kurt13
Well-Known Member
- First Name
- Kurt
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2017
- Threads
- 13
- Messages
- 337
- Reaction score
- 894
- Location
- Montgomery, TX
- Vehicle(s)
- Red JLU Rubi/4Runner
- Thread starter
- #1
Like the thread title says, I installed the soft top today. Here are a couple of helpful hints I wish I knew. By the way, I have no idea if the JL is anything like the JK. The last soft top I put on was a YJ and Bush Sr. was President so if this is common knowledge, forgive me.
In the big box, there are a few plastic bags of parts and hardware. There are three types of bolts.
The smallest bolts are used to connect the L- and T-sections of the rear door surrounds (2 per 2 sides), attach the plate to the rear bar (2 per 2 sides), and attach the Lift Assist Mechanism to the same plate (2 per 2 sides).
The mid-sized bolts go on the back to secure the rear corners (1 each per side) of the soft top.
The longest bolts are used to clamp the door surrounds to the sports bar- 2 per door x 4 doors.
In the first step, there are 6 (3 per side) plastic door surround pieces. I wish I took pictures when I started, but I didn't, so you'll have to see them in place/assembled. The manual says to start with the front. The surrounds go on the outside of the bar with the hinges on the bottom/outside. Use the longest bolts to go up from the bottom of the surround, through the bar, and into the receiver hole on top.
When mounting the front, it should set into the gasket at the front windshield.
Now we install the rear seat door surrounds. The T shaped piece joins the L shaped piece using two of the short bolts per side. There's also a small weird-shaped rubber gasket that goes between them. Once this assembly is together, connect it to the bar just like the front with long bolts.
Here's the gasket installed already-
When you install the rear door surrounds, they mate up with the front ones. Make sure the gaskets are all smooth:
Now we'll move to the back of the Jeep. The quarter window "anchors" go on the rear corners with medium (not longest) bolts.
Next come the only metal plates in the soft top box. The owner's manual doesn't even mention them that I could see. You have to remove a trim piece from your rear bar first.
To pop the trim off, stick a flat head screwdriver down behind it to pinch the trim tabs. You can see I bent one during my struggle-
It will reveal this. Using the shortest bolts in the box, you connect the metal plate here. It's obvious how to align it. The plate has an indexing pin that goes into the hole here.
Use 2 short bolts to attach the plates to the inside of the rear bar. It'll look like this.
Then you'll lift the soft top into place and align the box (the Lift Assist Mechanism) to the plate. This is the only step you really could use a buddy to help out. It's really awkward to hold the top and reach the bolts from the outside of the Jeep. Two more short bolts on each side and you're almost there.
After that just follow the last couple of steps in the manual- pull back the slide, mount the pins, and release. Pretty much done!
Happy Jeeping!
In the big box, there are a few plastic bags of parts and hardware. There are three types of bolts.
The smallest bolts are used to connect the L- and T-sections of the rear door surrounds (2 per 2 sides), attach the plate to the rear bar (2 per 2 sides), and attach the Lift Assist Mechanism to the same plate (2 per 2 sides).
The mid-sized bolts go on the back to secure the rear corners (1 each per side) of the soft top.
The longest bolts are used to clamp the door surrounds to the sports bar- 2 per door x 4 doors.
In the first step, there are 6 (3 per side) plastic door surround pieces. I wish I took pictures when I started, but I didn't, so you'll have to see them in place/assembled. The manual says to start with the front. The surrounds go on the outside of the bar with the hinges on the bottom/outside. Use the longest bolts to go up from the bottom of the surround, through the bar, and into the receiver hole on top.
When mounting the front, it should set into the gasket at the front windshield.
Now we install the rear seat door surrounds. The T shaped piece joins the L shaped piece using two of the short bolts per side. There's also a small weird-shaped rubber gasket that goes between them. Once this assembly is together, connect it to the bar just like the front with long bolts.
Here's the gasket installed already-
When you install the rear door surrounds, they mate up with the front ones. Make sure the gaskets are all smooth:
Now we'll move to the back of the Jeep. The quarter window "anchors" go on the rear corners with medium (not longest) bolts.
Next come the only metal plates in the soft top box. The owner's manual doesn't even mention them that I could see. You have to remove a trim piece from your rear bar first.
To pop the trim off, stick a flat head screwdriver down behind it to pinch the trim tabs. You can see I bent one during my struggle-
It will reveal this. Using the shortest bolts in the box, you connect the metal plate here. It's obvious how to align it. The plate has an indexing pin that goes into the hole here.
Use 2 short bolts to attach the plates to the inside of the rear bar. It'll look like this.
Then you'll lift the soft top into place and align the box (the Lift Assist Mechanism) to the plate. This is the only step you really could use a buddy to help out. It's really awkward to hold the top and reach the bolts from the outside of the Jeep. Two more short bolts on each side and you're almost there.
After that just follow the last couple of steps in the manual- pull back the slide, mount the pins, and release. Pretty much done!
Happy Jeeping!
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