Jeep Hardtop Question

[MSHardeman]

SACRILEGE!!

I know, I know, but I trust the people here to give me a straigt answer, if they have one, and to razz the heck out of me if they don't.

Does anyone have any experience installing a Bestop hard top on a Jeep Wrangler? I was trying to help a friend install his new Bestop hard top onto his Wrangler last night, and after four hours of wranglling (GET IT!?) with the top we just couldn't seem to get it to fit right at the windshield. The instructions, and YouTube videos make it seem like a super simple, slam dunk of an install. Our problem is that there is a piece of trim plastic at the A-pillars, where the soft top mates into, that seem to be in the way. The instructions seem to indicate that the top needs to sit to on the outside of the plastic doo-hickies, but even after really tugging on the top we could NOT get both sides of the top to the outside of the trim pieces. If one side was outside then the other side was too far to the inside of the Jeep by like a half inch or more. Are you supposed to trim the hard top to fit around the trim?

I know of few of you have, or have had, Jeeps and I was hoping that someone has run into this problem. My friend is calling Bestop to see what they say, but I told him that I would post the question up here even though there would be no end to the ridicule I would recieve.

[JAMAS]

I would ask one of the other college girls that own them.


I kid, I kid.....

[Ldub]

Didn't they include some duct tape with the instructions?......

[pbkid]

I would ask one of the other college girls that own them.


I kid, I kid.....

Lol. Where's Justin when you need him huh mark?

I'd call bestop. Or tell your "friend" to buy a real vehicle
mark- just remember friends don't let friends drive jeeps

[Todd Adams]

So what year? I bet your problem is in the windshield angle. This is adjustable but I am more familiar with the YJ's Wranglers are YJ, TJ, LJ, etc.
Todd

[Triathlete]

Well, since you asked for it...



Call Mattel...Barbie should be able to help you out.
or
You could just break out the BFH!

[pbkid]

In all seriousness mark, I would pm Todd and Justin. Between the two I'm sure they can help you.

[ZEUS]

Well, there are 4 Wrangler models - YJ=87-95 TJ=97-06 LJ=04-06 (I think) JK=07-current. It could be the YJ, TJ, or LJ, but I bet it's the JK... since my VX brethren would hunt me down if I replaced my VX with a JK as my daily driver, I have no firsthand knowledge of the new Jeeps...

It is possible he was using an aftermarket soft top or bikini top and it came with it's own windshield retaining bracket that needs to be removed in order for the hard top to sit where it is supposed to. Anytime we remove the hard top from our old CJ we reinstall the soft top retainer to put the bikini top back on. It could also be he was using aftermarket soft doors that came with sealing surfaces that bolt to the A-pillars which could cause the same issue. Good luck you Jeep-lover lover!

SACRILEGE!!

I know, I know, but I trust the people here to give me a straigt answer, if they have one, and to razz the heck out of me if they don't.

Does anyone have any experience installing a Bestop hard top on a Jeep Wrangler? I was trying to help a friend install his new Bestop hard top onto his Wrangler last night, and after four hours of wranglling (GET IT!?) with the top we just couldn't seem to get it to fit right at the windshield. The instructions, and YouTube videos make it seem like a super simple, slam dunk of an install. Our problem is that there is a piece of trim plastic at the A-pillars, where the soft top mates into, that seem to be in the way. The instructions seem to indicate that the top needs to sit to on the outside of the plastic doo-hickies, but even after really tugging on the top we could NOT get both sides of the top to the outside of the trim pieces. If one side was outside then the other side was too far to the inside of the Jeep by like a half inch or more. Are you supposed to trim the hard top to fit around the trim?

I know of few of you have, or have had, Jeeps and I was hoping that someone has run into this problem. My friend is calling Bestop to see what they say, but I told him that I would post the question up here even though there would be no end to the ridicule I would recieve.

[MSHardeman]

You guys are freakin' hillarious. I relayed some of the comments to my buddy and I think he was laughing only because I was letting him use my heated garage (it was zero degrees here last night). We FINALLY got the top to fit around the trim at the windshield and all it took was fitting the passenger side first and then pulling the top over to fit at the drivers side. Why this wouldn't work in the reverse (fitting drivers side first) is just beyond me.

We decided to tackle the install ourselves because one of the Youtube videos that he saw made it look super easy; put the top on, clamp it down at the windshield and then just bolt it down. Also, some of the shops wanted to charge him $500 to put the top on and the video made it seem so easy. Well, now I totally understand the $500. Even after we got it to fit at the windshield it still took a couple of hours of fitting, shimming, re-fitting and re-shimming to get the top to sit right and allow everything to close without binding. What a PITA.

Thanks for all the comments, both helpful and not.

[ZEUS]

It used to be a point and shoot operation to remove or install a top. I guess the Germans have a different idea of what the "Jeep Thing" is supposed to be... tisk tisk.