Dimensions of 2dr soft top and advice on transporting

[gl420]

I am planning on picking up a pre-owned soft top for my 2 door this weekend and was hoping someone here can help me with the dimensions of the top when it's removed from the Jeep. From what I understand the main assembly is kind of U shaped, so I am looking for the overall width and the length of the arms.

Does anyone have experience with fitting one inside a 2 door with the hard top on for transport? The person I am buying it from told me "it is wrapped up for winter storage." I need to make a 3 and half hour drive with it, so it can't be too in the way.
My plan is to rent a U-Haul 5'x8' enclosed cargo trailer to bring it home, but it'd be great to not have to do that.

I was told it's in like new condition and has all the hardware, is there anything in particular that I should pay attention to when checking it over besides holes in the top?

Really appreciate any insight I can get, I know there's a ton of it on here!

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[RBII]

With the backseat out you should be able to put the soft top in the back. Dimension wise it’s the width from side to side of your current hardtop (you call it your length) and height from your back window top to bottom (your width). A soft top and it’s hardware comes completely off… including the liners on the doors (you’ll need those). There are YouTube videos on installing a soft top when transitioning off of a hard top.

 

[djxizodu]

Highly doubt it would fit in a 2 door even with the rear seat out. The top is very larger. I tried fitting it in a large 4 door car, just wasn’t happening.

If going alone, take out rear seats and passenger seat. Should fit then.

I picked mine up with a pickup truck.

take hard top off and go pick it up

 

[zw470]

Doesn't every Jeep with the dual top group ship with the soft top in a box inside the Jeep?

 

[gl420]

Did some measuring tonight and the soft top should be about 60" wide, like the hardtop, as @RBII suggested. Thank you for the logical tip, I should've thought of that!

Measuring the diagonal space between the left corner of the trunk to the back of the folded up passenger seat is 60" as well at the bottom of the seat. As it's folded forward, there's a bit more space higher up.
The top should only be about 25-28" tall, and the Jeep gives me 36" in height to work with, so I should be able to adjust the angle to wedge it in.

@djxizodu I'm feeling pretty confident it should fit based on the measurements, but if not, I found there is a 1 way U-Haul trailer available 12 minutes away from where I'm picking the top up.

@zw470 I've read on this forum that they do come inside the Jeep on 4 doors and I believe I saw that on 2 doors it's in there too, but you can't get it out without removing the hardtop. Either way, all those new ones come fully disassembled and in a box. I am under the impression that once you install it once, it's usually not disassembled to the same level again and may be more awkwardly shaped than a new in box one. I could not find a definitive answer on that when searching.

 

[BeeLDub]

2 doors cannot order the dual top because it cannot fit. On 4 doors, the box fills the entire trunk with the rear seats folded flat.

On JKs, the soft tops were just a bit smaller than hard tops and could be folded down before placing the hard top on and shipped that way, but no more.

I can't say I've heard of anyone successfully getting a soft top in the back of a 2 door - I could barely fit it in the back of a Cherokee.

 

[gl420]

@BeeLDub it does seem that it's impossible when it's new in box, but based on the dimensions, it seems like it should be possible with an unboxed semi-assembled one.

I do have a backup plan and it shouldn't be much different from the hardtop width and height, but I would feel more confident if someone got me actual dimensions of their semi-assembled soft top that's in winter storage.

 

[bonniejf]

I tried to figure this out too. This is the only post I could ever find where someone says they did it.
Please update whether you are successful or not. I was trying to buy a hard top 3 hrs away. I ended up just removing my soft top to drive to get the hard top.

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...oft-top-inside-a-2-door-jl.46792/post-1416681

 

[gl420]

Thanks @bonniejf that looks like it confirms it!
I will definitely report how it goes.

 

[bonniejf]

Thanks @bonniejf that looks like it confirms it!
I will definitely report how it goes.

A tip -find the jeep soft top installation instructions since it has a picture of all the parts - use that to make sure you get them all when you pick up the top.

 

[Powelligator]

Here's my first hand experience: I ordered the factory soft top off the internet and had it delivered to my office. On the day it arrived, there was no possible way it was going to fit under my hard top JL. Next day I drove my LJ into the office, it's a few inches longer. I still had to unpack the thing from the box and put all the parts in fitting them around the larger soft top. My advice, if you want to keep it in the original box, rent the U-Haul or a pickup truck. Besides being bulky, it's heavy.

 

[gl420]

Hey @Powelligator I appreciate the insight.

The top I am buying is a pre-owned one that was installed on the person's Jeep when they bought it, so there is no box to be had...from what I'm reading on the forum though, it sounds like that may be to my advantage.

 

[Karnak]

I bought a used one and hauled it inside my 2dr . It was tricky fitting it but if you manage to twist and turn in between the front seat, you can have one part of the metal rods and mechanism in the front seat while the rest is in the rear. Its not ideal, but thats how I managed to fit it in to carry it. two man job makes it easier, I had help getting it in, but didn't to get it out. The soft was also wrapped for winter storage and I would leave it like that to carry it I cna't see fitting it in without the cover etc. the top portions was in the air sitting on the two frame ends with the passenger seat folded down completely to help.

 

[Muel_In_MN]

I had a hard top installed. Brought home the soft top inside with the seat removed in back. Easy peasy.

 

[gl420]

Update: I was able to get the soft top home inside the Jeep.
Back seat removed, front passenger seat folded forward, fits just right diagonally. Plenty of room around it for the windows, frames, and hardware. The arms touch a bit on the center console and the passenger door, but I didn't wrap it and there were no scratches or damage. Was able to load it and unload it myself.

Can't wait to install it in a couple of weeks!

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