Soft Top: Annoying Noise after Light Bar Installation [Hack/Fixed]

[gizmohd]

So, i installed a lightbar with a GMRS antenna mounted to it and all is well until I took the Bronco for a drive. Above 40mph the soft top is flapping incessantly at the back corners of the Bronco. Apparently, the light bar changed the aerodynamics of the Bronco just enough to cause the Air pocket to collapse right at or behind the C Pillar, instead of flowing smoothly across the top. Honestly, it sounded like the top was loose back there, as if something was disconnected. So every few miles I'd pull over and try and tighten things up / check for loose connectors etc... What i finally discovered is that is was just the top itself flapping, making the sound as if it was slapping against something, when in reality it was just from the extreme up/down turbulence in the top that was making the noise.

I tried adjusting the tilt of the light bar, putting a louvver (temporarly) above/below the light to see if that helped.. Nothing seemed to work...

So tonight i did a small experiment, figuring i'd find a use for it in the house if i didnt end up using it anyway, I stopped into walmart and purchased this:

Along with a couple of black king size pillow cases to cover it from both ends so that nothing was flapping, and no white was peeking thru....

I stuffed this body pillow along the c-piller between the soft top the roll bar. It adds just enough pressure against the soft top to tighten things up and not allow it to just 'flap in the wind'

Yup.. Fixed the issue.... Had I not found a solution to this, i was about to buy the first available hard top for my rig, price be damned! I'm still planning on adding a hard top for the winter months, and keep the soft top for summer. But this little $25 fix keeps the noise at bay. And allows me to keep my sanity. And keeps an emergency pillow in the vehicle at the ready for if/when I need to pull over and catch a cat nap in the back during a trip somewhere.. LOL

Just though i'd share what turned out being a desperate man's hail mary!

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[SamG]

what type / brand / size of light bar?
Just curious

 

[Rdavis]

Having that same issue can you post more picture on how you installed it. Thanks in advance

 

[Tilzbow]

Someone posted another thread discussing that the Ford Performance light bar came with two different height brackets. One for the hard top, one for the soft top. I think they said the taller one was for the soft top but at first they installed the shorter brackets and experience the noise your describing. The noise went away after swapping out the brackets.

Edit, I found the thread.

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/thre...id-roof-mounted-light-bar.34518/#post-1147114

 

[BrentC]

In case you’re interested, the flapping is caused by the Von Karman Effect. Interesting how destructive and/or useful this phenomenon can be: https://pvillage.org/archives/132795

 

[gizmohd]

what type / brand / size of light bar?
Just curious

Rough Country - 40" Lightbar

 

[gizmohd]

Having that same issue can you post more picture on how you installed it. Thanks in advance

its out getting a ceramic coating right now... will take pictures of it when it comes back home.

 

[rbasham72]

So, i installed a lightbar with a GMRS antenna mounted to it and all is well until I took the Bronco for a drive. Above 40mph the soft top is flapping incessantly at the back corners of the Bronco. Apparently, the light bar changed the aerodynamics of the Bronco just enough to cause the Air pocket to collapse right at or behind the C Pillar, instead of flowing smoothly across the top. Honestly, it sounded like the top was loose back there, as if something was disconnected. So every few miles I'd pull over and try and tighten things up / check for loose connectors etc... What i finally discovered is that is was just the top itself flapping, making the sound as if it was slapping against something, when in reality it was just from the extreme up/down turbulence in the top that was making the noise.

I tried adjusting the tilt of the light bar, putting a louvver (temporarly) above/below the light to see if that helped.. Nothing seemed to work...

So tonight i did a small experiment, figuring i'd find a use for it in the house if i didnt end up using it anyway, I stopped into walmart and purchased this:

Along with a

So, i installed a lightbar with a GMRS antenna mounted to it and all is well until I took the Bronco for a drive. Above 40mph the soft top is flapping incessantly at the back corners of the Bronco. Apparently, the light bar changed the aerodynamics of the Bronco just enough to cause the Air pocket to collapse right at or behind the C Pillar, instead of flowing smoothly across the top. Honestly, it sounded like the top was loose back there, as if something was disconnected. So every few miles I'd pull over and try and tighten things up / check for loose connectors etc... What i finally discovered is that is was just the top itself flapping, making the sound as if it was slapping against something, when in reality it was just from the extreme up/down turbulence in the top that was making the noise.

I tried adjusting the tilt of the light bar, putting a louvver (temporarly) above/below the light to see if that helped.. Nothing seemed to work...

So tonight i did a small experiment, figuring i'd find a use for it in the house if i didnt end up using it anyway, I stopped into walmart and purchased this:

Along with a couple of black king size pillow cases to cover it from both ends so that nothing was flapping, and no white was peeking thru....

I stuffed this body pillow along the c-piller between the soft top the roll bar. It adds just enough pressure against the soft top to tighten things up and not allow it to just 'flap in the wind'

Yup.. Fixed the issue.... Had I not found a solution to this, i was about to buy the first available hard top for my rig, price be damned! I'm still planning on adding a hard top for the winter months, and keep the soft top for summer. But this little $25 fix keeps the noise at bay. And allows me to keep my sanity. And keeps an emergency pillow in the vehicle at the ready for if/when I need to pull over and catch a cat nap in the back during a trip somewhere.. LOL

Just though i'd share what turned out being a desperate man's hail mary!

couple of black king size pillow cases to cover it from both ends so that nothing was flapping, and no white was peeking thru....

I stuffed this body pillow along the c-piller between the soft top the roll bar. It adds just enough pressure against the soft top to tighten things up and not allow it to just 'flap in the wind'

Yup.. Fixed the issue.... Had I not found a solution to this, i was about to buy the first available hard top for my rig, price be damned! I'm still planning on adding a hard top for the winter months, and keep the soft top for summer. But this little $25 fix keeps the noise at bay. And allows me to keep my sanity. And keeps an emergency pillow in the vehicle at the ready for if/when I need to pull over and catch a cat nap in the back during a trip somewhere.. LOL

Just though i'd share what turned out being a desperate man's hail mary!

Curious, does the pillow cause a bulge seen from the outside? I just purchased a mannequin Big Bend from a dealer that already had the 40" Rigid bar installed and it appears to be with short brackets. I have the same flapping issue. I tried stuffing a king size pillow in and that eliminated the flapping but now the soft top bulges. Maybe I need a thinner pillow?

 

[gizmohd]

Unless your tall.. can't be seen.. or even noticed.. one thing you can try, when not off road, angle the light bar down so that it's at the same angle if the window... that helped enough that I was able to remove the pillow and take it inside. Then when u go offroad angle it back atraight... annoying... but it's an easy work around

 

[BoMiltenberger]

its out getting a ceramic coating right now... will take pictures of it when it comes back home.

Please tag me in case I miss it. I have the ford/rigid light bar but don’t like the look of the soft top brackets.

 

[bishop0577]

I knew it! Just installed the Quake LED mounts and 42" light bridge. Added 8 pods to the bridge and wired it up. Driving to work this morning was the first time over 50 mph since the light bar install and the flapping noise freaked me out. I removed my back windows, dropped the top, then put the top back up and windows on, wondering if I didn't put it back on right. Flapping noise was still there. Worried it will damage my rig or top. I will try this pillow idea...

 

[gizmohd]

Please tag me in case I miss it. I have the ford/rigid light bar but don’t like the look of the soft top brackets.

I actually ended up with a pair of the rigid soft top brackets... and the noise/flapping issue completely went away....

Even with the pillow, there was still some.... enough to annoy me.. so found a guy who didnt use his soft top brackets and used them in place of mine... Yes, a little taller than i had hoped... but in the end, i dont have to worry abut it anymore... and it will be going away anyways once the Gobi rack shows up...

 

[rbasham72]

Has anyone been successful reaching out to Ford or Rigid to get the taller brackets?

 

[gizmohd]

Has anyone been successful reaching out to Ford or Rigid to get the taller brackets?

the ford/rigid light bar kit comes with two sets... Hard Top (Shorter) Soft Top (Taller)

 

[rbasham72]

the ford/rigid light bar kit comes with two sets... Hard Top (Shorter) Soft Top (Taller)

Unfortunately, mine didn't come with the taller set. I bought a mannequin Big Bend from a dealer with the light bar already installed and they said they didn't get taller brackets. They claim they installed with the only brackets that came with it.

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