I've had my 2018 JLR 2 Door for 11 months now. Just put 35's on it, no lift, factory wheels. I LOVE my Rubicon. 15K miles and zero issues. This is my third Rubicon, 4th wrangler. It's absolutely my favorite so far.
Those levers will "Lock" your top in the down position. You have to retract the top all the way, sometimes holding it down with one hand while moving the lever to the Lock position.