kdubber

I've kept speeds down to 40~45mph per the Owner's Manual recommendation (with rear window in place) when the Sunrider is open.

Today on my way in to work some guy blows by me in a Rescue Green Unlimited darting in and out of freeway traffic at 75+ (I was doing 70) with his sunrider open, not a care in the world.

Is Jeep playing it waayy too safe with their recommendation for CYA / liability sake or was the guy pushing his luck bigtime??

I must admit I shudder at the thought of those 2 B-Pillar(ish) latches and velcro loops giving way...imagine...

Kdub

doojer

I think it's all about that back window. If you go too fast in Sunrider with the back window zipped up, the air will build up back there and something is bound to happen. You can feel it start to happen when you get up past 60 or so. But, unzipping the back window gives that air someplace to exit and allows you to go a lot faster in Sunrider. I've blown down the freeway at 70-80 in Sunrider with the back window unzipped and not had any problem. But, I'll admit, it makes me a little nervous.

I just wish my top didn't make so much noise when I use it in Sunrider. It creaks like crazy in that position...

kdubber

Definitely!

The fellow had the window zipped up / in place and he was flying!

Yikes!

What's a safe real-world speed with the window in? Or does the Owner's Manual have it dead-on??

I guess Dooj ( & the OM) hit on it - open the rear window when driving freeway speeds in Sunrider mode!

ClownBaby

What do you guys mean by sunrider? Do you mean opening the softtop half way?? If that's the case then hell yeah, I drive like there's no tomorrow. I've hit 80 with that thing w/out a problem. It's better to open the rear windows though because there's less wind drag...Yea, if that's what ur talking about then 45mph is nothing.

Dr.McNinja

Nah, when you have the back closed up, you should look in the mirror. You have an air pocket inside, and the air moving over the top has less pressure, so you end up having something similar to a vacuum in your rig. You'll notice that the side and back windows are all sucked in, not blown out, like it would be if air were coming in. If you take the windows out, you will have more drag, because now air is going through and hitting the seats, etc, and causing more turbulence. This is quite similar to the tailgate down theories. You actually have less drag with the tailgate up than you do with it down, because of the air pocket. Even the mythbusters say so.

dkt2g12

gotta love the mythbusters!!!!!!

PBR_Stitch

We ran a test on that in a windtunnel a long time ago as a physic's experiment in class. We took a pickup ran it with tailgate up, down, that cheap net thing, and then backwards. Best aerodynamics turned out to be backwards.

Ron

DeezUU

I was following the wife a few days ago and she just threw the SunRider back and didn't strap it (sheesh!!). When I spotted her, she was doing about 45 w/back window UP and it seemed fine but the funny thing is when she slowed to about 15, the top started rising!! I called her, told her to pull over, and strapped it down for her and opened the back window. (women )

instantclogger

WHATEVER! OK, I tried but i just can't let that "women" comment slide. I've went to 3 different jeep dealers with different questions about opening and lowering my sunrider top and after an hour of them standing around scratching their heads i realized that I (WOMAN that I am) knew MORE than they did! MEN

MJS_Jeep_888

Rah! rah! Women's empowerment, blah! blah! blah!!!

Yes, you may know more than the stupid MEN at the dealership, but so do half of the bugs on the dealership lot... Jeep dealers are a very simple breed...

You get props for being a WOMAN that's smart enough to want a JEEP, though.