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Tips to open soft top while driving?

Shibadog

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It’s his Jeep, do whatever floats your boat. I wouldn’t (and haven’t on past Jeeps) just because tops are expensive and hardware vulnerable) but that’s me. Ya pays your money and ya takes your chances. Some folks are harder on vehicles than others, simple fact. I want mine to last and take me where I want to go for years to come. I’ve no desire to try and destroy something this expensive. Got a buddy that’s harder on one in 5 k miles than I am in 75k miles. It’s his nickel so he can do whatever he wants.
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Bzinsky

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Some people like to stir the pot. Others like to take the bait.
I wasn’t stirring the pot when I made the thread. I assumed a lot of people did it. It’s super gentle on the top. There is literally no reason not to open it like that.
 
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Bzinsky

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It’s his Jeep, do whatever floats your boat. I wouldn’t (and haven’t on past Jeeps) just because tops are expensive and hardware vulnerable) but that’s me. Ya pays your money and ya takes your chances. Some folks are harder on vehicles than others, simple fact. I want mine to last and take me where I want to go for years to come. I’ve no desire to try and destroy something this expensive. Got a buddy that’s harder on one in 5 k miles than I am in 75k miles. It’s his nickel so he can do whatever he wants.
Thats the thing, your assuming it’s rough on it, its not. It’s super controlled and gentle.

I would bet anything if some mechanical engineers did stress calculations on every single moving part of the top, they would find my way to be less stressful on the components then doing it by hand. Also my way is repeatable to 99.999% margin of error. The only risk is there is a sudden 30 mph wind gust, but you have that same risk when you do it by hand.

Doing it by hand is probably slightly more stress in the same way trying to open a beach chair not from the middle is more stress
 
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Bzinsky

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So new method of opening it from driver seat.

From a stop, I can basically throw up the top far enough by pushing on the support bar above the drivers seat. I push it in the middle with my right hand while sitting down, I can throw it up far enough that it just settles under it’s own weight. Best of both worlds now.
 

cosmokenney

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Why? For the same reason having a power top is convenient.

It’s the same reason many of don’t use keys for locks anymore, why I got doors off mirrors that don’t require tools, and why I didn’t reinstall the hinge bolts on my doors.

It’s not laziness. It’s wanting to be efficient. I’m here, spending time making this thread, so I can save 15 seconds 100 times a year.

I’m surprised the why is not obvious.

As for the damage, there is no risk.

The force of the wind can cause damage if too much, but luckily we have a gas pedal and brake pedal to control this force.
Sounds like maybe you should have bought a BMW 430i convertible. They, I'm sure, have a push button to open the top. Heck, even my 2006 Mini Cooper S has a push button top. My JL doesn't and it doesn't stop me from pulling over to open it. Even to just go to "sun-rider" position, I pull over. Don't forget, you have to pull the side and rear windows out to open the top completely.

You shouldn't encourage this course of action either. Next thing you know we'll have 50 threads started here where people post up how they spent over $40K on a JLUR, tried to open the top while driving and bent the crap out of it and want jeep to reimburse them because they made a crappy soft top -- even though the JL top is one of the best jeep has made to date IMO.
 

Buckster

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OMG why are people still feeding the troll???
 
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Bzinsky

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Sounds like maybe you should have bought a BMW 430i convertible. They, I'm sure, have a push button to open the top. Heck, even my 2006 Mini Cooper S has a push button top. My JL doesn't and it doesn't stop me from pulling over to open it. Even to just go to "sun-rider" position, I pull over. Don't forget, you have to pull the side and rear windows out to open the top completely.
I’m not talking about opening the top completely, I’m talking about the sunrider position.

Which I just figured out I can push all the way open while stationary from the drivers seat.

Actually the JL’s have a power top, I just regret not optioning it.
 
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Bzinsky

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OMG why are people still feeding the troll???
Rofl, I’m not trolling. I am merely responding to people that lack analytical reasoning and are emotionally triggered by the thought of a giant piece of your car on a hinge being exposed to wind. As if I don’t under stand the effect of raw surface area on a fixed pivot point being exposed to the wind.

Then they try to come up with the dumbest excuses to why it is a bad idea. Bunch of old guys thinking they received their degree in aeronautical and mechanical engineering because one time when they were 18 they forgot to latch their hood and they destroyed it going 25mph.

I stand by the fact that what I’m doing is a fantastic method of opening the sunrider. If you are inclined to criticize me even though I did not ask to be critiqued, you’re going to get a response from me.

I had no clue this would trigger the emotions of so many uptight whiny people with mediocre intelligence. You’re right I’d be trolling if I did.
 
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Heimkehr

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You're not going to make an friends with a traffic cop who sees that.... not to mention grandma behind you may panic and plow into someone...

you really don't have 60 seconds to flip the top down?
He's made his decision. That the rest of us aren't offering the hoped-for hosannas adds a bit of flavor to the continued obstinacy.
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