2019 Soft Top Broken. Again.

[Mikeyj10]

I took my JLU to the dealer last year when the soft top wouldn't collapse. They replaced they lift arms and soft top because they said all the baffles were blown out and the springs in the arms were broken. I have no clue how this might have happened or when it might have happened. Nothing traumatic like the roof blowing open suddenly or anything like that. It just wouldn't collapse one day. The service manager couldn't tell me how or even maybe what would have caused it. Every time the top comes down it gets locked into place and velcro strapped down.

All good for about a year. Coming down I-95 the other day with the top up, all the windows in and the front passenger window open, I passed a semi and the whole Jeep started shaking. All of sudden I notice a lot more noise and the roof baffles are all blown out again.

It's 1000 miles out of warranty, but the new roof is only about 16000 miles old. They said they'd fix it if it was the same problem (it is). Then they said no, because I "don't know how to put my roof down". Which is crap. Then he gave me a lesson in aerodynamics and how, when I'm driving around with the back windows out and top up, the wind is putting to much pressure on the arms that hold the roof up. All I ever do is drive around town (rarely on the interstate) and I've never noticed any difference in shaking or noise with all the windows out and the top up, but the service manager told me how I was doing everything wrong.

It seems like it was probably passing a semi on the interstate and the shear that comes off of those since that's when everything started to act up.

Has anyone else had any problems with this? Or have experience with how this happens? If I can't drive my Jeep down the interstate, it's probably time for a new car....

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[Mikeyj10]

I took my JLU to the dealer last year when the soft top wouldn't collapse. They replaced they lift arms and soft top because they said all the baffles were blown out and the springs in the arms were broken. I have no clue how this might have happened or when it might have happened. Nothing traumatic like the roof blowing open suddenly or anything like that. It just wouldn't collapse one day. The service manager couldn't tell me how or even maybe what would have caused it. Every time the top comes down it gets locked into place and velcro strapped down.

All good for about a year. Coming down I-95 the other day with the top up, all the windows in and the front passenger window open, I passed a semi and the whole Jeep started shaking. All of sudden I notice a lot more noise and the roof baffles are all blown out again.

It's 1000 miles out of warranty, but the new roof is only about 16000 miles old. They said they'd fix it if it was the same problem (it is). Then they said no, because I "don't know how to put my roof down". Which is crap. Then he gave me a lesson in aerodynamics and how, when I'm driving around with the back windows out and top up, the wind is putting to much pressure on the arms that hold the roof up. All I ever do is drive around town (rarely on the interstate) and I've never noticed any difference in shaking or noise with all the windows out and the top up, but the service manager told me how I was doing everything wrong.

It seems like it was probably passing a semi on the interstate and the shear that comes off of those since that's when everything started to act up.

Has anyone else had any problems with this? Or have experience with how this happens? If I can't drive my Jeep down the interstate, it's probably time for a new car....

Sorry for the repost. Stupid computer.

 

[Terpsmandan]

I took my JLU to the dealer last year when the soft top wouldn't collapse. They replaced they lift arms and soft top because they said all the baffles were blown out and the springs in the arms were broken.

What are the baffles? Also, springs? In the few that I have installed, there are nothing but gas struts, no springs that I have seen.

 

[Mikeyj10]

What are the baffles? Also, springs? In the few that I have installed, there are nothing but gas struts, no springs that I have seen.

The baffles are the cloth connectors (for lack of a better word) that hold the soft top itself to the crossbars. There is bar right above the front seats, another above the back seats. They apparently keep the top from catching the wind and arching up like a balloon.

The lifter arms are the image attached and the dealership said there were "big springs" in the mechanism and the wind pressing on the roof when the back windows were removed caused those springs to break.

 

[Terpsmandan]

The baffles are the cloth connectors (for lack of a better word) that hold the soft top itself to the crossbars. There is bar right above the front seats, another above the back seats. They apparently keep the top from catching the wind and arching up like a balloon.

The lifter arms are the image attached and the dealership said there were "big springs" in the mechanism and the wind pressing on the roof when the back windows were removed caused those springs to break.

I did not know that they had a name. And the passing truck created enough turbulence to rip those off the top? Were you running with all three windows out or just the side windows. I am familiar with the lift arms. I work at a dealership and have installed a few soft tops and installed one and the customer didn't check the garage clearance with the top folded half back and bent both of them with an hour of installation.

 

[cgagnon99]

The baffles are the cloth connectors (for lack of a better word) that hold the soft top itself to the crossbars. There is bar right above the front seats, another above the back seats. They apparently keep the top from catching the wind and arching up like a balloon.

The lifter arms are the image attached and the dealership said there were "big springs" in the mechanism and the wind pressing on the roof when the back windows were removed caused those springs to break.

I call BS on their reasoning. The soft top is literally designed to be run without the back windows in. Look up in the manual. With the back windows out I'd imagine it would cause LESS pressure since the wind can move through freely, but I'm not an engineer.

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