Test Drive, hard top question

[TRZ]

I’m considering moving from a 2008 Grand Cherokee to a JL. I tested a 4 door JL tonight with hardtop and I was extremely impressed with the vehicle with one exception: there seemed to be a resonance or an over pressure in the cabin that I felt in my ears. Almost as though the slightly flexible hard top was acting as a bellows. If I cracked a window it seemed to get better. Has anyone else experienced this? I suspect that installing the optional hard top insulation would fix the problem, but the dealer didn’t have any JLs for me to verify my suspicion.

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[szobell]

Have 12k miles on mine and never have experienced what you are referencing. I do have the factory installed liner though.

 

[PaPasJP]

No, I don't get that with my JL.

Could the rear vents be blocked or broken?

Weird!

 

[Zazoh]

Not experienced in my JK nor JL.

Now with a window down you do have to balance the other window or you will get serious buffeting.

When the freedom panels are off too. I need to roll back down about an inch or two.

 

[Sean L]

This is an odd anomaly. Have you tried driving another hard top? If not you may want to try another one just to see.

 

[jaldeborgh]

No issue on mine either.

 

[TRZ]

Thanks for the replys. I think a dual-top Rubi might approximate the effect of insulation (which I’ll install if I buy) so I’ll go back and see if they have a dual top to test.

 

[Sean L]

Thanks for the replys. I think a dual-top Rubi might approximate the effect of insulation (which I’ll install if I buy) so I’ll go back and see if they have a dual top to test.

If you're thinking what I think you're thinking, it doesn't work that way. Only one top at a time will fit. It will be at the dealer with the hard top on and the soft top in a box.

 

[TRZ]

Ack, okay, thanks! Maybe I just need to test a soft top (or another hardtop as Sean suggested).

 

[ormandj]

Ack, okay, thanks! Maybe I just need to test a soft top (or another hardtop as Sean suggested).

I've test driven a few, none have done what you described. There must have been something wrong with that Jeep, definitely try another hard top and soft top so you see what you like best.

 

[Jeep4Life0112]

I have been a happy dual top Rubi owner since 8/31. With 8,300 miles driven (half with hard top) I can say confidently I have never experienced this issue. My hardtop does not have any headliners installed. I do know the effect you are talking about though. In my previous vehicle if my kids cracked a window in the back seat and all other windows were shut the effect was an air pressure vibration in my ears that drove me crazy. I have not once experienced this in my rubicon so think it was probably a fluke with the one you test drove. Try another and see if it is there. Good luck!

 

[TRZ]

I am in my late 50s, I wonder if my older body is just super sensitive to this. The model I drove yesterday had leather seats, I’ll also test drive a model with cloth seats, which might soak up the vibes differently.

On a positive note, I do love the ride quality and wheeling capabilities of the JL. I wheel my Grand Cherokee pretty hard and I’m having to replace the front (IFS) bushings and ball joints after every wheeling season, it’s getting annoying. I really need to replace the Grand with something with more durable components.

 

[RussJeep1]

I’m considering moving from a 2008 Grand Cherokee to a JL. I tested a 4 door JL tonight with hardtop and I was extremely impressed with the vehicle with one exception: there seemed to be a resonance or an over pressure in the cabin that I felt in my ears. Almost as though the slightly flexible hard top was acting as a bellows. If I cracked a window it seemed to get better. Has anyone else experienced this? I suspect that installing the optional hard top insulation would fix the problem, but the dealer didn’t have any JLs for me to verify my suspicion.

I'd be curious what other "Mile High" city residents like you think about this. Like I need to tell you as its resident, ambient air pressure decreases with altitude and maybe this contributed to the pressure differential you describe between it being higher inside than outside the rig.

You didn't recently have an URI (upper respiratory infection) say that might require some pressure resetting of your own, internally, within your ear canal, did you?

 

[TRZ]

Russ, interesting theory. No, I’m pretty healthy, but the test drive was I-70 west of Denver, so there was an altitude change in the mix. I’ve never been bothered by this before, but I’ll take another test drive and stay at lower altitudes and see what happens. I only noticed after about 30 minutes of altitude-changing driving.

 

[Dogboyslim]

I have had this happen once, for a mile. If the nose of the Jeep is considered North, the wind was from East North East at 34 mph, and I was driving at 40 mph on a smooth paved road. As soon as the road turned a bit it stopped. It wasn't as strong as what your words imply, but there was certainly a vibration beyond just the nasty wind. I've tried to reproduce it, but haven't been able to do so.

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