Tonneau cover comes loose...

Hey kids...
..whenever I hit 120mph on my favorite canyon roads around here, my tonneau
cover always comes loose. (okay, I'm exaggerating a bit -- say, 55mhp on the
freeway, okay?!)

I've tried to double-loop the straps to tighten it, but to no prevail. I
wonder if someone has tried to make straps for it that connect to the
hard-top brackets, or any other hack?

-- peer

In article >,
(Peer Landa) wrote:

> ..whenever I hit 120mph on my favorite canyon roads around here, my tonneau
> cover always comes loose. (okay, I'm exaggerating a bit -- say, 55mhp on the
> freeway, okay?!)

I assume you mean the softtop boot? The straps go around the lowest of
the three bows, NOT the middle one that appears to have a jog in it to
accommodate the strap. After fastening everything, start from the center
of the rear rail and work all the slack out of the boot, by tugging the
edges around toward the front of the car. Then it should stay put at a
REAL 120.

---
Lanny Chambers
'94C, St. Louis
http://www.hummingbirds.net/alignment.html

Agreed, it's easy to install it wrong. If you don't get the lip worked into
the groove, it ain't gunna work!

Chris
92BB&T

"Lanny Chambers" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> (Peer Landa) wrote:
>
> > ..whenever I hit 120mph on my favorite canyon roads around here, my
tonneau
> > cover always comes loose. (okay, I'm exaggerating a bit -- say, 55mhp on
the
> > freeway, okay?!)
>
> I assume you mean the softtop boot? The straps go around the lowest of
> the three bows, NOT the middle one that appears to have a jog in it to
> accommodate the strap. After fastening everything, start from the center
> of the rear rail and work all the slack out of the boot, by tugging the
> edges around toward the front of the car. Then it should stay put at a
> REAL 120.
>
> ---
> Lanny Chambers
> '94C, St. Louis
> http://www.hummingbirds.net/alignment.html

On Mon, 25 Apr 2005 12:42:51 +0000 (UTC),
(Peer Landa) wrote:

>
>Hey kids...
> ..whenever I hit 120mph on my favorite canyon roads around here, my tonneau
>cover always comes loose. (okay, I'm exaggerating a bit -- say, 55mhp on the
>freeway, okay?!)
>
>I've tried to double-loop the straps to tighten it, but to no prevail. I
>wonder if someone has tried to make straps for it that connect to the
>hard-top brackets, or any other hack?

As with the others, make sure you have it on the lowest loop. If that
fails, an old trick (dating back to my first '90) was to use a pair of
popsicle sticks on the back to help give it a bit more stretch.

I have had similar problems, with my cover after I fitted my windstopper,
the windstopper uses 2 of the covers location points.
Don't know if it helps but my solution is not to use the cover.
It quadruples the top up/down time and I now of the opinion that it looks
crap, but then again mine is tan so it does sort of stick out a bit.

Cheers Mark.




"Peer Landa" > wrote in message
...
>
> Hey kids...
> ..whenever I hit 120mph on my favorite canyon roads around here, my
> tonneau
> cover always comes loose. (okay, I'm exaggerating a bit -- say, 55mhp on
> the
> freeway, okay?!)
>
> I've tried to double-loop the straps to tighten it, but to no prevail. I
> wonder if someone has tried to make straps for it that connect to the
> hard-top brackets, or any other hack?
>
> -- peer
>
>

Not using the boot is fine (I do it on occasion, too), but
the inside of the top fades pretty quickly.

As for the boot coming loose, I'm on my 3rd Miata and,
though I almost never use the loops, I've never had the boot
come loose (even at 90+MPH). When fitting mine, the curved
parts require quite a tug to get them in the groove, while
the straight parts fit pretty loosely.

If yours comes loose on the snap side, an upholstery shop
might be able to put in new snaps or possibly velcro to
secure it better. If it is the back side that comes loose,
an upholstery shop might be able to re-sew the plastic clip
part to the cover while taking out some of the front-to-back
slack.

"gixer" > wrote in message
...
> I have had similar problems, with my cover after I fitted
my windstopper,
> the windstopper uses 2 of the covers location points.
> Don't know if it helps but my solution is not to use the
cover.
> It quadruples the top up/down time and I now of the
opinion that it looks
> crap, but then again mine is tan so it does sort of stick
out a bit.
>
> Cheers Mark.
>
>
>
>
> "Peer Landa" > wrote in
message
> ...
> >
> > Hey kids...
> > ..whenever I hit 120mph on my favorite canyon roads
around here, my
> > tonneau
> > cover always comes loose. (okay, I'm exaggerating a
bit -- say, 55mhp on
> > the
> > freeway, okay?!)
> >
> > I've tried to double-loop the straps to tighten it, but
to no prevail. I
> > wonder if someone has tried to make straps for it that
connect to the
> > hard-top brackets, or any other hack?
> >
> > -- peer
> >
> >
>
>

I guess it depends on the type of top fitted,
I have my top up while driving, maybe a dozen times a year, and I use my car
near on every day, plus I live in Greece, which is considered a very sunny
climate, and I cannot see any noticeable fade on the inside (I presume you
mean that little piece of liner exposed when the top is down).

To be honest Randy, I couldn't really care less if a small amount of the
roof liner was faded anyway, as I mentioned it's only closed, so visible a
few times a year anyway, and if its closed and im in the car, im to busy
driving to notice, if its closed and im out of the car, I can't see it
anyways.

I really can't be arsed unclipping and clipping the cover every time i park
up in a dusty or risky place, your talking what 3 mins ish to get the cover
out the boot and put the cover in place, and maybe only 30 secs to drop the
top only (mines a NA with zippered back window).

And I've got to say, I am now of the opinion it looks really naff and old
fashioned with it on.

But we are all different I guess, what ever floats your boat, im one of
those weirdo's that think the pop up lights are one of the best things to NA
ownership, I think they look awesome, and I still giggle every time they
make new passengers jump, but it seems I am in the minority on Miatanet and
even here.

I hope you find a solution Peer, like Randy said I think your best bet is a
Upholstery shop, but if all the clips are locating there must be some other
problem mate, mine only lifted when (if memory serves) the front four edge
couldn't be made, and even then only at near flat out speeds.


Cheers Mark.



"Randy Maheux" > wrote in message
. ..
> Not using the boot is fine (I do it on occasion, too), but
> the inside of the top fades pretty quickly.
>
> As for the boot coming loose, I'm on my 3rd Miata and,
> though I almost never use the loops, I've never had the boot
> come loose (even at 90+MPH). When fitting mine, the curved
> parts require quite a tug to get them in the groove, while
> the straight parts fit pretty loosely.
>
> If yours comes loose on the snap side, an upholstery shop
> might be able to put in new snaps or possibly velcro to
> secure it better. If it is the back side that comes loose,
> an upholstery shop might be able to re-sew the plastic clip
> part to the cover while taking out some of the front-to-back
> slack.
>
> "gixer" > wrote in message
> ...
>> I have had similar problems, with my cover after I fitted
> my windstopper,
>> the windstopper uses 2 of the covers location points.
>> Don't know if it helps but my solution is not to use the
> cover.
>> It quadruples the top up/down time and I now of the
> opinion that it looks
>> crap, but then again mine is tan so it does sort of stick
> out a bit.
>>
>> Cheers Mark.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> "Peer Landa" > wrote in
> message
>> ...
>> >
>> > Hey kids...
>> > ..whenever I hit 120mph on my favorite canyon roads
> around here, my
>> > tonneau
>> > cover always comes loose. (okay, I'm exaggerating a
> bit -- say, 55mhp on
>> > the
>> > freeway, okay?!)
>> >
>> > I've tried to double-loop the straps to tighten it, but
> to no prevail. I
>> > wonder if someone has tried to make straps for it that
> connect to the
>> > hard-top brackets, or any other hack?
>> >
>> > -- peer
>> >
>> >
>>
>>
>
>

>As with the others, make sure you have it on the lowest loop.

Thank you for mentioning this. The previous (short-time) owner of my
'92 showed me to put the strap through the crook in the upper bar,
which seemed to leave a lot of slack. The cover never did seem secure.
Putting it through the lower bar made made the straps snug and snugged
up the cover, even at 110mph (sorry, Peer, I kept running into other
cars and couldn't get it any higher in NJ. Ha!)