Anyone take off hardtop without help?
JK Junkie
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,710
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From: AT LARGE somewhere in CT
There was a post several months ago from someone that took it off himself (I tried to find it via serach for you, but no such luck). If I remember correctly, he concluded his "how to" instructions with the warning that no one should do it his way, and should instead bug a neighbor or friend to help for the 3 minutes it'll take...
You may be able to handle the weight on your own just fine, but it's AWKWARD, to say the least.
You may be able to handle the weight on your own just fine, but it's AWKWARD, to say the least.
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JK Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 174
Likes: 0
From: Boxford, MA
There was a post several months ago from someone that took it off himself (I tried to find it via serach for you, but no such luck). If I remember correctly, he concluded his "how to" instructions with the warning that no one should do it his way, and should instead bug a neighbor or friend to help for the 3 minutes it'll take...
You may be able to handle the weight on your own just fine, but it's AWKWARD, to say the least.
You may be able to handle the weight on your own just fine, but it's AWKWARD, to say the least.
JK Junkie
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,710
Likes: 0
From: AT LARGE somewhere in CT
JK Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 344
Likes: 0
From: lake worth fl
I have done it by myself. but the lift is a much better idea.its not the weight its just awkward and expensive if dropped.they was some one else that posted that they only lifted over the rear gate and tire to a padded table and slide it.
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JK Jedi
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 5,831
Likes: 2
From: SoCal, USA
There was a post several months ago from someone that took it off himself (I tried to find it via serach for you, but no such luck). If I remember correctly, he concluded his "how to" instructions with the warning that no one should do it his way, and should instead bug a neighbor or friend to help for the 3 minutes it'll take...
You may be able to handle the weight on your own just fine, but it's AWKWARD, to say the least.
You may be able to handle the weight on your own just fine, but it's AWKWARD, to say the least.
Not completely about hard top removal, but pretty funny stuff:I've had my JK for about 2 weeks now, but have really only driven it once because I'm trying to keep it away from all the road salt we have here. So, my Jeep just sits in the garage waiting for parts to come in and the weather to warm up.
The other night the wife and kids were in bed early and I was itching to do something to my rig. I decided to get the hard top ready for removal so I could get my soft top out of the back like they recommend. I pulled off the 2 front panels and removed all the screws that hold the rear section on. A normal person would have called it a night, waited till the next day, and had someone help him...but when you have a screw loose you start to think "I bet I can do this by myself".
So, I climbed in the back and and used my back to push the top up while I tried to wiggle the soft top out. I couldn't quite get it high enough to get the soft top out, plus my legs were starting to burn...so I moved the hard top forward about 1 foot and set it down while I rested and got the soft top almost out. Then I lifted the hard top again to gain the final few inches of space necessary to push the ST out the back.
It wasn't as easy as I made it sound (my legs were shaking by the time I was done), but it worked and I don't think anything was scratched/bent/broken. I thought about rigging up some straps to the garage ceiling to lift the HT, but it was about 8 degrees in my garage that night and I figured it would be much quicker to just "put my back into it".
I would not recommend to anyone to try this, but I get some weird satisfaction out of doing stuff like this.
In conclusion; it is not easy, safe nor intelligent, but it is possible to remove the soft top by yourself without fully removing the hard top.
The other night the wife and kids were in bed early and I was itching to do something to my rig. I decided to get the hard top ready for removal so I could get my soft top out of the back like they recommend. I pulled off the 2 front panels and removed all the screws that hold the rear section on. A normal person would have called it a night, waited till the next day, and had someone help him...but when you have a screw loose you start to think "I bet I can do this by myself".
So, I climbed in the back and and used my back to push the top up while I tried to wiggle the soft top out. I couldn't quite get it high enough to get the soft top out, plus my legs were starting to burn...so I moved the hard top forward about 1 foot and set it down while I rested and got the soft top almost out. Then I lifted the hard top again to gain the final few inches of space necessary to push the ST out the back.
It wasn't as easy as I made it sound (my legs were shaking by the time I was done), but it worked and I don't think anything was scratched/bent/broken. I thought about rigging up some straps to the garage ceiling to lift the HT, but it was about 8 degrees in my garage that night and I figured it would be much quicker to just "put my back into it".
I would not recommend to anyone to try this, but I get some weird satisfaction out of doing stuff like this.
In conclusion; it is not easy, safe nor intelligent, but it is possible to remove the soft top by yourself without fully removing the hard top.
JK Freak
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 597
Likes: 0
funny stuff, i thought it was a big pain while using my contraption ive rigged up to the ceiling , took me about 1/2 hr. just to remove & 1/2 to re-install, that thing is pretty heavy 2dr. i couldn't imagine what its like with the soft top 
JK Freak
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 569
Likes: 0
From: Westfield, MA
I'm hoping someone has the plans for a home made contraption in the likes of an engine hoist for those of us that do not have a garage...:sad: , I took the hardtop off to remove the soft top with the help of the wife and son, it's not the weight but the the fear of dropping it and breaking the glass or worst cracking the plastic....