Finally fixed my Bestop Bimini crossbar rattle - 3D printed bracket insert

[dwilson1988]

Hey all,

Like (I assume...) a lot of you, I've been dealing with the crossbar rattle on the Bestop access bimini top since basically day one. This is on a 2 door bronco (Badlands). On the highway it was bad enough to be genuinely annoying. Worse, the plastic inserts that hold everything together would actually rattle themselves loose. I nearly lost one on the highway before I realized what was happening.

Seemed like a bit of a design flaw, and I've seen mixed reviews on Bestop responsiveness, so I decided to just fix it myself.

The problem

The extruded aluminum crossbar has play where the plastic end inserts sit. There's just enough slop in the fit that at highway speeds or on rough roads, everything vibrates and buzzes. Over time it works the inserts loose, which is a bigger problem if one pops out and you don't notice.


My fix

I modeled up a small bracket/shim that press-fits into the crossbar extrusion and takes up the slack. It's a snug fit that keeps everything tight without requiring adhesive or modification to the top.

I 3D printed it in ASA (much better heat resistance than PLA which is important since this lives in the sun all day).

I've had it installed for a month or so, mostly with the roof on, but some limited testing with the roof off as well. The rattle is completely gone. The inserts stay put. I'm still testing and refining the design, but I'm curious:

1. How many of you are dealing with this same rattle?
2. Has anyone found a different fix that works?
3. If I made these available, would that be useful to anyone? Trying to gauge whether this is worth producing in small batches.

If you're interested, shoot me a DM. I'd love to get a few of these into other people's hands to confirm fitment across different model years and build dates. I know Bestop's QC can vary, so the more data points the better.

Appreciate any feedback. Happy to share more details on the design if anyone's curious.

obligatory Bronco photo tax:

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[B-rad351]

Great information! I bought the same one for my 4 door Badlands a few months ago and am waiting for the weather here to stay warm.
Looks like something to look out for…
I saved this, just in case. If you were to sell these, what would be the cost?

 

[dwilson1988]

Thanks! Still working out the details on that. Trying to keep it reasonable since it's a small part. Anyone who's interested feel free to DM me. I want to make sure it's worth it for people before I go through the trouble of producing them.

 

[23OBX2.7]

Thinking of getting one of these tops. Q: domthe work well as wond blocker at hwy speed?

 

[dwilson1988]

I have found they work fairly well (aside from the rattling I used to have). There are a lot of comparisons between this, the JTops version, and various others. I was torn between Bestop and JTops but ultimately didn't want to go with the velcro fastening.

 

[23OBX2.7]

Many thanks fornthe insight.

 

[MayhemMike]

The plastic insert on my crossbar top broke and multiple attempts to get it replaced failed. As you mentioned it is a terrible design flaw. Eventually they sent me a part that had nothing to do with the broken part. I gave up and purchased a different top from another supplier. Lesson learned.

 

[23OBX2.7]

The plastic insert on my crossbar top broke and multiple attempts to get it replaced failed. As you mentioned it is a terrible design flaw. Eventually they sent me a part that had nothing to do with the broken part. I gave up and purchased a different top from another supplier. Lesson learned.

Which top did you get and is it mesh?

 

[MayhemMike]

Which top did you get and is it mesh?

I ordered the Ford Bimini top when I optioned my Bronco. Bestop makes the top and the plastic piece at the end of the metal support bar broke. Attempts to get a replacement part through Bestop turned out to be impossible. After multiple attempts to get the part one day out of the blue I received a metal part from Bestop that had NOTHING to do with the broken plastic piece. Lesson learned.

 

[23OBX2.7]

I ordered the Ford Bimini top when I optioned my Bronco. Bestop makes the top and the plastic piece at the end of the metal support bar broke. Attempts to get a replacement part through Bestop turned out to be impossible. After multiple attempts to get the part one day out of the blue I received a metal part from Bestop that had NOTHING to do with the broken plastic piece. Lesson learned.

Thanks for learning that lesson I will delete the bookmark haha. What did you replace it with? Mesh?

 

[B-rad351]

As a follow up, I just installed mine and they must’ve made a change in the cross bar mount. Your mounts turn downward and then engage the cross bar. Mine are straight. The only downward turn is at the opposite end to keep mount from moving. The cross bar is tight. No movement at all, no rattling or vibration.

 

[dwilson1988]

Interesting - I wonder if they changed the design? I bought mine less than a year ago. It's possible the 4D and 2D have different designs for the bar.

 

[hkbrown79]

Is there any chance you can share the stl or point me in the direction get it? Any help would be appreciated.

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