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Soft Top Musings

chappy200

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Greetings everyone, today was a great Jeep day here in South Georgia. I had the JL out and about with the soft top completely down and it was glorious.

I am only recently getting back into the Jeep World, after years of not having a Wrangler. Previously, I had two different TJ'S and by comparison to my 2021 Willy's I have noticed a lot of differences and am still adjusting.

I have some thoughts on the premium soft top for the JL. I like the fact that the zippers have been completely eliminated, which makes things much easier, especially the rear window. However, I miss simply rolling up the rear window in my TJ and riding around enjoying the breeze.

With my JL I simply take out the rear window at times and leave the quarter windows on and ride around like that, albeit not on the highway. I have noted that several forum members have mentioned the risks of loosing the quarter windows when driving in this configuration. Unlike the TJ generation of Wrangler, the JL uses the rear window to create a proper and secure fit for the quarter windows.

That does make things a bit more worrisome, but I have decided to drive around this way depending on speed, weather, roadway conditions, etc. The quality of the top is outstanding, but I miss the simplicity of the TJ soft top. The Sunrider feature on this JL top is great. I never had that on any of my TJ's. Taking information from this forum I have done the following to try and have the best user experience with this JL.

REAR SEAT BELT FLAPPING NOISE- I bought a pair of SpiderWedShade seat belt silencers and they fixed the problem perfectly. They were worth the 30 bucks I spent.

SOFT TOP NOT FOLDING DOWN FAR ENOUGH- I bought a set of Velcro brand 2 inch by 3 feet straps from Home Depot and they worked perfectly. The top is well under the third brake light and is very secure. No bouncing and no noise. They cost me 6 bucks with free shipping.

HOW TO STORE SIDE AND REAR WINDOWS- I bought a soft top window storage bag from BJD Customs. The bag ran me 145 bucks with free shipping. The bag is a quality piece of work. You can hang the bag in your garage or storage shed, or you can clip it around the headrests in your JL. The bag then hangs down behind the front seats, taking up the foot area, but the rear seat remains very usable for gear, groceries, etc.

I went shopping with the window storage bag clipped as mentioned and had no trouble using the back seat for multiple bags of groceries. It would not work well if you had back seat passengers, but otherwise it works great. I like the fact that I can carry my windows with me, as thunderstorms come up quickly where I live.

All in all, I really like my JL Willy's and look forward to enjoying it for many years to come.
I will attach some photos. Stay safe and enjoy your Jeep!

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IMG_3561.jpg


IMG_3551.jpg


IMG_3553.jpg


IMG_3564.jpg


IMG_3566.jpg


IMG_3453.jpg
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SH556JL

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Zukoda

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I love running around with just the rear window out and door windows open. In order to better secure the side windows, I drilled a small hole at the bottom of each one and connect them together with bungie cords. Looks a little funny but it seems to do the job just fine - even at highway speeds.
 

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chappy200

chappy200

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i picked this up from Smittybilt and it has help a lot with noise and visibility while protecting the top off-road. It’s designed for a 4 door, but works on the correct Jeep (2 door, only slightly loose).

Jeep Wrangler JL Soft Top Musings 90B18B58-E4C1-4FF1-9823-363AE430C442


Jeep Wrangler JL Soft Top Musings 90B18B58-E4C1-4FF1-9823-363AE430C442


I also debated ordering these soft top window replacement from Mastertop, they appear they would store easier and work in a pinch.
Thanks for sharing that. I've been looking for a soft top boot and seemingly nobody makes one for the JL, only the JLU. Good to know.
 

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Greetings everyone, today was a great Jeep day here in South Georgia. I had the JL out and about with the soft top completely down and it was glorious.

I am only recently getting back into the Jeep World, after years of not having a Wrangler. Previously, I had two different TJ'S and by comparison to my 2021 Willy's I have noticed a lot of differences and am still adjusting.

I have some thoughts on the premium soft top for the JL. I like the fact that the zippers have been completely eliminated, which makes things much easier, especially the rear window. However, I miss simply rolling up the rear window in my TJ and riding around enjoying the breeze.

With my JL I simply take out the rear window at times and leave the quarter windows on and ride around like that, albeit not on the highway. I have noted that several forum members have mentioned the risks of loosing the quarter windows when driving in this configuration. Unlike the TJ generation of Wrangler, the JL uses the rear window to create a proper and secure fit for the quarter windows.

That does make things a bit more worrisome, but I have decided to drive around this way depending on speed, weather, roadway conditions, etc. The quality of the top is outstanding, but I miss the simplicity of the TJ soft top. The Sunrider feature on this JL top is great. I never had that on any of my TJ's. Taking information from this forum I have done the following to try and have the best user experience with this JL.

REAR SEAT BELT FLAPPING NOISE- I bought a pair of SpiderWedShade seat belt silencers and they fixed the problem perfectly. They were worth the 30 bucks I spent.

SOFT TOP NOT FOLDING DOWN FAR ENOUGH- I bought a set of Velcro brand 2 inch by 3 feet straps from Home Depot and they worked perfectly. The top is well under the third brake light and is very secure. No bouncing and no noise. They cost me 6 bucks with free shipping.

HOW TO STORE SIDE AND REAR WINDOWS- I bought a soft top window storage bag from BJD Customs. The bag ran me 145 bucks with free shipping. The bag is a quality piece of work. You can hang the bag in your garage or storage shed, or you can clip it around the headrests in your JL. The bag then hangs down behind the front seats, taking up the foot area, but the rear seat remains very usable for gear, groceries, etc.

I went shopping with the window storage bag clipped as mentioned and had no trouble using the back seat for multiple bags of groceries. It would not work well if you had back seat passengers, but otherwise it works great. I like the fact that I can carry my windows with me, as thunderstorms come up quickly where I live.

All in all, I really like my JL Willy's and look forward to enjoying it for many years to come.
I will attach some photos. Stay safe and enjoy your Jeep!

Jeep Wrangler JL Soft Top Musings 90B18B58-E4C1-4FF1-9823-363AE430C442


Jeep Wrangler JL Soft Top Musings 90B18B58-E4C1-4FF1-9823-363AE430C442


Jeep Wrangler JL Soft Top Musings 90B18B58-E4C1-4FF1-9823-363AE430C442


Jeep Wrangler JL Soft Top Musings 90B18B58-E4C1-4FF1-9823-363AE430C442


Jeep Wrangler JL Soft Top Musings 90B18B58-E4C1-4FF1-9823-363AE430C442


Jeep Wrangler JL Soft Top Musings 90B18B58-E4C1-4FF1-9823-363AE430C442


Jeep Wrangler JL Soft Top Musings 90B18B58-E4C1-4FF1-9823-363AE430C442


Jeep Wrangler JL Soft Top Musings 90B18B58-E4C1-4FF1-9823-363AE430C442


Jeep Wrangler JL Soft Top Musings 90B18B58-E4C1-4FF1-9823-363AE430C442
I've been using 2 bungee straps to hold the top down using the anchors in the cargo area. Really helps pull the top all the way down. The seatbelts have been flapping like crazy and velcro nor zip ties have been a great solution. I'm going to give the seatbelt silencers a whirl. Thanks for the suggestion!
 

zrickety

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Greetings everyone, today was a great Jeep day here in South Georgia. I had the JL out and about with the soft top completely down and it was glorious.

I am only recently getting back into the Jeep World, after years of not having a Wrangler. Previously, I had two different TJ'S and by comparison to my 2021 Willy's I have noticed a lot of differences and am still adjusting.

I have some thoughts on the premium soft top for the JL. I like the fact that the zippers have been completely eliminated, which makes things much easier, especially the rear window. However, I miss simply rolling up the rear window in my TJ and riding around enjoying the breeze.

With my JL I simply take out the rear window at times and leave the quarter windows on and ride around like that, albeit not on the highway. I have noted that several forum members have mentioned the risks of loosing the quarter windows when driving in this configuration. Unlike the TJ generation of Wrangler, the JL uses the rear window to create a proper and secure fit for the quarter windows.

That does make things a bit more worrisome, but I have decided to drive around this way depending on speed, weather, roadway conditions, etc. The quality of the top is outstanding, but I miss the simplicity of the TJ soft top. The Sunrider feature on this JL top is great. I never had that on any of my TJ's. Taking information from this forum I have done the following to try and have the best user experience with this JL.

REAR SEAT BELT FLAPPING NOISE- I bought a pair of SpiderWedShade seat belt silencers and they fixed the problem perfectly. They were worth the 30 bucks I spent.

SOFT TOP NOT FOLDING DOWN FAR ENOUGH- I bought a set of Velcro brand 2 inch by 3 feet straps from Home Depot and they worked perfectly. The top is well under the third brake light and is very secure. No bouncing and no noise. They cost me 6 bucks with free shipping.

HOW TO STORE SIDE AND REAR WINDOWS- I bought a soft top window storage bag from BJD Customs. The bag ran me 145 bucks with free shipping. The bag is a quality piece of work. You can hang the bag in your garage or storage shed, or you can clip it around the headrests in your JL. The bag then hangs down behind the front seats, taking up the foot area, but the rear seat remains very usable for gear, groceries, etc.

I went shopping with the window storage bag clipped as mentioned and had no trouble using the back seat for multiple bags of groceries. It would not work well if you had back seat passengers, but otherwise it works great. I like the fact that I can carry my windows with me, as thunderstorms come up quickly where I live.

All in all, I really like my JL Willy's and look forward to enjoying it for many years to come.
I will attach some photos. Stay safe and enjoy your Jeep!

Jeep Wrangler JL Soft Top Musings 90B18B58-E4C1-4FF1-9823-363AE430C442


Jeep Wrangler JL Soft Top Musings 90B18B58-E4C1-4FF1-9823-363AE430C442


Jeep Wrangler JL Soft Top Musings 90B18B58-E4C1-4FF1-9823-363AE430C442


Jeep Wrangler JL Soft Top Musings 90B18B58-E4C1-4FF1-9823-363AE430C442


Jeep Wrangler JL Soft Top Musings 90B18B58-E4C1-4FF1-9823-363AE430C442


Jeep Wrangler JL Soft Top Musings 90B18B58-E4C1-4FF1-9823-363AE430C442


Jeep Wrangler JL Soft Top Musings 90B18B58-E4C1-4FF1-9823-363AE430C442


Jeep Wrangler JL Soft Top Musings 90B18B58-E4C1-4FF1-9823-363AE430C442


Jeep Wrangler JL Soft Top Musings 90B18B58-E4C1-4FF1-9823-363AE430C442
Great tips. I am west of you, I love Georgia weather. It's top down more than half the year here. Apparently the windows will fit behind the rear seat, minus the tail gate bar. I haven't tried it, I typically leave them in the garage.
 

RedBaron91

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Greetings everyone, today was a great Jeep day here in South Georgia. I had the JL out and about with the soft top completely down and it was glorious.

I am only recently getting back into the Jeep World, after years of not having a Wrangler. Previously, I had two different TJ'S and by comparison to my 2021 Willy's I have noticed a lot of differences and am still adjusting.

I have some thoughts on the premium soft top for the JL. I like the fact that the zippers have been completely eliminated, which makes things much easier, especially the rear window. However, I miss simply rolling up the rear window in my TJ and riding around enjoying the breeze.

With my JL I simply take out the rear window at times and leave the quarter windows on and ride around like that, albeit not on the highway. I have noted that several forum members have mentioned the risks of loosing the quarter windows when driving in this configuration. Unlike the TJ generation of Wrangler, the JL uses the rear window to create a proper and secure fit for the quarter windows.

That does make things a bit more worrisome, but I have decided to drive around this way depending on speed, weather, roadway conditions, etc. The quality of the top is outstanding, but I miss the simplicity of the TJ soft top. The Sunrider feature on this JL top is great. I never had that on any of my TJ's. Taking information from this forum I have done the following to try and have the best user experience with this JL.

REAR SEAT BELT FLAPPING NOISE- I bought a pair of SpiderWedShade seat belt silencers and they fixed the problem perfectly. They were worth the 30 bucks I spent.

SOFT TOP NOT FOLDING DOWN FAR ENOUGH- I bought a set of Velcro brand 2 inch by 3 feet straps from Home Depot and they worked perfectly. The top is well under the third brake light and is very secure. No bouncing and no noise. They cost me 6 bucks with free shipping.

HOW TO STORE SIDE AND REAR WINDOWS- I bought a soft top window storage bag from BJD Customs. The bag ran me 145 bucks with free shipping. The bag is a quality piece of work. You can hang the bag in your garage or storage shed, or you can clip it around the headrests in your JL. The bag then hangs down behind the front seats, taking up the foot area, but the rear seat remains very usable for gear, groceries, etc.

I went shopping with the window storage bag clipped as mentioned and had no trouble using the back seat for multiple bags of groceries. It would not work well if you had back seat passengers, but otherwise it works great. I like the fact that I can carry my windows with me, as thunderstorms come up quickly where I live.

All in all, I really like my JL Willy's and look forward to enjoying it for many years to come.
I will attach some photos. Stay safe and enjoy your Jeep!

Jeep Wrangler JL Soft Top Musings 90B18B58-E4C1-4FF1-9823-363AE430C442


Jeep Wrangler JL Soft Top Musings 90B18B58-E4C1-4FF1-9823-363AE430C442


Jeep Wrangler JL Soft Top Musings 90B18B58-E4C1-4FF1-9823-363AE430C442


Jeep Wrangler JL Soft Top Musings 90B18B58-E4C1-4FF1-9823-363AE430C442


Jeep Wrangler JL Soft Top Musings 90B18B58-E4C1-4FF1-9823-363AE430C442


Jeep Wrangler JL Soft Top Musings 90B18B58-E4C1-4FF1-9823-363AE430C442


Jeep Wrangler JL Soft Top Musings 90B18B58-E4C1-4FF1-9823-363AE430C442


Jeep Wrangler JL Soft Top Musings 90B18B58-E4C1-4FF1-9823-363AE430C442


Jeep Wrangler JL Soft Top Musings 90B18B58-E4C1-4FF1-9823-363AE430C442
Thanks for the write up. I just got my softop JL last week, and while I probably missed full top down weather in IL this year the post was very helpful for next year.
 

ChuckMalone

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chappy200

chappy200

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I love running around with just the rear window out and door windows open. In order to better secure the side windows, I drilled a small hole at the bottom of each one and connect them together with bungie cords. Looks a little funny but it seems to do the job just fine - even at highway speeds.
I would like to see a photo of that.
 
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chappy200

chappy200

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Great tips. I am west of you, I love Georgia weather. It's top down more than half the year here. Apparently the windows will fit behind the rear seat, minus the tail gate bar. I haven't tried it, I typically leave them in the garage.
I have not tried them behind the rear seat, due to having the rear subwoofer. Behind the front seat works well though.
 

zrickety

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I love running around with just the rear window out and door windows open. In order to better secure the side windows, I drilled a small hole at the bottom of each one and connect them together with bungie cords. Looks a little funny but it seems to do the job just fine - even at highway speeds.
If you've already removed the rear window, why not just pull the sides off as well?
 

ivanidea

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I do like the soft top boot, pity it's not available in tan though.

I miss not being able to roll up the soft top windows too. I bought a soft top storage bag, but it's too big to fit in the boot area with the rear seat in use. I do appreciate the ease of use though, compared to my old TJ.
 

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The issue with rolling the rear window up like we all did in our older Jeeps is that it allows carbon monoxide to accumulate in the passenger compartment. This is why all SUVs did away with the rear windows that went down into the tailgates.

My remedy for the seat belt noise is Turtle Wax Shoulder Pad Cushions. Basically the same thing as the spiderwebshade except it doesn’t say for Jeep seatbelt silencing so they are $12 for the set.

I optioned the window storage bag as the one from the factory is actually less expensive than the aftermarket ones.

I use the Velcro brand straps the same as you.

My favorite investment is my MasterTop cab cover for a folded down top. This is my 5th Jeep with a soft top and I have tried all of the trail/cab covers available and this one is by far the best fit and quality. It fits perfectly with the top folded down, not fully removed. I bought 2, 1” wooded slats and cut them to 57” ( ifI remember right) to act as bows for the front of the cover to allow rain water to run off instead of pooling. I don’t remove the door frames and they fave notches that are perfect for the bows.
Jeep Wrangler JL Soft Top Musings C9381218-AAEA-4DD8-9528-14495F81C423
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