How hard is it to install Hardtop?

[laytonoid]

I have a 4 door Wrangler JL 2018 Sport with factory sun-rider soft top with the customer perferred package upgrade (not sure if that makes a difference). How hard is it to install a hardtop instead of the soft top?

I heard the wiring for the wiper isn’t on the JLs that come with the soft top. Is that true? I also heard something about the freedom panels not working with the JLs that come from factory with the soft top?

If that’s the case.. how hard would it be to remove all the soft top stuff and install an after market hardtop that doesn’t have a wiper and has a single piece “freedom panel” (2 piece hardtop)?

Sponsored

 

[TimR]

I have a 4 door Wrangler JL 2018 Sport with factory sun-rider soft top with the customer perferred package upgrade (not sure if that makes a difference). How hard is it to install a hardtop instead of the soft top?

I heard the wiring for the wiper isn’t on the JLs that come with the soft top. Is that true? I also heard something about the freedom panels not working with the JLs that come from factory with the soft top?

If that’s the case.. how hard would it be to remove all the soft top stuff and install an after market hardtop that doesn’t have a wiper and has a single piece “freedom panel” (2 piece hardtop)?

Well, ref to your question whether or it's true that JLs that come with soft tops don't have a wiring harness for the rear wiper...my response to that is go to your Jeep and look. The rear wiper hardness is located at the end of the vehicle on the driver side just past the roll bar. If you don't see any wires sticking out, then I would assume you don't have it.

Once you remove the soft top, it's very easy to install the hard top...as long as you have two sets of hands. Pretty straight forward stuff.

 

[melendez69]

I have a 4 door Wrangler JL 2018 Sport with factory sun-rider soft top with the customer perferred package upgrade (not sure if that makes a difference). How hard is it to install a hardtop instead of the soft top?

I heard the wiring for the wiper isn’t on the JLs that come with the soft top. Is that true? I also heard something about the freedom panels not working with the JLs that come from factory with the soft top?

If that’s the case.. how hard would it be to remove all the soft top stuff and install an after market hardtop that doesn’t have a wiper and has a single piece “freedom panel” (2 piece hardtop)?

Here's a good thread that covers the change to a hard top. There's a handful more out there...

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...ng-if-i-get-a-hardtop-after-buying-soft.9929/

 

[RussJeep1]

Marc's links a good one @melendez69 . It covers something I learned recently about sometimes needing to acquire the hardware to accept the Freedom Panel latches: something that wasn't on my radar because my Wrangler order included both tops so this hardware was installed. I don't know if your referenced Customer Preferred Package provided this hardware.

I find somewhat interesting the difference between your thread title and what you talk about as being "hard" in reference to it. I should explain.

Maybe for very good reason, you seem to be bypassing what many consider no less the "hard" part: getting the hard top on and off. Perhaps that isn't going to be an issue for you, either because you have the help or the strength or the gear to get the hard top on/off. Maybe the dealer will do it for you and you never have intention on taking it off (at least behind the Freedom Panels) and/or switching to the soft top. Maybe you're selling the soft top.

Plenty of threads on the bboard discuss the various optional gear that help get a hard top on and off if that's of interest to you. Chime in if there's interest and I, or someone else will send you some links on the subject matter.

If your taking the soft top off yourself, everything in this video must be done in reverse:



barring the following:

* you may not need to separate the 2 pieces of the passenger's door hardware of the soft top (although you'll have to remove it)

* assuming you're keeping the soft top, you need not remove the hardware on either side of the Sports Bar into which the soft top connects, to have the hard top on.

Even, in fact especially the two plastic connectors on either back side of the rig need to be screwed off and stored.

==

Final thoughts for now. I don't know if you'll even get this part, but there is a rear windshield washer cable and electric cable holder (yes, get the cables, but I'm talking of the holder) that, unless it was fixed in the 2019's doesn't seem to fit into the rig and hold these two cables when not in use, when running with the soft top. If you get this, just snap the loose ends of the cables into it when running with the soft top, but don't bother trying to connect the device to the rig's body.

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/dual-top-design-flaw.5688/

 

[laytonoid]

I appreciate your replies. Very helpful. Thank you!!!

Sponsored