum of one corner (where the aluminum has a plastic corner piece that holds the aluminum at 90 degrees), and blow or vaccum the bits of rivet out before going back with screws.

So my questions to those who've done it are:

1) What material did you use between the aluminum track frame and plastic top skin? (Thinking super thin innertube material or neoprene rubber)

2) Did you use sheet metal screws with a washer, or are some actually through-bolting? I'm not sure how thick the aluminum is on the top side of the track for the sheet metal screw to tighten into. I don't think you'd have to torque them crazy tight really?

3) Did you remove the old drilled out rivets or leave all that stuff inside the track? Do you hear any of it bouncing around in there when you drive?

4) How to remove the plastic corner brackets (circled in red in one of the photos) from the aluminum frame w/out breaking them? They don't really look like they were engineered to come apart, but maybe they do. I don't have spares and don't want to have to track one down if I break one.

At this point I may consider drilling out the front 3 that seem to be the ones I hear, and replacing with sheet metal screws / washers and just hope I don't hear the rivets in there. If so I'll have to disassemble it all and do the rest at that point I guess.

Any tips from those that have already gone down this path would be appreciated!
Attached Images
File Type: jpg top rivets.jpg (112.7 KB, 0 views)
File Type: jpg top frame inside.jpg (88.4 KB, 0 views)
fstop is offline   Reply With Quote
Alt Today
BGW

Golf car forum Sponsored Links

__________________
This advertising will not be shown in this way to registered members.
Register your free account today and become a member on Buggies Gone Wild Golf Cart Forum
   
Old 02-12-2020, 12:15 PM   #2
Fairtax4me
Bonafide Nincompoop
 
Fairtax4me's Avatar
Club Car
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Charlottesburg Va
Posts: 8,987
Default Re: Club Car extended top (DoubleTake OEM) squeaks - remove rivets?

Kind if disappointing to hear that it squeaks like that for something so new. I was considering getting one of those for our 6 passenger limo cart, but for the price they want for one of those tops I'd be really P/O to have to take it apart in a year to make it stop squeaking.
Fairtax4me is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-12-2020, 12:26 PM   #3
fstop
Gone Wild
 
Join Date: Oct 2019
Posts: 646
Default Re: Club Car extended top (DoubleTake OEM) squeaks - remove rivets?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Fairtax4me View Post
Kind if disappointing to hear that it squeaks like that for something so new. I was considering getting one of those for our 6 passenger limo cart, but for the price they want for one of those tops I'd be really P/O to have to take it apart in a year to make it stop squeaking.
I wouldn't disagree with you but being P/O won't stop the squeaks...
fstop is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-12-2020, 12:45 PM   #4
Fairtax4me
Bonafide Nincompoop
 
Fairtax4me's Avatar
Club Car
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Charlottesburg Va
Posts: 8,987
Default Re: Club Car extended top (DoubleTake OEM) squeaks - remove rivets?

Well I know a common thing for door panels and other plastics that squeak is to use weatherstrip foam tape between the panel and the part it mounts to. I've used thick foam tape on the plastic roof on our Kubota and Polaris Ranger between the roof and the cage where it mounts to stop vibration and squeaks and it works really well on those. I would think some 1/2 or 3/4 wide by 3/16 thick foam tape should work well on that type of roof. Of course, that would mean removing all of the rivets and removing the plastic from the frame.
Fairtax4me is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-12-2020, 01:22 PM   #5
fstop
Gone Wild
 
Join Date: Oct 2019
Posts: 646
Default Re: Club Car extended top (DoubleTake OEM) squeaks - remove rivets?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Fairtax4me View Post
Well I know a common thing for door panels and other plastics that squeak is to use weatherstrip foam tape between the panel and the part it mounts to. I've used thick foam tape on the plastic roof on our Kubota and Polaris Ranger between the roof and the cage where it mounts to stop vibration and squeaks and it works really well on those. I would think some 1/2 or 3/4 wide by 3/16 thick foam tape should work well on that type of roof. Of course, that would mean removing all of the rivets and removing the plastic from the frame.
Yep - that's what I'm thinking too. Just wanted to see what others' specific insight on this might be, esp. those who've done it.
fstop is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-12-2020, 08:28 PM   #6
hunter99
Gone Wild
 
hunter99's Avatar
Club Car
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Raleigh, NC
Posts: 194
Default Re: Club Car extended top (DoubleTake OEM) squeaks - remove rivets?

I'll be honest, i've never really noticed it squeaking that much. Most of mine comes near the struts and that was easily resolved with foam tape. If i hit a big enough bump it'll make noise but other than that not a problem. Sory to hear you guys are having issues. Top has been on for a couple of years and been up and down I95 on a trailer a few times.
hunter99 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-13-2020, 11:24 AM   #7
bret
Not Yet Wild
Club Car
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Wellington, FL
Posts: 27
Default Re: Club Car extended top (DoubleTake OEM) squeaks - remove rivets?

I took a bunch of electrical tape and shimmed it between the top plastic and railing like crazy a few years ago... haven't had any issues since.
bret is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-13-2020, 01:19 PM   #8
ClubCar86
Gone Wild
 
ClubCar86's Avatar
Club Car
 
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Melbourne, FL
Posts: 180
Default Re: Club Car extended top (DoubleTake OEM) squeaks - remove rivets?

If you have the room, I would recommend getting a self stick velcro kit from any craft store or walmart. Use the soft side and cut/stick to fit where the contact is happening. Service departments have been doing this for years when cars come in for noises in the cabin.
ClubCar86 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-13-2020, 02:02 PM   #9
fstop
Gone Wild
 
Join Date: Oct 2019
Posts: 646
Default Re: Club Car extended top (DoubleTake OEM) squeaks - remove rivets?

Quote:
Originally Posted by ClubCar86 View Post
If you have the room, I would recommend getting a self stick velcro kit from any craft store or walmart. Use the soft side and cut/stick to fit where the contact is happening. Service departments have been doing this for years when cars come in for noises in the cabin.
I've got some 1/8" neoprene in the spaces like that (long spans between rivets) that does a good job there.

The squeaking I can't get rid of is actually the rivets themselves, where the top is moving against them. Tiny movement, but it makes the squeaks. I can see on the top of the cart where there is an area around those rivets that is polished a bit where the movement has been. Rivets don't feel loose either.

I've shimmed very close to the rivets on either side to make the fit tighter, but it still squeaks there.

This kind of thing drives me nuts, but I do realize it's a golf cart and not a sports car so don't expect perfection, but I'd like a substantial improvement.
fstop is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-14-2020, 07:23 AM   #10
ClubCar86
Gone Wild
 
ClubCar86's Avatar
Club Car
 
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Melbourne, FL
Posts: 180
Default Re: Club Car extended top (DoubleTake OEM) squeaks - remove rivets?

Oh yea, I see what you are saying. That is tough to eliminate!
ClubCar86 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply
Go Back   Buggies Gone Wild Golf Cart Forum > Golf Cart Repair and Troubleshooting > Electric Club Car


Thread Tools
Display Modes


Similar Threads
Thread Forum
Doubletake Bodies for Club Car Precedent Electric Club Car
How do I remove top windshield bracket rivets? ‘04 DS Electric Club Car
Doubletake 80" White Extended Top Golf Carts and Parts
Club Car squeaks when turning Electric Club Car
2006 Club Car Precedent Squeaks/chirps Electric Club Car


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 12:09 AM.


Club Car Electric | EZGO Electric | Lifted Golf Carts | Gas EZGO | Used Golf Carts and Parts

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This Website and forum is the property of Buggiesgonewild.com. No material may be taken or duplicated in part or full without prior written consent of the owners of buggiesgonewild.com. © 2006-2017 Buggiesgonewild.com. All rights reserved.