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JK Soft tops, how long to take down and put up?

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texascc

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
I'm curious as to how long it takes you to drop your soft top or to put it back up. I have no experience with this as I am still hunting down my first Wrangler, but seeing my friend try and get his back up on his older Unlimited (2 door, not a JK model) seemed like in was a pain in the butt. I'm curious to hear from both 2 door and 4 door owners because I have not nailed down which model I am going to try and buy, although I'm leaning heavily towards the 2 door.

Also, any advice on optional soft tops that are good would be appreciated. I don't like how the soft top looks when you have it down (kinda looks bunched up back there). I've seen ads for boots that will wrap around the top while it's down, but I'd rather have another option. Is there a smaller top or cover that you can slap on if you get caught in the rain?
 
#2 ·
Never really timed myself, but to fully drop is less than 5 min doing it myself.. Time up is a little mord making sure everyting fits "just right".

4D btw..
 
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#4 ·
my co-worker has a jk unlimited and the top comes down a lot easier (just a few minutes) than on my pain in the butt '04 tj unlimited. which would probably explain why i remove it completely in the summer.
 
#5 ·
texascc said:
N39, do you leave it on or do you fully remove it? I know some people on here take them off completely.
Click to expand...

It's left on.... Where I am it can rain unexpectedly and I haven't trashed the interior to to the point of not worrying yet.
 
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#6 ·
I've got the unlimited. I haven't timed it but do not find it difficult taking down or putting it up. It rains a lot around here so I leave it on as apposed to taking it completely off. This past summer it was down during a thunderstorm and someone from the boy scout camp that I was directing tossed a tarp over it saving the interior from getting wet. I keep a tarp in the car now just in case. It is a lot quicker that putting the top back up when a storm rolls in and in new england that happens almost daily for days at a stretch.
 
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#7 ·
Completely down,, first time or two 15 to 20 minutes, now probably less than 10.. But I have a 4 door,, all 4 doors have the sunrider so you can leave the side windows in, throw back the front half (secure it with the two Velcro straps - that's what they are for ya'know), zip down the back window and go . I can do that in 5 minutes or less.
 
#8 ·
i have a 2 door and it only takes me less than 5 minutes to drop the top. its not bad you have to take off the back window which are a pain to get back in if you dont do it just right and then undo latches and it flips back pretty easily. i was just at the desert this weekend and put the top down and up at least 3 or 4 times. there was no moon so it was cool to have the top down on a night ride looking at the stars but it got to cold so i put the top up later that night. next day same thing. our old offroad vehical is a suzuki samuri with a bestop and putting that thing down is an adventure all is own but the jeep is nice and easy.
 
#9 ·
Badfish said:
i have a 2 door and it only takes me less than 5 minutes to drop the top. its not bad you have to take off the back window which are a pain to get back in if you dont do it just right and then undo latches and it flips back pretty easily. i was just at the desert this weekend and put the top down and up at least 3 or 4 times. there was no moon so it was cool to have the top down on a night ride looking at the stars but it got to cold so i put the top up later that night. next day same thing. our old offroad vehical is a suzuki samuri with a bestop and putting that thing down is an adventure all is own but the jeep is nice and easy.
Click to expand...
Do you not remove the side windows or did I mis-read? I thought that you were suppose to remove all windows prior to letting down the soft top?
 
#10 ·
yea your right i wrote it weird. i take off the side windows but not the back. ive never tried leaving the side windows on and putting it down but it seems like it wont work so i take em off.
 
#11 ·
Take down is 5 minutes 7 tops if I am rolling up the windows and bringing them with me...(I usually leave em home, not necessary if I get rained on) Putting it up is about the same...If I just need to throw up the top without the windows in a pinch for rain or whatever I can do that in about 45 seconds.
08 4dr. Unlimited Sahara
**Assembling softtop (dual top option) 2 hours and a 30pk of coors light. This was when i first got it and had no idea as to what i am doing and the drections suck.

***Putting the top up for the first time clueless still...almost 4 hours...Damn OCD and ADHD***.

Now that I have a system down its cake.
 
#12 ·
trick50 said:
Take down is 5 minutes 7 tops if I am rolling up the windows and bringing them with me...(I usually leave em home, not necessary if I get rained on) Putting it up is about the same...If I just need to throw up the top without the windows in a pinch for rain or whatever I can do that in about 45 seconds.
08 4dr. Unlimited Sahara
**Assembling softtop (dual top option) 2 hours and a 30pk of coors light. This was when i first got it and had no idea as to what i am doing and the drections suck.

***Putting the top up for the first time clueless still...almost 4 hours...Damn OCD and ADHD***.

Now that I have a system down its cake.
Click to expand...
Totally ditto, even setting mine up....about the same time only I did it without the 30 pk. :D
 
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#14 ·
I had to remove the soft top part that is pre-installed in the car, under the hard-top, so that I can have some more space in the trunk (to carry my own winter wheels, for instance, to the service, to have them replaced...). Decided to do that. Looked at the instructions, looked at the car, decided to just leave it there until the summer, called a taxi-truck to take the wheeles... :)
 
#15 ·
trick50, ditto on the directions sucking. I put my soft top on for the first time a couple of days ago (09 unlimited 4 door). Took me quite a while, probably 1 hour, but I knew nothing about doing this. Zipping up the quarter/back windows is a pain. I came to this site to figure out the "sunrider" option where you pull the roof back so front and back seats exposed, but not all the way back. From the pictures I've seen, it looks like you can do this without taking any of the windows off.
 
#16 ·
5 mins down, 10 mins up (standard drop top) and 15 mins down,15 mins up (complete removal/reinstall) plus or minus 5 mins.

Sounds like you need one of those emergency tops, Quadraoverpriced sells a couple variations, just go on there website and check them out. Quadratec that is :cool:
 
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#18 ·
That's a great video. I saved it in my links because i KNOW i will need it when the time comes! I'm spoiled.... on my Volvo hard top convertible, I just push a button, and it does everything for me! It looks complicated, but seems like the more you do it, the easier it gets! When do you think they will come out with the fully automated Jeep top? ;)
 
#19 ·
JeepGirl17 said:
That's a great video. I saved it in my links because i KNOW i will need it when the time comes! I'm spoiled.... on my Volvo hard top convertible, I just push a button, and it does everything for me! It looks complicated, but seems like the more you do it, the easier it gets! When do you think they will come out with the fully automated Jeep top? ;)
Click to expand...
your totally right the first time i put it down and back up is was the worst experience of my life but now i can do it in under 5 up or down. practice makes perfect. an automatic drop top jeep would be sweet too dosent look like it would be too hard just expensive
 
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