Soft Top showing wear.

[SirMagnus89]

Just curious if anyone elses Soft Top is showing signs of wear where mine is. I think it is from where two of the arms fo the folding mechanism meet. It looks like it is starting to go through the backing and into the outer layer. They match on both driver and passenger.

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[XJfanatic]

Is it the spot where the top folds in? Mine doesn’t show anything from the 27,000 previous miles. I have noticed though that it likes to pull the top in and do the trick I use on my foxbody. Just pull the folds outside the frame so they don’t get pinched. The last top on that was 20 years old and only died thanks to a hail storm.

 

[Crawldad]

next time you get a new softtop:
no soap. ever. just water and a soft bristle brush.

soap removes all the UV blockers/scotchguard stuff from the top. then it fades, dries out, rips, then eventually flies off for good.

 

[SirMagnus89]

Is it the spot where the top folds in? Mine doesn’t show anything from the 27,000 previous miles. I have noticed though that it likes to pull the top in and do the trick I use on my foxbody. Just pull the folds outside the frame so they don’t get pinched. The last top on that was 20 years old and only died thanks to a hail storm.

I do indeed unfold the fabric so that it doesnt bunch up on the inside like it naturally wants to do. Im at 33k miles now. Do you have the premium top?

 

[SirMagnus89]

next time you get a new softtop:
no soap. ever. just water and a soft bristle brush.

soap removes all the UV blockers/scotchguard stuff from the top. then it fades, dries out, rips, then eventually flies off for good.

If this were doing it on the outside I would say it has to do with degradation but this is on the inside. No sun sees that and i dont use soap on the top..

 

[qnet]

I do indeed unfold the fabric so that it doesnt bunch up on the inside like it naturally wants to do. Im at 33k miles now. Do you have the premium top?

I wanted to ask you the same. I'm curious since I have the premium soft top. Your interior side looks lighter than mine. I also didn't know about not using soap on the top.

 

[XJfanatic]

I have the basic vinyl top.

As for soap on the top, always just wash everything normally. The key is to actually put some UV blockers back on. Regardless if you use soap or not UV resistance will fade quickly if not treated.

Something else to think about, any convertible top really is pushing it once you hit 6 years of normal use, weather and use dependent of course. And needs to be stored stretched or next use put it to the closed position slowly so it can naturally stretch back out.

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