Tips to open soft top while driving?

[Bzinsky]

This is my first jeep. I have the base soft top in a 4 door.

So this has to be a thing. Any tricks to opening the soft top while driving?

Right now I wait until I come to a stop, throw it up vertical, and then when I take off I give it a little juice.

My jeep only has 500 miles on it so not sure if it’s a little stiff and it’s possible to throw it up all the way.

Curious if anybody does it while moving. I’m sure there a sweet spot like 5mph or something where the wind forces it back but not enough to slam it.

Thanks!

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[GATORB8]

We do the same thing, pop it up at a stop and let the wind drop it all the way back.

 

[AcesandEights]

No, I stop and put it back. It's never occurred to me to do it while driving, for a couple of reasons, but one is I like to concentrate on the driving part and putting back the top takes my eyes off the road and hand(s) off the wheel. My top folding mechanism is too stiff to "throw it back" or have it fall into place at 5mph.

 

[HydroPaul]

I can't believe this is being asked. Just pull over and do it. It takes 1 minute. Why risks damaging it

 

[IdahoJOAT]

We used to put it back by hand. I didn't want the wind catching it like a sail and TAKING it away.

But just a couple weeks ago, at a stop sign, we unlatched, I threw it up to that first stage, then I slowly accelerated until that 10-15 mph when it went the rest of the way.

Now that's how we do it all the time. No worries.

 

[Heimkehr]

So this has to be a thing. Any tricks to opening the soft top while driving?

It is a thing, for inattentive drivers with little mechanical sympathy for their vehicle.

The rest of us open the top before leaving, or after safely pulling over.

 

[Fudster]

Any tricks to opening the soft top while driving?

No.

To reiterate good advice already given, opening and closing a soft top is a process best left to when the vehicle is stopped.

 

[Bzinsky]

I can't believe this is being asked. Just pull over and do it. It takes 1 minute. Why risks damaging it

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.

 

[Bzinsky]

No, I stop and put it back. It's never occurred to me to do it while driving, for a couple of reasons, but one is I like to concentrate on the driving part and putting back the top takes my eyes off the road and hand(s) off the wheel. My top folding mechanism is too stiff to "throw it back" or have it fall into place at 5mph.

You don’t have to take your eyes off the road to unlatch it or push it up.

I guess it depends how tall you are to get a good throw. The first half of the movement should not be stiff, the second half seems to rely more on the shocks.

 

[Fudster]

...It’s wanting to be efficient.

I guess we'll have to disagree on the benefits of efficiency in this situation versus the loss of safety and minimal inconvenience of pulling over first. I believe the efficiency gained isn't so great, the costs (time to pull over) minimal, and the potential loss of safety enough to not move your soft top and vehicle at the same time. I'd think that on most trips I could decide whether on want the top down before I first take the vehicle out of park. YMMV.

It's an exaggeration, but if you've got a nicotine fix, smoking a cigarette while pumping gasoline is, well, many other things first, time efficient. It's just those other more pressing things that describe the action fall into the category of inviting trouble.

 

[AMT]

I had mine down one afternoon and closed it when I got to my destination but didn't latch it with the intention of putting it back down for the drive home. Well, forgot about putting it back when I left; got up to about 50mph on the highway and, FWOP!, it went back. Scared the crap out me and my three boys. Haven't noticed any damage, thankfully.
But, if I decide I want it back during a drive I wait until a red light or just pull over. It can be done at even the quickest lights. Just my thought.

 

[Shibadog]

I can't believe this is being asked. Just pull over and do it. It takes 1 minute. Why risks damaging it

This-if the wind catches it just right you could mess yourself up-and that could be an expensive lesson..

 

[Bzinsky]

I guess we'll have to disagree on the benefits of efficiency in this situation versus the loss of safety and minimal inconvenience of pulling over first. I believe the efficiency gained isn't so great, the costs (time to pull over) minimal, and the potential loss of safety enough to not move your soft top and vehicle at the same time. I'd think that on most trips I could decide whether on want the top down before I first take the vehicle out of park. YMMV.

I just don’t see a safety issue. I think when you saw the thread title you just imagine driving down the road with other cars while concentrating on the top. We are talking about 5 mph here. Like taking off from a traffic light. Or when you leave your driveway.

You don’t have to get out of your seat or anything, you just unlatch and push up.

Here is an instructional video for opening the top from the driver seat

 

[Stown]

Do it in the Gladiator actually lays the mullet down nicely

 

[JayCeeX2]

Full stop to open or close, ...mines pretty stiff when its up in the vertical position. I would be too concerned about it slamming down if I let the wind push it back. I get the convenience of open/close on the move having convertibles in the past. IMO, get the one touch sky top if you want that convenience.

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