Bimini movement - is it normal?

[cjmiller]

just got our boat a couple of weeks ago, have noticed that the Bimini top moves side to side quite a bit when it is up but not opened/deployed. I am not sure if it is OEM or aftermarket. The material has a sunbrella tag on it. I have seen other Cobalt Bimini frames that have a diagonal brace.

Do they typically move a fair amount or should they be pretty rigid?

[AsLan7]

just got our boat a couple of weeks ago, have noticed that the Bimini top moves side to side quite a bit when it is up but not opened/deployed. I am not sure if it is OEM or aftermarket. The material has a sunbrella tag on it. I have seen other Cobalt Bimini frames that have a diagonal brace.

Do they typically move a fair amount or should they be pretty rigid?

.
The Bimini on our 262 moved quite a bit before we realized the diagonal brace was missing. Found it stored under the seat. No more movement after it was installed.

[cjmiller]

I'll check but the cover on the Bimini doesn't have an opening to fit around a diagonal brace? Here is a picture of it.

[AsLan7]

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Our Bimini cover had an opening for the brace.

[Big Block Power]

I'll check but the cover on the Bimini doesn't have an opening to fit around a diagonal brace? Here is a picture of it.

Does the boot cover say Cobalt on it. I'm sure it's not a factory cover then. You can get it customized though.

[cjmiller]

no, it does not say Cobalt on it

[AsLan7]

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[BigGib]

Mine on my 98 330ss had quite a bit of side to side movement when folded up, but them went away once deployed. The front straps had a good amount of tension which took some of that play out. They do make plastic S clips that hold the poles together to keep the from banging into each other, that also help take some of that play out of it.

[Stagdad]

Is the bimini frame aluminum or stainless steel? If it is aluminum it was probably aftermarket and definitely get more movement from it.

[cjmiller]

I believe aluminum, I think the main issue is that the connection point between the Bimini poles and the "u-shaped" hinge connection on the boat is very sloppy. I can move the poles side to side within that connection. I may try putting a washer at each connection to tighten it up and see how that works. It doesn't move when it is open.

[thunder550]

Aluminum frames typically have plastic fittings...that looks like a stainless frame to me. Adding washers likely won't help much, you'll need some bracing. I bent some short bars and tied them into the factory fittings on the windshield frame on mine, it cut the sway down significantly. Based on your pics you could probably do the same if you were so inclined.

Screenshot_20200819-065732.png

[cjmiller]

Thanks Thunder! The poles are stainless steel. Already ordered the parts to do something very similar to what you did. Out of curiosity, what process/tool did you use to bend the poles? I was thinking conduit bender?

[thunder550]

Thanks Thunder! The poles are stainless steel. Already ordered the parts to do something very similar to what you did. Out of curiosity, what process/tool did you use to bend the poles? I was thinking conduit bender?

Oh, much more technical and precise than a conduit bender. I put a pole across 2 jackstands and stood on the center and bounced up and down until I got the correct angle

[cjmiller]

awesome, I was hoping you didn't say that your neighbor owned a machine shop and used a $50,000 hydraulic tube bending machine. Two jack stands it is!

[rrfisher]

Pulled a picture of the web, but that looks like a 206 and the OEM biminis had a mount back by the anchor light receptacle for the brace. This is the style I have and without that brace it moves as you are describing, but the brace location sucks.

Brace.jpg