Bikini top straps?

[Hedgehog]

This is getting frustrating, maybe some one has come up with an answer.

This might be, well I know its a major contributing factor, because this is the desert southwest. My bikini top just popped another set of hold down straps. The top is only a little over a year old, it's in great shape other than the straps. This is my second top that did the same thing. Bulk strap material is locally available and it would only take a seamstress a few minutes to sew on new straps. I'm wondering if there is something I'm missing about strap maintenance. How can the life expectancy be extended?

These tops aren't very expensive, but I hate loosing a generally excellent $50 top for $3.50 worth of strap material.

 

[gr8dain]

My bestop bikini top is older than dirt and faded almost to a gray. But the straps are perfectly fine. Of course I park in a garage at home and work.

Mine popped of on the interstate today, and it was the straps that kept it from hitting a car behind me. No "cool" catch from me as it was being trailered and I was in the truck pulling it. I did pull over and remove it though. Mine ballooned and came out of the windshield channel. I think some screws are now loose.

So long story short, it must be the desert as I am in muggy VA.

 

[Lumpy Grits]

I use 1" wide, mil-spec nylon webbing. The strap is attached to the top with Chicago screws.
https://www.chicagoscrews.com/images/samples/metric.jpg

Use a hot 10-penny nail to 'poke' a non fraying hole in the nylon for the screws. It will work for the top too.

You'll have to hand sew with good polyester thread the buckles etc.
After you cut the strap. Run a match along the cut to melt the strans together, so they don't start to un-ravel.
If you have a JoAnn's Fabrics store near you. They should have all you need.
LG

 

[Hedgehog]

Thanks guys.

I've been thinking about what I'm looking for in this thread. I guess I'm wondering if there might be some sort of spray or product that can be applied to the straps to help keep the sun from rotting them. I kind of knew this was going to happen again. The top I had before this one started to get sort of fuzzy before it gave way. This one was doing the same thing, but wasn't nearly as tight

Thanks Lumpy, I appreciate it.

 

[Lumpy Grits]

I have found this to work very well in the Mojave.
Force Field Uv Sunblock | Jo-Ann

LG

 

[gert]

Best top strapless? that's the one I bought, worked pretty good before I started my resto project. It is however made to have the roll bar padding. not sure how you can keep your straps lasting longer tho

 

[Hedgehog]

Lumpy - That is exactly what I'm looking for or at least it appears to be. Does it go on like paint or do you soak the material down with the product. I imagine for complete penetration you'd need to soak the material own pretty well.

 

[Neuner]

Must be that some of the greedy higher ups at the company over the last couple of years wanted more profit and chose an inferior strap to save cost.

I assume mine is a Bestop bikini top. I've seen pics and so I know the PO has had it on there for a while and now I've had it for 4 years with no issues. Mine's in the hot Texas sun all day and I pull mine tiiiiiiight. Solution might be to replace the strap with a superior one the way that LG describes.

 

[Hedgehog]

There are two perfectly good tops in the garage with popped straps. Rather than replacing the top (Best Top) yet again the straps will be replaced. Either with a system like Lumpy suggests or by a sewing company that has the sewing machines to do heavy sewing work. I'm thinking about using the small sized cinch straps. Definitely a superior system, but maybe over kill though. We have a local surplus store (Miller Surplus) that has about every kind of strap material imaginable. They would be a good place to get strap material. The stock buckles haven't been a problem, but I don't know how they would do with thicker material.

The stock material almost feels like cotton rather than the synthetic material you'd expect. I don't know if there is an intensity difference between the Texas sun ( other than the Texas sun being bigger ... ) and the Arizona sun. We might be dryer. Who knows how that might effect things like how material reacts to the sun. I don't know, all I do know is that my straps once every year and a half.

 

[oldjeeplady]

There are two main types of strap material used today, nylon and polypro. There is also the option of using tubular webbing like in rock climbing gear, and this is much stronger, but thicker so needs buckles for that application. Sure wish you were closer, I have a heavy duty walking foot machine and could sew these for you ez pz. We have two Bestop Bikini tops, one is older with the almost cotton like straps. The other is newer with nylon or poly straps. The older one had a few small tears and I repaired it with the jeans patch material as recommended by the Bestop site. This probably doesn't help you much, like I said wish you were closer.

 

[JR74CJ5]

I have the same problem Hedge...

I'm thinking of taking the top I have and rectangling it off, putting eye holes / grommets through the edges, and wraping nice strong rope through holes and around my roll bars. The "Shade top" would then alwasy be on, and my actual full soft top could just go over it when needed. It would have a little gap probably, but better than what I'm doing now - fully topless

The widshield would be able to lay down, while still having shade off road, since no wondshield channel needed for just that (stil needed for full soft top)

That's the route I decided on after 3 tops ruined from large strap rips. Now I have materials

 

[Lumpy Grits]

If you have access to a HD sewing machine. Sew a section of 2"X3"leather on the under side of the b'top to 'spread' the pull stress over a wider area.
You can also used a section of old seat-belt for this.
It really does add to the life of the b'top.
LG