Wind deflector fitting

[Fireball]

Just bought a complete wind deflector kit for my 60 plate 23i and wondered how to split the roll bar covers.
The new rear covers drilled for the fixing brackets have a spherical plastic balls on the end of a short stalks, do covers split with a straight pull out or does one cover slide up or down? The ball on the stalk looks quite fragile.
Thankyou.

23i M

 

[SteveSmith]

They pull straight off. Do you have a plastic trim removal tool? Makes life so much easier.

 

[mcbutler]

presumably you have bought the new roll bar covers required to accept the deflector mounting brackets? I just used a wallpaper scraper, put a piece of tape on the tip of the blade, place it in the small depression between the two parts and push gently but firmly towards the rear of the car. Work your way around the cover as the gap opens up.
It took me around 15min to fit my kit, screw holes already exist underneath the cover to accept the bracket screws.

 

[Fireball]

Thankyou for replies. Yes have bought everything needed, roll bar covers with screw holes , brackets, wind deflector, bag and roll bar nets. All bought secondhand from e bay - it is completely un marked on first inspection.
Will post photos on newbie forum in a while. Not had car long but already loving it, it is a 2010 23i M in alpine white with red leather interior.

 

[bob4333]

As others have said above. Take your time, go gently and they will just prise apart, but it's still a b*gger to do.

There are no mechanical fixings involved on the outers. You'll want to avoid digging in to the soft plastic edge of the mating surfaces - a credit card would be good but they're too flimsy. The warmer the environment you can do it in the better. Outside in the UK just now and it'll be painful.

I put Vaseline on the ball tips to help if I ever wanted to disassemble again (and I did).

Good luck with it.

 

[GoSteve]

Just in case anyone is still reading this thread; I installed the OEM Z4 Wind Deflector this evening.

Please take note, I have removed the rollover cover countless times now, and discovered it is SIGNIFICANTLY EASIER
to remove the black front rollover cover (1 in the pic) first rather than try and remove the silver rear facing cover (2 in the pic).
The ball connectors shown on the rear cover actually plug into rubber sockets on the front cover, a bit like a clamshell.
This makes it a whole lot easier to pull off. You need to be confident and just pull. Start from the bottom and release the two balls
either side first. Then, work up and ease out the next ones. Don't flex it out, try and keep it even all the way up. It is really robust, and I tugged and pulled at mine and it was fine. So, drop your seat forward and remove the FRONT BLACK ROLLOVER COVER FIRST.
THEN THE SILVER REAR COVER WILL SIMPLY BE LOOSE AND YOU CAN LIFT IT OFF.

FITTING THE DEFLECTOR BRACKETS
I put some masking tape on the outside of the rollover cover, then put the self tapping screw (7 in the pic) into the mounting holes
in the rollover frame (3 in the pic). I then made a mark on the masking tape as a guide for drilling the hole.
You will find you will need to be about 8.5mm in from the edge of the rear silver rollover cover. Carefully drill the first hole, starting
with the bottom one first. Check it is lined up, then with the bracket fixed to the rollover cover (use masking tape if necessary)
and mark the second hole through the bracket with a pencil. Remove the bracket, drill the second hole and then install it.

 

[Steve7247]

Thank goodness mine came with Wind deflector already fitted, I’m not the most patient of guys and would have probably wrecked the roll bars!!!!

 

[AnubisZed]

Just in case anyone is still reading this thread; I installed the OEM Z4 Wind Deflector this evening.

Please take note, I have removed the rollover cover countless times now, and discovered it is SIGNIFICANTLY EASIER
to remove the black front rollover cover (1 in the pic) first rather than try and remove the silver rear facing cover (2 in the pic).
The ball connectors shown on the rear cover actually plug into rubber sockets on the front cover, a bit like a clamshell.
This makes it a whole lot easier to pull off. You need to be confident and just pull. Start from the bottom and release the two balls
either side first. Then, work up and ease out the next ones. Don't flex it out, try and keep it even all the way up. It is really robust, and I tugged and pulled at mine and it was fine. So, drop your seat forward and remove the FRONT BLACK ROLLOVER COVER FIRST.
THEN THE SILVER REAR COVER WILL SIMPLY BE LOOSE AND YOU CAN LIFT IT OFF.
.....

Hold on there..... Section 3, in the picture, is screwed to section 1 and the screw heads are covered by section 2!!!! :!:

 

[GoSteve]

Thank goodness mine came with Wind deflector already fitted, I’m not the most patient of guys and would have probably wrecked the roll bars!!!!

You do need to be patient. Actually it is one of those jobs that you can do yourself really easily. It to me about an hour after I had realised the mounting holes for the brackets are on the plastic moulding under the silver rear cover. All you need to do is drill two holes in exactly the right place.