Phantasm

Your Attachment is not working for me...

akoop

Great write up and it looks great on your rig. How hard is it to put the soft top down? I really would like to get one of these for my Jeep, but I need the ability to put the soft top up and down.

bstpierre

My guess is that you remove the cross bars but we can wait for the original poster to comment.

Phantasm

Yes the intermediary cross bars must be removed to put the soft top down. I always use the velcro straps to hold the sunrider bars tight together before putting the soft top down. I also make sure I have really neat tight folds on the sunrider portion.

Once you release the sunrider top 'locks' the rear will fall to the tail gate and you have to put the sunrider folds up on top of the rear (permanent) crossbar. The folds will rest up there while you do the next part. You have to take the sunrider arms and kinda pull them down/around the rear door surrounds, it doesn't take much effort, but they don't slip right by. Once you clear the arms on both sides the top will essentially fall down to the rear tailgate, it's best to 'catch' it as it falls of course. You may need to push the soft top plastic edges of the folds in/over the rear cross support to get it to slip by.

The operation is definately easier with 2 people but I'm 6'3" and can manage it myself with no significant issues. Is it ideal and easy? no, but it's doable.

Putting it back up is the reverse. It took me 2 or 3 tries to really get a good feel for it, now it's routine.

Phantasm

Side note:

Last week I installed my hard top with the rack in place. No issues there, I did it with 4 guys, one on each corner. Glass was open and gate was closed. Slipped right in from the back.
I'll post a pic here soon.

akoop

Are the bars bolted together or do they have some sort of quick disconect?

Phantasm

They are bolted but not permanently. They came with a crappy nylock nut inserted in to a hand tightenable cap. The plastic was too weak to tighten the nylock nut against. I replaced that setup with stainless steel wing nuts.
I use an allen wrench on the bolt and pliers to loosen the wingnuts free of tension and then it comes off really easy by hand. Those tools stay in the jeep along with Torx bits for the doors.

The bars are just short enough to fit length wise from front to back, inside, behind the drivers seat and can be squeezed between the 40/60 split in the rear seat cushions.

I stow them in my shed typically.

Phantasm

I finally got some off road lights installed on the roof rack light tabs and thought I'd pop up a few photos:

Hella Fogs on the outside aimed to light up the corners and
KC DayLighters - 100W Long range for down the road.
Wired in to the A-pillar via relays with a RR A pillar replacement on order.

Phantasm

Thought I'd toss up a photo of the rack with the doors, surrounds and tops off.

traveler57

Thanks for such a great and useful write up.

Just wondering if you have any experience with putting canoes and kayaks on the rack yet. Or if you have pictures.

I have the same idea of using both my hard and soft tops (6 months each) and being able to carry both my canoe and one (maybe two) kayaks (w/ J-carriers).
And being able to lower and raise my soft top easily is key. In the northeast, even in the summer, I cannot just leave the top down all day. Yes, I can see there will be some small disadvantages with this rack, but it still seems to be able to do the most for the least amount of money.

Your thread has really helped me make the decision to get this same rack. With my last question being if you have used the rack for canoes, kayaks, or anything heavy. I also want to put on off-road lights, but I am guessing that I will have some compromises there too, if the lights get in the way of the canoe/kayak.

thanks in advance for your comments and/or pictures.

BTW- maybe a template/measurement set for your rear mount hole through the stock bumper is possible? I will still measure three times, cut once like you, but your work was really spot on and looks perfect.