Bestop Soft Door Review: Mixed feelings for SURE!
09-03-2010, 04:48 PM
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JK Freak
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Bestop Soft Door Review: Mixed feelings for SURE!
After getting a set delivered that were damaged, yesterday the brand new set came just in time, as we were supposed to get hit by Earl at the shore.
okay,
The new set came today, and I could at ONCE see that they sent a box that was never opened, or used. The tell tale fact was that the door handles were not attached to the doors yet, they were packaged up with all safety for the doors addressed for shipping. And YES they DO have keys that lock the doors up, (yes I know that it's a soft door, but locking it deters them, even just a bit more, making me, just a bit more happy, when in a questionable area. That is all probably a mental thing, but hey, sometimes that makes it worth it.)
Now the PROS:
*They are super light weight, and easy to place on the Jeep (after all the installation issues are handled)
*They can be thrown into the back if "iffy weather" is approaching - a HUGE PLUS!
*They will be able to offer me the ability to go doorless when I want to, negating the need to
need to get help in taking the factory doors on and off, by myself.
*They match the soft-top, and the storage boot material, making a more uniform look overall.
*yes they were 400 bucks, but the ability and do it myself status is/was worth it.
Now the CONS:
* All JK's are the same - why on earth is there so much trouble getting them to fit! A door is a door! they don't change with different years, and the amount of "off fitting" is absolutely CRAZY - I can literally put my hand under the door, and stick my hand thru it. Now, I know that I can still bend, flex, adjust and play around with them more, but seriously,,,,if the door frame is EXACTLY the same on EVERY JK, then why such Ill fitting soft doors? For a company like Bestop the problems associated with fit of the doors is a serious concern to me at least. I do not understand why they cannot be taken out of the box, and placed on the Jeep, and fit like a GLOVE
* the noise associated with the speeds at ONLY 30-40MPH is a genuine concern. Not only do they flap, but they also separate from the vehicle at the top of the Jam. This will now make the need for a bungee cord at the top of the door frame, attached to the sun-visor metal frame, for higher speeds. This only happens when the windows are up and zipped shut. With the windows unzipped, they do not have this problem. But the bungee, will be a PITA when getting in and out, because it will have to be undone each time you get in and out.
* The material for the door itself does not fit really good, which MAY make the noise more of a concern. I am going to try and ad large velcro patches, to the already present velcro closures, to give it more attaching qualities, negating the "flapping" hopefully
* If there was ever a day to "test" the water penetration problems, today was the day, as we got hit by the outer bands of EARL. The winds and rain surely found a way, to let plenty of water into the vehicle. Towels placed at the door jams caught most of it. I went out and purchased weather stripping, to help with this problem, and the hubby and I will work on bettering the "fit" this weekend.
All in all, I am happy that I have them. I will use them, and continue to throw the trail cover over my jeep when bad weather is coming, (not a problem, as I use the cover every night with the doors off anyway). They were purchased to save my back, and the need for help all during the summer, with the doors, so for THAT ISSUE ALONE, it was worth the money! Its better than NO DOORS, when the crappy weather is pending or coming right at you, and you know that you are going to be stuck without the doors. I think that they SHOULD come with a soft door bag for storage, but I will purchase one of those on my own. I can only HOPE that Rugged Ridge and Smittybilt are PAYING attention, because the NEED is out there, and with BT being the only game in town, there is ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT by ANY company that knows what Jeep owners NEED and WANT for their vehicles.
Its like being stuck in a corner. We need to have an option for doors off, when out and about. But the fact that no other company is making them yet, makes Bestop, the only game in town, thus giving them the ability, to throw them together, hap-hazardly without a care. This is SUCH A SHAME! Bestop USED to stand for quality, now they are made with cheap materials, and are ill fitting, and flimsy, and not what I was hoping to get from a company like Bestop. But, like I said, when you are backed into a corner because of a lack physical ability ( or in my case my Disability), you learn to pretty much "riff", with what you can, and although settling is something that I do not stand for, settle I must in this situation. They will not replace my hard doors, they will be letting in wind, rain and noise, but they also will let me have a bit of self dependance for a change, and THAT is worth what ever settling I must make,,,,,,,,
***Will be adding pictures as soon as I can
okay,
The new set came today, and I could at ONCE see that they sent a box that was never opened, or used. The tell tale fact was that the door handles were not attached to the doors yet, they were packaged up with all safety for the doors addressed for shipping. And YES they DO have keys that lock the doors up, (yes I know that it's a soft door, but locking it deters them, even just a bit more, making me, just a bit more happy, when in a questionable area. That is all probably a mental thing, but hey, sometimes that makes it worth it.)
Now the PROS:
*They are super light weight, and easy to place on the Jeep (after all the installation issues are handled)
*They can be thrown into the back if "iffy weather" is approaching - a HUGE PLUS!
*They will be able to offer me the ability to go doorless when I want to, negating the need to
need to get help in taking the factory doors on and off, by myself.
*They match the soft-top, and the storage boot material, making a more uniform look overall.
*yes they were 400 bucks, but the ability and do it myself status is/was worth it.
Now the CONS:
* All JK's are the same - why on earth is there so much trouble getting them to fit! A door is a door! they don't change with different years, and the amount of "off fitting" is absolutely CRAZY - I can literally put my hand under the door, and stick my hand thru it. Now, I know that I can still bend, flex, adjust and play around with them more, but seriously,,,,if the door frame is EXACTLY the same on EVERY JK, then why such Ill fitting soft doors? For a company like Bestop the problems associated with fit of the doors is a serious concern to me at least. I do not understand why they cannot be taken out of the box, and placed on the Jeep, and fit like a GLOVE
* the noise associated with the speeds at ONLY 30-40MPH is a genuine concern. Not only do they flap, but they also separate from the vehicle at the top of the Jam. This will now make the need for a bungee cord at the top of the door frame, attached to the sun-visor metal frame, for higher speeds. This only happens when the windows are up and zipped shut. With the windows unzipped, they do not have this problem. But the bungee, will be a PITA when getting in and out, because it will have to be undone each time you get in and out.
* The material for the door itself does not fit really good, which MAY make the noise more of a concern. I am going to try and ad large velcro patches, to the already present velcro closures, to give it more attaching qualities, negating the "flapping" hopefully
* If there was ever a day to "test" the water penetration problems, today was the day, as we got hit by the outer bands of EARL. The winds and rain surely found a way, to let plenty of water into the vehicle. Towels placed at the door jams caught most of it. I went out and purchased weather stripping, to help with this problem, and the hubby and I will work on bettering the "fit" this weekend.
All in all, I am happy that I have them. I will use them, and continue to throw the trail cover over my jeep when bad weather is coming, (not a problem, as I use the cover every night with the doors off anyway). They were purchased to save my back, and the need for help all during the summer, with the doors, so for THAT ISSUE ALONE, it was worth the money! Its better than NO DOORS, when the crappy weather is pending or coming right at you, and you know that you are going to be stuck without the doors. I think that they SHOULD come with a soft door bag for storage, but I will purchase one of those on my own. I can only HOPE that Rugged Ridge and Smittybilt are PAYING attention, because the NEED is out there, and with BT being the only game in town, there is ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT by ANY company that knows what Jeep owners NEED and WANT for their vehicles.
Its like being stuck in a corner. We need to have an option for doors off, when out and about. But the fact that no other company is making them yet, makes Bestop, the only game in town, thus giving them the ability, to throw them together, hap-hazardly without a care. This is SUCH A SHAME! Bestop USED to stand for quality, now they are made with cheap materials, and are ill fitting, and flimsy, and not what I was hoping to get from a company like Bestop. But, like I said, when you are backed into a corner because of a lack physical ability ( or in my case my Disability), you learn to pretty much "riff", with what you can, and although settling is something that I do not stand for, settle I must in this situation. They will not replace my hard doors, they will be letting in wind, rain and noise, but they also will let me have a bit of self dependance for a change, and THAT is worth what ever settling I must make,,,,,,,,
***Will be adding pictures as soon as I can
09-08-2010, 04:28 PM
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JK Freak
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UP-Date,,,,,
I posted this on the Soft doors Love hate relationship thread:
A note of caution:
When these doors come in, they should NOT have the door paddle handles on them already. If they are already installed, SEND them BACK!
This means that somebody has already had these doors, and could not get them to work, and THEY sent them back. I have a feeling that MANY of these sets are getting returned, and they are being sent back out, in HOPES that people can get them to work. -OR- are settling for a crap fit, because this is what people are doing with them. They hear that they fit crappy, and guess that this is as good as it gets, and keep them, with the ill fitting ways. They do fit badly at certain spots, but if you get a used and damaged set, no matter what you try to do, they won't fit as good as they CAN fit. ( I hope this makes sense, to those that have had so many problems with them. Had I not gotten the used set, and then subsequently the new set, I would have never figured this out).
The doors SHOULD arrive with small red bumpers on the bottom of the posts, with Styrofoam on the posts, to keep them secured them in the box. The locks should have keys as well, two of them.
There are also SMALL tiny "set Screws" that are on the upper window posts, be careful,,,, they come out VERY easily, and roll around in the box, there are FOUR of them, and they are VERY tiny, so be careful. Open the box, and CHECK the posts [on the upper window] for these screws, they SHOULD be in the round post locks, if they are not, then they are probably rolling around in the box, find them, before you take these doors out of the box!
The next step should be, to do a "check fit placement" with the handles, in the correct position, by adjusting the screws in the bottom of the door, so that they fit in the door frame as best as possible. Only then, should you poke thru the fabric material, to then install the paddle handle closures. If you don't get the correct fit, BEFORE you install the handles, then they will most likely never fit correctly. This goes against what Bestop tells you to do, in the instructions. They tell you to just put the handles in, and, it won't work. An Awl tool is also the perfect tool to use, to poke the holes into the material. Do it, ONE HOLE AT A TIME, to make sure of the fit, and latching ability, (both with the opening and closing of the doors), is consistent.
Only after ALL of this" can you then partake in the, final "bending the Sh*t out of them". The bottom hinge, is the one that has to be bent outward, more so than the top one. We also managed to get most of the flapping stopped. The way that we managed it, was to get a 3" aluminum pipe, and use it as a "form" of sorts to bend and shape it, (more to the "natural shape", of the door itself).
They fit "better", but they don't have the fit that they need on the bottom of the door panels. The mere fact that Bestop, cannot fit these doors to the actual curve of the door frame, is what stumps me to no end. They are now onto the 2011's, and the shape of the door frame, has not changed, yet fitting these doors, adding extra weather stripping and bending, etc, is absolutely crazy, for a product that costs 400 bucks. It SHOULD be, ONE EASY step - Open box, put on jeep (okay thats two steps, but its WAY less than what we went thru, to get them on).
If you are patient,,,,,,they CAN work, but patience is a virtue with these doors. But like I said, the best thing to do, is to be very careful, that they are actually a NEW SET, when they get shipped to your house. I think that Bestop and the distributers, are trying to cut their losses, and are sending out the crappy ill fitting used ones, to unsuspecting customers. As a person that has seen the difference of what a damaged and used set looks like, when shipped, and of getting a brand new, un-used set shipped, the way that they are supposed to be sent, I can tell you that the difference that it will make, is clearly there. Its just a word of caution, and I hope that it helps anybody considering this making purchase. Because,,,,, when they do work, they are certainly worth the ease of use.
Also since they are so portable there should be a bag available for them, but since there isn't, I also plan on making a template, to make a carrier of some sort, to keep them safe, while in the back, when not in use. This way, I can keep them in back without getting scratched up, or ripped.
A note of caution:
When these doors come in, they should NOT have the door paddle handles on them already. If they are already installed, SEND them BACK!
This means that somebody has already had these doors, and could not get them to work, and THEY sent them back. I have a feeling that MANY of these sets are getting returned, and they are being sent back out, in HOPES that people can get them to work. -OR- are settling for a crap fit, because this is what people are doing with them. They hear that they fit crappy, and guess that this is as good as it gets, and keep them, with the ill fitting ways. They do fit badly at certain spots, but if you get a used and damaged set, no matter what you try to do, they won't fit as good as they CAN fit. ( I hope this makes sense, to those that have had so many problems with them. Had I not gotten the used set, and then subsequently the new set, I would have never figured this out).
The doors SHOULD arrive with small red bumpers on the bottom of the posts, with Styrofoam on the posts, to keep them secured them in the box. The locks should have keys as well, two of them.
There are also SMALL tiny "set Screws" that are on the upper window posts, be careful,,,, they come out VERY easily, and roll around in the box, there are FOUR of them, and they are VERY tiny, so be careful. Open the box, and CHECK the posts [on the upper window] for these screws, they SHOULD be in the round post locks, if they are not, then they are probably rolling around in the box, find them, before you take these doors out of the box!
The next step should be, to do a "check fit placement" with the handles, in the correct position, by adjusting the screws in the bottom of the door, so that they fit in the door frame as best as possible. Only then, should you poke thru the fabric material, to then install the paddle handle closures. If you don't get the correct fit, BEFORE you install the handles, then they will most likely never fit correctly. This goes against what Bestop tells you to do, in the instructions. They tell you to just put the handles in, and, it won't work. An Awl tool is also the perfect tool to use, to poke the holes into the material. Do it, ONE HOLE AT A TIME, to make sure of the fit, and latching ability, (both with the opening and closing of the doors), is consistent.
Only after ALL of this" can you then partake in the, final "bending the Sh*t out of them". The bottom hinge, is the one that has to be bent outward, more so than the top one. We also managed to get most of the flapping stopped. The way that we managed it, was to get a 3" aluminum pipe, and use it as a "form" of sorts to bend and shape it, (more to the "natural shape", of the door itself).
They fit "better", but they don't have the fit that they need on the bottom of the door panels. The mere fact that Bestop, cannot fit these doors to the actual curve of the door frame, is what stumps me to no end. They are now onto the 2011's, and the shape of the door frame, has not changed, yet fitting these doors, adding extra weather stripping and bending, etc, is absolutely crazy, for a product that costs 400 bucks. It SHOULD be, ONE EASY step - Open box, put on jeep (okay thats two steps, but its WAY less than what we went thru, to get them on).
If you are patient,,,,,,they CAN work, but patience is a virtue with these doors. But like I said, the best thing to do, is to be very careful, that they are actually a NEW SET, when they get shipped to your house. I think that Bestop and the distributers, are trying to cut their losses, and are sending out the crappy ill fitting used ones, to unsuspecting customers. As a person that has seen the difference of what a damaged and used set looks like, when shipped, and of getting a brand new, un-used set shipped, the way that they are supposed to be sent, I can tell you that the difference that it will make, is clearly there. Its just a word of caution, and I hope that it helps anybody considering this making purchase. Because,,,,, when they do work, they are certainly worth the ease of use.
Also since they are so portable there should be a bag available for them, but since there isn't, I also plan on making a template, to make a carrier of some sort, to keep them safe, while in the back, when not in use. This way, I can keep them in back without getting scratched up, or ripped.
03-05-2012, 08:26 AM
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Thanks for the review
These are on the top of my list because my favorite thing about my JK is going doors-off. The only thing that's keeping me from buying them is the negative reviews I keep hearing about them. They sound so iffy! I just wish another company would make some. From what I hear, the price of these things is way off. Flimsy, poor-fitting tubes? Sounds like a $200 product, not almost $500. I didn't know they didn't come with the bag: what a sham!
I'm hoping someone comes out with a write-up on their own way of doing doors like this-- seems like it could be done.
All that said, looks like these are the only option and I will end up having to buy them. So, how do they do with keeping the wind out? Think you'd run them in 50 degree weather?
I'm hoping someone comes out with a write-up on their own way of doing doors like this-- seems like it could be done.
All that said, looks like these are the only option and I will end up having to buy them. So, how do they do with keeping the wind out? Think you'd run them in 50 degree weather?
03-05-2012, 08:55 AM
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JK Freak
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These are on the top of my list because my favorite thing about my JK is going doors-off. The only thing that's keeping me from buying them is the negative reviews I keep hearing about them. They sound so iffy! I just wish another company would make some. From what I hear, the price of these things is way off. Flimsy, poor-fitting tubes? Sounds like a $200 product, not almost $500. I didn't know they didn't come with the bag: what a sham!
I'm hoping someone comes out with a write-up on their own way of doing doors like this-- seems like it could be done.
All that said, looks like these are the only option and I will end up having to buy them. So, how do they do with keeping the wind out? Think you'd run them in 50 degree weather?
I'm hoping someone comes out with a write-up on their own way of doing doors like this-- seems like it could be done.
All that said, looks like these are the only option and I will end up having to buy them. So, how do they do with keeping the wind out? Think you'd run them in 50 degree weather?
The WORST problems with them are the leaks, I have to keep towels in the jeep to stop the water when it rains - but I did do another write up called my Bestop Doors of Crap - they are indispensable for easy on and off doors, but I gotta tell you - the one thing that stays on my mind is this: The door jam on the JK is EXACTLY the same way on EVERY jeep. Why these doors are not fitted exactly to the door jams, and the new owner gets to fight and wrestle with them is completely mind boggling to me. These door should fit precisely like EVERY part that goes into the Jeep. Especially since it is being made by Bestop! They are "JEEP" If I order a set of floor mats for my JK, they fit - but for $400.00 why should I have to bend, curse, PRAY,,, and all sorts of other stuff just to get them to fit AND to close!?!? If it had not been for the stretchy Velcro straps, that I found to keep them in the door jam at high speeds, I'd be in trouble. Oh, and I almost forgot - when you take the top half of the window portion off - be SUPER careful of the locking nuts, falling out and being gone FOREVER! I lost three of mine in one afternoon,even after I tightened them up when I put them int eh back. The ONLY, and I mean ONLY product that I like from Bestop that I have purchased is the AWESOME Back Rack, that attaches to the Roll Bar.- it is indespensible and one of my better purchases for the Jeep period! That thing has saved the day more times than I can tell you simply because when the top is down, you need a secure way to latch things down - that rack allows for this. But, like I siad, it is the ONLY Bestop product that I am happy with - without a doubt! But as far as the soft doors - Yes, a different company should be making them, perhaps Bestop had a patent on them and no body else is allowed to make a better product, but I can say for sure - if it wasn't for the fact that I have a bad back and cannot take the doors on and off by myself, I would have sent them back- not even CLOSE to being worth the money spent on them.
:giveup :
