Converting back and forth between a soft top and hard top

[GearWhore]

I don't see anything definitive out there, so I think I better weigh both hard and soft tops when I switch next month. Will be interesting to see. I'd be interested for another member to post actual measured 2-door weights if possible, too.

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[BostonMike02127]

Thanks to everyone for their replies. I appreciate it. I'm going for the full soft top as opposed to just the sun rider. I have a garage so a hoist will work for me.

Thanks again!!

 

[rcadden]

Thanks to everyone for their replies. I appreciate it. I'm going for the full soft top as opposed to just the sun rider. I have a garage so a hoist will work for me.

Thanks again!!

In that case, you could rig up a hoist pretty cheaply.

I rigged up a pair of 2x4s that run across my parking spot, with eye-bolts in the corners. A 4-pack of ratchet straps from Harbor Freight and I'm golden. Total cost was ~$40, took me an afternoon to setup, and I can remove the top entirely on my own within ~20 minutes now. 10 minutes if I have someone to help - most of the time is spent removing the hard top bolts and doing the ratchet straps.

You could forgo the ratchet straps with an electric hoist or winch and use the same eye-bolts. Next time I have a spare $100, that's what I intend to do, but the ratchet straps aren't bad (and I'll probably still use them for backup anyways)

Here's the post from my build thread, with pics/links to the products I used: https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/joyride-hydro-jlusa-build-thread.76001/post-1656618

 

[The Fixer]

Yeah, it's really not terrible at all. We've been doing it since we got my wife's JLU in 2018. I have a small garage so I can't use a hoist, which makes it a 2-person job outside on the driveway. We undo the bolts, open the rear window, lift it back, then tilt it to close the window and stand it vertically on a cart that I built out of 2x4s and some locking casters. Then, just roll it in the garage and park it against the wall for the summer.

 

[brewski]

SO I am about to buy a new soft top for my JLU. I live in the north where it gets wicked cold in the winters. I'm planning on installing my soft top in the spring and back to the hard top in the fall.

Does anyone do this regularly and how much of a pain is it?

I do and have for years, my JK was a dual top as well. I have a hoist system in my garage which is great for taking off and storing the hardtop. In built a little wood platform to store the softtop in winter. The JL seems to take me longer to do the softtop than the JK did and that could just be due to lack of experience. I had taken the JK one off and on a ton. When I do 1-2week long trips I usually put the hardtop on for security so I was swapping roofs a few times a year. It takes a little time, but worth it because the softtop is a lot nicer if you like to put the top down and the hardtop is much nicer in the winter. I don't know if the hardtop is warmer, but the rear window defroster is helpful


edit:
This is the hoist I have and %$*k, I did not spend that much on it. I think it was around $100 when I got it back in 2015 and now almost double that. Still a very good system, for 7ish years it has always had some weight on it, soft or hard top, and never had an issue. It allows me to do it 100% solo and is super easy to use. It is available on Amazon and Quadratec

 

[Tank the Jeep]

I swapped tops last fall and found it to be a total pain in the ass. I may just leave the hard top on.

 

[Murphydog]

I do and have for years, my JK was a dual top as well. I have a hoist system in my garage which is great for taking off and storing the hardtop. In built a little wood platform to store the softtop in winter. The JL seems to take me longer to do the softtop than the JK did and that could just be due to lack of experience. I had taken the JK one off and on a ton. When I do 1-2week long trips I usually put the hardtop on for security so I was swapping roofs a few times a year. It takes a little time, but worth it because the softtop is a lot nicer if you like to put the top down and the hardtop is much nicer in the winter. I don't know if the hardtop is warmer, but the rear window defroster is helpful


edit:
This is the hoist I have and %$*k, I did not spend that much on it. I think it was around $100 when I got it back in 2015 and now almost double that. Still a very good system, for 7ish years it has always had some weight on it, soft or hard top, and never had an issue. It allows me to do it 100% solo and is super easy to use. It is available on Amazon and Quadratec

I purchased it, seemed high, but man super easy and can do completely solo

 

[bohnster]

Thanks to everyone for their replies. I appreciate it. I'm going for the full soft top as opposed to just the sun rider. I have a garage so a hoist will work for me.

Thanks again!!

Good question, and I like the replies. I have a hardtop (currently on) and a Lange power hoist in my garage. It really only takes me 10-12 minutes now to convert back and forth but lately I've been looking at the Bestop options on Quadratec and other posts on the forum for soft tops for more flexibility when farther away from home. I don't want something that's a PITA to remove if I want to go hardtop for a while. Maybe the Trektop Ultra.

 

[tkelly11]

I live in Chicago and honestly, I would recommend just keeping the soft top on year round. I have the premium soft top and whilst it’s in a garage overnight, I have travelled to upper Wisconsin and Michigan in the depths of winter and even when left out overnight, it’s not a problem. Partly because of the power of the heater (we recently were in Bozeman with a rental 4Runner in the depths of winter and I was amazed just how poor the heater was by comparison - the jeeps could literally burn you haha)

*I do love the look of the hard top and would like to have it as an option if it was easier to swap out

 

[brewski]

I purchased it, seemed high, but man super easy and can do completely solo

Sweet. I remember setup was a bit of a PITA, not hard but I struggled getting the lengths right and even. It took 2 or 3 attempts to get it right. But while that might be discouraging, I didn’t need to touch it since, not until the JL which was only a minor tweak.

 

[Murphydog]

Sweet. I remember setup was a bit of a PITA, not hard but I struggled getting the lengths right and even. It took 2 or 3 attempts to get it right. But while that might be discouraging, I didn’t need to touch it since, not until the JL which was only a minor tweak.

Agree - getting the knots right and level was a bit tricky.

 

[BostonMike02127]

So I went for the Bestop Softop with the fast back. Definitely happy with the purchase. This is my first soft top and since I spent a few dollars on this, I want it to last as long as possible. Anyone worry about drive though car washes, daily UV exposure leading to fading of the top and yellowing of the windows? Any suggestions on soft top maintenance is appreciated.

 

[gregeast]

Our Jeep came with the hard top and I bought the premium soft top about a month later. First time I installed it was mildly complicated since there was a bit of parts assembly that is a one time deal.

Recently put the soft top back on after winter and it was a piece of cake this time since it was the 2nd time. I did pat myself on the back for having kept all of the soft top parts in one place and for putting the fasteners in labelled baggies, so I knew what went where.

Also bought the GarageSmart lifter, which makes the hardtop removal a piece of cake. Spendy, but easy.

I was glad to have the the hard top's rear defroster, rear wiper and general insultation during the Colorado winter.

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