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Soft/Hard Top Switching

Columbus104

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Ok admitted neophyte question here. Anyone who has dual tops - when you remove the soft top and switch back to the hard top, do you need to remove all the plastic casings around the roll cage? Or just the top itself, and the hard top will fit over the plastic?
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Beretta67

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Yes you remove them
 

Jrbrannan

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This is what I don't understand... Why wouldn't Jeep just make the hardtop fit over the soft top door surrounds, that way it would not have to come off and go on. Less to store, less to lose and less to risk breaking.
 

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This is what I don't understand... Why wouldn't Jeep just make the hardtop fit over the soft top door surrounds, that way it would not have to come off and go on. Less to store, less to lose and less to risk breaking.
The surrounds for the soft top are so the doors to have something to close against. It makes a weather tight seal .... You don't need them with the hardtop because the doors close against the actual hard top. Therefore they will be in the way and the hardtop won't fit.
 

Shamus13

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Once you are used to it the swap out is very quick. If I remember correctly it's only 14 bolts. Took me 10-15 minutes to take off every soft top part.
To save time and not lose parts I just removed the door surrounds. I did not disassemble the surrounds once I took them off.
 

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Once you are used to it the swap out is very quick. If I remember correctly it's only 14 bolts. Took me 10-15 minutes to take off every soft top part.
To save time and not lose parts I just removed the door surrounds. I did not disassemble the surrounds once I took them off.

How many times you going to switch it a a year. I'm only doing it once. Yes no need to take the door surrounds apart.
 

Jrbrannan

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The surrounds for the soft top are so the doors to have something to close against. It makes a weather tight seal .... You don't need them with the hardtop because the doors close against the actual hard top. Therefore they will be in the way and the hardtop won't fit.
Correct, my point is that Jeep could have just added the surrounds to every Jeep and then engineer the hard top and soft top work with the surrounds. That way you could in theory you could switch hard top and soft top without swapping out components.
 

RussJeep1

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Ok admitted neophyte question here. Anyone who has dual tops - when you remove the soft top and switch back to the hard top, do you need to remove all the plastic casings around the roll cage? Or just the top itself, and the hard top will fit over the plastic?
What can (but need not) remain, and I believe this @fdisker2000 's point above, are these:

 
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Columbus104

Columbus104

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Thanks for the info, everyone! I suspected that was the answer but nice to confirm. I figure it’s just a twice-per-year project, so not that big of a deal.
 

Shamus13

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Correct, my point is that Jeep could have just added the surrounds to every Jeep and then engineer the hard top and soft top work with the surrounds. That way you could in theory you could switch hard top and soft top without swapping out components.
Gotcha, as long as they were still removable so when I go w/o top or doors it doesn't look goofy with the surrounds still there.
 

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One tip that may help. When I had my JK and duel tops, I would do the soft in April and the Hard in October. On top switch day I would first pull the spare off, wash and dry the Jeep, remove the top, put a coat of wax because now you can wax where the spare sits as well as where the top sits. Now put on your other top, clean the glass and interior and reinstall the spare tire. Note: get a good nights sleep before because it takes most of the day and you will be tired, but happy when done.
 

Rahneld

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Correct, my point is that Jeep could have just added the surrounds to every Jeep and then engineer the hard top and soft top work with the surrounds. That way you could in theory you could switch hard top and soft top without swapping out components.
It's true, but design notwithstanding, hard top only owners might not want to pay for soft top features, simple to make dual top owner's lives easier....
 

Young04

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There is a random set of pieces in the back you don't need to remove either.
 

Rahneld

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There is a random set of pieces in the back you don't need to remove either.
"random set of pieces...."

specifically, If you removed the 2 trim pieces from the Sports bar (one on each side of the rig) when first installing your soft top, to then screw on the hardware that accepts the soft tops pivot and locking mechanism, you need not remove this screw on hardware nor put back the trim pieces. The pivot and locking mechanism is intergral to and for all intents in purposes not detachable from the soft top and goes wherever the soft top goes, be it on the rig, or in the garage for the winter.

Pretty much all else associated with the soft top needs removal before putting that hard top back.
 

Kraty1

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One tip that may help. When I had my JK and duel tops, I would do the soft in April and the Hard in October. On top switch day I would first pull the spare off, wash and dry the Jeep, remove the top, put a coat of wax because now you can wax where the spare sits as well as where the top sits. Now put on your other top, clean the glass and interior and reinstall the spare tire. Note: get a good nights sleep before because it takes most of the day and you will be tired, but happy when done.
Good advice right here, thanks!
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