Armadillo Designs Aluminum Hardtop

[Slei]

As one of the people who have had a number of fails in fixing the foam issues some things to consider.

Im torn on the idea of using Manus-Bond.

Manus-Bond is going to cure based on moisture in the air. Do not make grids or spread it evenly or it will not cure in the middle. Make sure to lay it out in strait lines at least 2 inches apart and give it time to cure with pressure on it. This would not be bad if you take the top off but on the bronco I would worry about sagging during the initial drying.

That said It will be good at holding power and deal well with high temps. Not sold this is a great fix but may give it a try. It would also be a little forgiving of prep as long as the old glue is removed.

Alternate option Im going to try with at least one pannel is to clean off the old Glue and substrate and apply a layer of 3M 9786 peal and stick adhesive . This is the industry standard for attaching EVA but will require cleaning and prepping both surfaces perfectly.

Quick update on my experiences.
Gorilla Glue spray adhesive on the existing glue (quick fix) and when all removed and cleaned but no other surface prep -failed within a few months.

DAP on corner of existing glue to try and tack it back up -failed in a few days
DAP on panel that the Glue was stripped and surfaces cleaned -Failed after two months
DAP on both surfaces, all glue was stripped. Foam was scuffed with 80 grit, the top was prepped with a rubbing compound sent by Fabian for me to try. -Has not failed So far this has held for 3 months.
Two replacement panels sent by Fabian. The peal and stick is not labeled but reminds me of the 3M 9786. Cleaned the roof and applied So far so good after 2 months.

The original failed peal and stick appeared to be an acrylic pressure sensitive glue with a woven fiber substrate. For a long time I thought this was 3M 9786 tape clone but I found that it breaks down if exposed to UV and then easily peals off. This led me to try check its stability of the OEM adhesive and it seems like a glue with poor cross-linked structures. Heat testing showed it failed out around 115-130 degrees external temp on the roof. (I had trouble with temperature overshoot using a heat gun). If it had been the 3M tape it would have held up past the max temp for the EVA foam could handle.

Good luck Ill be watching to see what works for others and at some point I will post an update if things fail or keep working. Still love the top but the falling panels not so much.

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[Ninjak]

Interesting. Has anyone asked Fabion and the crew what they use on the first tops? As a recipient of one of the first tops, and the first person to recieve on the SE coast, I have ZERO issues with my panels, and I am down here in the Miami sun and heat. My panels are solid all around, and I have checked since this topic.

So what was used then compared to now?

 

[Slei]

Interesting. Has anyone asked Fabion and the crew what they use on the first tops? As a recipient of one of the first tops, and the first person to recieve on the SE coast, I have ZERO issues with my panels, and I am down here in the Miami sun and heat. My panels are solid all around, and I have checked since this topic.

So what was used then compared to now?

I only spoke through emails mostly so I never got all my questions answered.
What I got from him was that it was the same vendor for the foam the whole time but it was a batch that had the problem. Normally this means opening a SCAR or NCR on the issue with the vendor. What I heard from Fabian sounded a bit less formal but was they reported it to the vendor it was a adhesive issue and subsequent shipments stopped having the problem. We talked about 3M vs Gorilla glue as a fix. He convinced me not to use 3M industrial Spray adhesive and well the rest is in my post.

He also stated I might have gotten the last top with the foam that had the issue. I was the last unit in the manufacturing batch order #515 that went in at the end of the year, and sure enough I had problems from the second I uncrated the top.

If anyone had issues after #515 it would be good to know. It seemed to be everyone in the same batch as me from what I saw in the order #s

 

[rayofsi]

I only spoke through emails mostly so I never got all my questions answered.
What I got from him was that it was the same vendor for the foam the whole time but it was a batch that had the problem. Normally this means opening a SCAR or NCR on the issue with the vendor. What I heard from Fabian sounded a bit less formal but was they reported it to the vendor it was a adhesive issue and subsequent shipments stopped having the problem. We talked about 3M vs Gorilla glue as a fix. He convinced me not to use 3M industrial Spray adhesive and well the rest is in my post.

He also stated I might have gotten the last top with the foam that had the issue. I was the last unit in the manufacturing batch order #515 that went in at the end of the year, and sure enough I had problems from the second I uncrated the top.

If anyone had issues after #515 it would be good to know. It seemed to be everyone in the same batch as me from what I saw in the order #s

i am 748, got mine in November. and stuff was falling by January in cold weather.. 100% BS about the issue being solved. I've had all ceiling fully vertical large pieces fall off on me already. and a few smaller side pieces. i also had rear hatch glass that was not sealed properly.

whatever they most likely used in the early batches, was most likely sourced locally and in the USA.. I won't be surprised if later batches arrived on a crate from overseas with cheaper adhesive that promised to be exactly the same.. nothing explains how the adhesive just loses adhesion. no residue left on the aluminum tops.

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