First let me say I have never owned a jeep. I traded in my F 150 for a JK Rubicon (Red). I love the Jeep! Hard Top is awsome and easy to deal with. However, what is up with the soft top? I am so freakin frustrated I want to sell it!! They tell you that the soft top option is great because you just pop the clips and pull it down!! YEAH RIGHT!!

Three hours later and four Jeep workers and your right, it JUST FALLS RIGHT DOWN!! Then I have these straps for who knows what!! You have to take out bolt retainers in the rear to attach the velcro straps (twenty min)!! Un zip every window (thirty Min), back window (10 min), dealing with those stupid clamps next to tailgate(10 min), spend an hour killing your finger to get the soft top out of the groove on both sides of the front (30 min), and last but not least 5 Hours to get the top to fold correctly just so you can see out the back!!

Yeah, I love that pic in the Jeep catalog with the soft top folded nicely in the JEEP BOOT !! That's right, remember that pic because IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN!!
Reminds me of trying to get my tent back into the original bag!!

One guy said buy the Bestop sun thing that stretches over both seating sections roll up your windows and drive on!! Sounds good to me!! Anybody want a soft top? $1.00 that's what it is worth. I have always heard all of these horror stories about hard tops and hoe heavy and cumbersome they are. Screw that my hard top is way better than the soft top!! Hell, I will even pick the dang thang off there myself!! Yes I am southern!! Before I will ever put down that dadgum soft top ever again!!!!! Enough said!!- Jimmy

 

Now tell us how you really feel!

Seriously though, I just picked up my soft top from the dealer and will be switching out for the summer soon. I'm a little apprehensive about putting it on for the first time, but hoping (like anything) it gets easier the more I do it.

 

soft tops ALWAYS get easier as u go

u stretch them out due to heat, and use. i took my hardtop off earlier, and put the soft top on. (70 degree weather tomorrow!! )

anyway, it was difficult to get on the first time, but is WAYYYY nicer so far than the TJ oem top

drove from my home back to school (1 hour drive) on country roads and then at 75mph on the interstate, SUPER quiet compared to the old top. the most noise i heard was from the rubi tires on the pavement

 

If you're interested in selling it, please PM me and let me know what you'd like for it, and if you'd ship to ohio... provided that it is for a four door that is. I've only ever have soft tops until now, so i'm used to dealing with them... i have the hard top now on my JK rubi, but would like to also have the softop as i live in cleveland where the weather changes every ten minutes and bringing the hardtop with you while still getting the full open air feeling just isn't an option... so thats where the softop comes into play.

 

I got a Rubicon Unlimited with Sunrider soft top (no Freedom top) just a week ago. I've tried to take the top down (completely) and back up a couple of times... basically just to learn how to (it's still too cool/cold most of the time up here in Seattle and not ready for completely down). Now I can take it down completely in less than 15 min. Another couple of minutes to cover it with the "soft top boot" (sold separately for about $180 which comes with plastic windows case/pouch). The Sunrider mode (half top open) is much easier and I can now do it in 3 min. Well, it all thanks to Project-JK.com!!!



"jwetzel", before you do anything with the soft top, make sure to check out:

Go Topless - Lowering the Sunrider Soft Top... <http://project-jk.com/jeep-jk-write-ups/go-topless-lowering-the-sunrider-soft-topon-a-2007-jeep-jk-wrangler-4-door-unlimited>

Opening Up the Sunrider Soft Top... <http://project-jk.com/jeep-jk-write-ups/jeep-jk-wrangler-unlimitedsunrider-soft-top-sunroof>

And, read Owner's Manual.

Both step-by-step instructions at Project-JK.com and the Owner's Manual are very helpful. (Project-JK forgot to mention about velcro straps though...) Read both carefully and learn how the soft top works and folds down. It will be much easier once you know how it works!



I love Sunrider soft top! You can set it Sunrider mode (top half open), take the back window off, side windows off, take the whole thing down... So many options/configulations! These days, the weather in Seattle is mixed and not stable... some sun, some clouds, some winds, some rain. When the sun is out, it's very warm (upper 50F) and as soon as the clouds cover up, it gets chilly.... So, I usually have the top in "Sunrider" mode and the back window off. It gives a nice "open" feeling yet gives decent protection from winds (with glass windoes rolled up). If it started to rain, just pull over somewhere and all you have to do is to top back on (2~3 min.) and zip up the back window (1~2 min.); Total 3~5 min. to cover it up!

The Sunrider top is also very quiet. Even with Sunrider mode with back window off on I-5, if you roll up the glass windows, it's petty quiet - quiet enough to have conversation with someone without yelling. It is build tough too... I just washed my Rubi with "jet" car wash (the one that wash with just water/soap high pressured spray) and no water or soap came in... no leak at all (some people reported here that had some minor leak though when they washed JK with the "jet" car wash).

I don't need a Freedom hard top at all! Sunrider top does it all for me!!

 

First of let me say I love soft tops. My JK came with one. Now comes the bummer part. I have had 4 other jeeps 3 with soft tops. All 3 were broken into my slicing the window or the top. One of them twice. I ordered a freedom top for my JK and had to wait 4 weeks for it. The hole time I was afraid someone was going to cut the soft top. They didn't and I got my hard top. I now have a one month old soft top that I may sell, I know I won't put it back on again. It sucks but I got tired of buying new tops.

 

You didn't say whether or not you had the 2 door or 4 door. I have the 2door. It comes down in under 5 minutes once you get the hang of it. Takes a couple of extra minutes to get it back up. The TJ's came with a video tape which made the learning curve quicker.

I am not sure of the ins and outs of the 4 door, but there are a couple of helpful threads already.

 

The soft top is easy to put up and down, you just need some practice. I can take it all the way down in less than 5 minutes, and that includes unzipping the windows and storing them. Putting it up is less than 7 minutes from start to finish. This is all with only practicing it a few times. I'm sure once I get more familiar with it I can shave one to two minutes off both times.

 

I guess the 2-door must be a lot easier. Mine goes up and down in 5 minutes. (With practice) Mine fits nicely in the boot if I fold it accordian style.

 

Did you ever look at something COUNTLESS times, and still not get it.


Then sit down, eating corn pops sipping coffee, have this freakin EPIPHANY!!!!?!?!? Ya know, I didn't know that the sunrider did the WHOLE cabin. I just assumed it was just the front seats, even on the 4 door. NO FREAKIN WONDER I couldn't get it to work. damn...damn...damn...damn