[VeeDub_L_U]

mine drives me NUTS. i dont' exactly know the order u should do it in, i make one up everytime, but my GOD I GET MAD. i especially get mad when i wait till its a bit chilly outside when everything contracts. I dread taking the top down sometimes cuz i hate putting it up so much. Why? do i suck? is it always really annoying or do i just not know the order. the zippers to put the side windows on, and the clips above the windsheild make me so angry!

 

[Hans Stuck]

Re: Jeep Owners: How long does it take you to put on your soft top? (VeeDub_L_U)

I had a Wrangler TJ with soft top, hard top, 1/2 doors, full doors, bikini top -- everything.
Changing anything was a total PITA. I ended up changing tops once a year. Then I realized I was driving a big brick that didn't handle at all and that rattled and was uncomfortable. The "cool" Jeep Wrangler thing wore off very quickly. I sold it. Never looked back.
Sometimes the image of something is better than the reality. I understand the Jeep allure though. It bit me & I fell for it.
Good luck with the soft top. I never mastered it. All I got was sore fingers, a sweaty head, and a bad attitude.

 

[VeeDub_L_U]

Re: Jeep Owners: How long does it take you to put on your soft top? (Hans Stuck)

I love my jeep...i love driving it...very tourquey and actually doesn't rattle at all. If i had a garage i'd love it even more. but yes, when i do have to put the top back on it takes all the fun out of it. The only reason i like it is cuz it only needs one person, otherwise i'd have the hard top on. maybe i'll just see if i can find the correct order and see if that'll help me at all

 

[fueledbymetal]

Re: Jeep Owners: How long does it take you to put on your soft top? (VeeDub_L_U)

I thought new Jeeps were supposed to effectively be convertibles?
I had a '79 CJ-7 for a few years - now that top was a bear! It was 1 piece that snapped on, but it shrunk in the cold weather. If you waited too late in the season to put it on, you were screwed until the spring (I know this from experience

).

 

[msams89]

Re: Jeep Owners: How long does it take you to put on your soft top? (fueledbymetal)

What year Jeep do you have? CJ2A, CJ3A, CJ, YJ, TJ? They are all different. I have a TJ and it only takes about 2 minutes to take it down and about 5 or so to put it up.
Having a garage makes it nice. I'd say the top is down a majority of the time.
Take out rear qt. windows. Roll-up rear window. Take out rear most window channel over doors. Unclip both windshield clips. Take out front window channels. Then just "roll it back" and dump it behind the spare tire. Enjoy.


Modified by msams89 at 6:28 AM 9-8-2005

 

[MatchStick]

Re: Jeep Owners: How long does it take you to put on your soft top? (Hans Stuck)

Quote, originally posted by Hans Stuck »

I had a Wrangler TJ with soft top, hard top, 1/2 doors, full doors, bikini top -- everything. Changing anything was a total PITA. I ended up changing tops once a year. Then I realized I was driving a big brick that didn't handle at all and that rattled and was uncomfortable. The "cool" Jeep Wrangler thing wore off very quickly. I sold it. Never looked back. Sometimes the image of something is better than the reality. I understand the Jeep allure though. It bit me & I fell for it. Good luck with the soft top. I never mastered it. All I got was sore fingers, a sweaty head, and a bad attitude.

couldnt have said it better myself. I do look back on that Jeep fondly though... I'd switch back today given the right mood. Thusly, I think Jeeps are never a good primary car, just something you use occasionally.
Anyway, I had an ordered system for taking down and putting up the top. I could do the whole operation in under 3 minutes either way. this is assuming the zippers on the windows wanted to behave. Sore fingers - I'd always get them from the annoying plastic pieces you had to tuck above the doors...
Some "putting up" tricks if I remember them:
The side windows - you have to partially zip them first, tuck the front parts, do your rear tucking, then zip them the whole way. Ditto with the rear window... it's all about getting a specific order down and repeating - that's how you get to do it faster...
I never fully explored the Jeep's aftermarket though... that definitely would have kept me interested for longer... but I saw that GTI in the showroom, though back to my high school days and my MkI and it was "bye bye Jeep"...


Modified by MatchStick at 9:49 AM 9-8-2005

 

[VegasJetta]

Re: Jeep Owners: How long does it take you to put on your soft top? (MatchStick)

i had an 82 CJ-7 with a hard top, a soft top, and the bikini top...
I could do all 3 alone, the hard top obviously took me a few minutes to unbolt (6 bolts) and lift off, the soft top was a few snaps, and always fit perfect, and the bikini top is a no-brainer. I miss my jeeps, I have had a few.. they are really not effective in Vegas, WAY too hot to drive around all summer (march - november

) with no top, you get burned..

 

[XenoLlama]

Re: Jeep Owners: How long does it take you to put on your soft top? (VegasJetta)

See, I read this as: Jeep owners, how long does it take you to put it on your soft top.
I was expecting some funny rollover pics. Im disappointed.

 

[onebadbug]

I had a 72 CJ5.
It took about 5 minutes to put the top on, 10 in the dark in the rain.

 

[turbo_wagon]

after this post, no jeep for me

 

[VeeDub_L_U]

Re: (kecart)

lol dont' get discouraged....they are very fun. Once i get the order down it'll be a snap, but yeah your right those clips above the doors u have to tuck under kill me sometimes. sometimes i'll clip those in and realize my zipper is stuck in the bar, or the clips above the windshield get squished between the top and windshield before i get to attach them then have to undo them. did u follow that? haha. anyways...i just wanted to see if people wanted to drive their jeep off a cliff after putting their soft top on. i definately think its worth it for the jeep though..

 

[VR6Stress]

Re: (VeeDub_L_U)

i'd wait for the first day that was above 60 and had sun to take my hard top off, then it was off till the first snow...
i was die hard - had me one of those lee storm rider coats for a reason...hahahaha