Good evening everyone. New Jeep owner here, I just recently purchased a 2008 JKU Rubicon from a used dealership up the road. The soft top that came on it was old (Not as old as the Jeep but definitely seen better days), I recently acquired 2 things. 1 new top OEM replacement soft top from FB Market place, was still in the box sealed from Smittybilt, got it for a steal. And the other thing acquired was the soft top frame from a 2014/2015 JKU Rubicon.

So the top that is currently on the Jeep is of unknown manufacturer origin as all tags have worn out over time and no one wants to claim it's theirs. I've reached out with all part numbers I could find and they all say it's someone elses and when I go to that someone else, they claim it was the other company and so forth... So anyhow it's a frameless fast back type top currently on my Jeep.

Here is my question, on my Roll bars I currently have the 2008 Brackets on the Jeep. If I was to change the brackets over to the 2013 style ones in the next photo, that should allow me to connect that frame to my Jeep, correct? What about the bow that attaches to the windshield, it doesn't seem to fit, do I need to modify that or something?

Thank you for any and all help

 

Just recapping here real quick. 1)You have the older brackets on your rollbars, 2) you have acquired a frame from a "14+, and 3)you have replacement fabric but don't state for what compatable year(s), presumeably not old '07 style. First things first. If you purchase the brackets in the 2nd picture for a "spring-assist" frame, presumably what you have acquired, then that will work just fine together. There is no difference at the windshield header on any of the factory soft tops. I'm not sure if you currently have something in place there with the current frameless version. Few pics might help. I think the door surrounds you currently have should be compatible but you might just include a picture. As long as they are not the old style from '07 where the top snaps in around the top of the door surrounds. Does either the new top or the acquired frame have the tension cable that will hold the top tight to the top of the door surrounds to seal things?

 

The replacement fabric I got new in a sealed box off of FB Market place. According to Smittybilt it's for 2007-2009, but when I put in the details of a 2014 JKU they say it will work with that as well. The instructions in the box are for a 2014 JKU as it talks about the tension cable, which the frame does have.

The door surrounds that are currently on my 08 JKU are the kind where the current top has the plastic tabs and slide into a grove along the tops of the doors. However this JKU when I got it was apparently equipped with a sunrider style top, the spring plates are still attached. I'd take this top off and get some pics, but it was a bear trying to get it back on last night when I ran into the dilemma of how to attach this frame. In fact some of the seams ripped around the back windows at the cargo window and above the passenger side door. That's how brittle the thread is currently.
As for the windshield bow, the reason I brought that up, is because there is a channel with seals and such which it didn't seem that the bow would fit in or over and compress well.

 

It sounds like you have the old style door surrounds, and those would not be compatible with a newer top. the old '07-'09 tops actually snapped in place on top of the door surrounds where as the newer tops simply laid over the surrounds and were held in place via tension. The "sunrider" feature didn't really change, just how it sealed around those door surrounds.

Example of the newer style that you'd use with newer top -

https://www.amazon.com/Smittybilt-91.../dp/B004K27DAO

Example of older style -

https://www.amazon.com/Products-6109...3-0e5c1a776d5d

notice the differences at the top.

 

looking at that first link you sent. Mine look a lot like those. I think in going to risk it and get some pics. They look nothing like that second link.

 

when I took a look at the inside panel of the rear surrounds, these have the Mopar emblem. So I’m guessing they’re original possibly or newer mopar surrounds.

 

it looks to me like you have the old door surrounds. in your pic, the old tops would snap into the top of the door surround like this -



tbh, I have never looked so closely at the old ones at that angle. the new ones have a piece that actually looks like it just slides up into that groove. I dug mine out of the shed to snap a pic so you could see the same angle -





That new piece actually creates the drip rail that the older tops tried to integrate into the top itself. In all honestly, look at the comparisons, it seems they ust manufactured a new piece of plastic they jammed up in the same door surround design. Seeing this, i'm not entirely sure if it would affect how tightly your top would seal around those old surrounds. Part of me says it might not matter.....that you just wouldn't have the drip rail, which could be a little annoying. I can't say if you'd get wind penetrating from under the top....ie, that drip rail is also prohibiting air coming from the underside up between the top and the door surround. I don't think I've ever run across anyone trying to use a newer too with the older surrounds.

 

Cool thanks for sharing that.
I will pull the cloth top out of the box tomorrow to inspect it further. But the box says 2007-2009, yet smittybilt states it’ll work for 2007-2017 JKus.
the only thing newer would be the frame itself that attached to the roll bars.
Maybe itll work, but the brackets won’t be here til Wednesday or Thursday.

 

Was able to get the top installed this past weekend.
Had to modify it slightly to work with the 2014 frame. (Only had to cut two tabs off).

Using a 2007-2013 Smittybilt soft top,2008 oem door surrounds and the frame from a 2014 or 2015 jku

 

Good deal! so that seals fine around the old door surrounds at speed and strong air flow it seems. Good to know.