DIY Solution to Bestop Trektop NX Full Convertible
 

After a year of having a hard top on my JKU, I quickly realized some major downfalls. While it was nice in the winter, I could not go completely topless without the assistance of another person, and I could not just put the top back on when the temperature dropped or started raining. Like many hard top Jeepers, I made the choice to go with a soft top for the summer, I chose the Bestop Trektop NX. The soft top was great, as I could easily go sun rider at a stop light, and unzip the back windows when ever I wanted. However, despite all the great features of the top, you still could not take the top with you if you wanted to go full convertible...until now.

I came up with (2) solutions for JKU owners. Before I start, I want to say I am not responsible for any damage or injury that occurs if you attempt to follow this thread, perform at your own risk. Also, I do not work for or promote Bestop, just a fellow Jeeper trying to help out the community! (PS: Bestop I do have bachelor's in mechanical engineering, PM me :wink:)

The first solution is straight forward and free, but leaves a little to be desired. I'm calling it the 95% Convertible.

Solution 1: 95% Convertible (est time: 10 min)

Step 1: Unzip and remove all windows.
Step 2: Fold Sunrider back, exposing the front seats to sunlight.
Step 3: Unhook tension springs on both sides.
Step 4: Unhook rear bow from brackets, but keep bow in the soft top. Secure with the same clips in the soft top that secure the bow to the brackets.
Step 5: Fold the Sunrider top back over the driver/passenger seats but do not latch.
Step 6: Unhook the middle bow straps from the sound bar.
Step 7: Roll the top from the back (with the rear bow and middle bow in it) all the way to the front, and remove the front and rear aluminum support bow. This is what it should look like (I left my front support bow in place):
http://i1249.photobucket.com/albums/...psmeri3zy3.jpg

Step 8: Fold the header bar over the back seats and secure with bungees/rope/tie down/nylon strap to prevent unraveling.
http://i1249.photobucket.com/albums/...psltnxsvhp.jpg

http://i1249.photobucket.com/albums/...pstw1kbpok.jpg

http://i1249.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7akculeu.jpg

This works great at a moment’s notice, and is very easy. However, most of the time when I go to concerts or the beach, I have people in my back seat. I sat back there with the top in this position and it is "ok". You still get the open air feeling, but you are still stuck with this bar above your head, so I let my creative side come out a bit…

Solution 2: Full Convertible Storage Brackets (est time: 2 beers)

What you need:
-(2) Factory Hardtop Bolts and retainers
-(2) 3" Zinc Plated Corner Brace (come in a 4 pack at Home Depot for $4, but I found mine in my misc bolts drawer in my garage)
-21/64" drill bit (we are only drilling the corner braces, not the Jeep)
-Grinder or Dremel

Step 1: Open up (1) hole (farthest from the bend) on both brackets using a 21/64” drill bit. This will allow the factory hard top bolt to go through the bracket.
http://i1249.photobucket.com/albums/...pslzvi7ezr.jpg

Step 2: Grind radius into brackets. This is not the same leg as the hole in Step 1. The driver side bracket will have the radius on the left side (looking at the bracket with leg towards you, see picture under step 3), and the passenger side bracket will have the radius on the right side. You can make a full radius on both brackets to make them interchangeable.
Step 3: Clean up any sharp edges or burrs. Wrap the leg of each bracket with the bolt hole with duck tape or put adhesive foam on bottom to prevent scratching, and secure it to the last hard top point on the bed rail with the factory bolt and retainer.
http://i1249.photobucket.com/albums/...pscn7gz1ym.jpg

Step 4: Perform all steps from Solution 1 “Rolled Up 95% Convertible”.
Step 5: Unhinge Sunrider bars from pivot points.
Step 6: Rotate Sunrider support bars towards the back of the Jeep and carefully move so support bar pins are near the brackets.
http://i1249.photobucket.com/albums/...psgazxou4r.jpg

Step 7: Clip Support bars into holes.
http://i1249.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7cvcfghq.jpg

Step 8: Using bungees/nylon straps/rope, secure the header bar to the back of the roll bar.
http://i1249.photobucket.com/albums/...ps68leaelq.jpg

That’s it! Now you can store your Trektop in the Jeep and not take up cargo space. Once you get the brackets mounted, they do not need to be removed when you put the Trektop NX back on, they clear just fine. I plan on painting them with a coat of bed liner or textured paint and using some adhesive foam in lue of the duck tape for clean look.
After the brackets are made, the entire process of removing the top and storing it takes ~15 minutes by yourself. I timed myself putting everything back together for the first time (including windows), and it took me 17 minutes.

Edit: Thanks Dodge4me for the link showing what to do with the windows as well! https://youtu.be/rVSGej8FJ_Y

I hope this helps anyone with a JKU Trektop NX! :cheers:

Wow. Good innovation there.....

Thanks silversurfer575! All my schooling finally paid off for $4 brackets haha

And for the rest of the parts:
https://youtu.be/rVSGej8FJ_Y

Good call Dodge4me :thumbsup: I edited my post to include your link

This literally couldn't have come at a better time, I'm putting my trektop NX on today.

Thanks for the guide and the video! Cheers!

No problem Havok287, good luck with the install!

I've generally just laid the whole top rolled up as you have it, across the back gate and bungeed it down there. I like your mount idea and am going to do this. Looks very secure. We just now have to find a way to lock it on to keep it from disappearing.
Now that I think about it, what would stop us from rolling the windows into the top as well, with cloth between them? This way you don't have to worry about having anything under the rear seats when the doors are off, but you still have your whole top, just in case!

A bike lock would work pretty well. Wrap it around the header bar and roll bar and we should be ok from thieves looking for an easy score. Not the best looking solution, but it's definitely easy and cheap...Plus it's the only thing that comes to mind right now.

I'm going to have to try wrapping the windows inside the top this weekend pending weather. That'd be nice because passengers like to put their hoodies, towels, purses, etc under the rear seats. Plus like you said, whenever you're doorless you know they'll be safe!

OK... you might have just saved me the trouble of selling my Trektop NX and buying a supertop, thank you for that. One question...Does anything keep the round black bar(the one that gets strapped to the sound bar, basically the hinge for the sunrider system) from sliding out of the rolled up top?

there is a plastic clip that should be there in the middle that clips over the fabric and holds it pretty tight. I don't think it would go anywhere.

Got it installed yesterday, went on real easy. Took me and a buddy about 2 hours or so, helped a lot that it was 90 degrees here in albuquerque the last few days.

Immediately tried the first trick and it worked like a charm, real simple to do. Probably gonna end up trying out the bracket method too, I like the look of it sitting on the rear roll bar.

For those of you that roll your windows up into a roll, Do you have any issues rolling up the sides that slide into the door surround? I'm assuming since mine is new they're super stiff, but I tried rolling them that way and it seems like I shouldn't be rolling it up

After the painfully long time it took to put it on I never even thought about taking it off until the hardtop goes back on. I guess it was everything else that was a total PITA, I am definitely going to try this over the weekend. Thanks for sharing your findings!

Good deal. I have been scratching my head. Thanks.

I tried rolling my windows when I made my brackets. I did not have any luck, but I did not try to take out the white stiffener on the inside. I am hoping that was my problem, as the guy in the video seems to roll his very easily. Another thing to note is that he rolls his in a towel. This is purely speculation but the added material from the towel increases the overall diameter of the rolled window, thus putting less stress on the window stiffeners (because you're bending it over a larger radius) making it easier to roll. That might be the secret to rolling the windows!

to roll the sides you have to take out the plastic corners. then roll them from side to side not up down.

Yeah I saw that in the video, however I was curious because the bottom part of the windows that tuck into the tub rails do not bend easily. I found a way to fold the window in half but it creased the window so I won't be doing that again lol.

I'll try the next time rolling up the tabs that sit in the tub rail, we will see how it goes.

are these procomp tires?

http://i1249.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7akculeu.jpg

They're Nitto Terra Grapplers AT, 285/70/R17. They have held up pretty well in Rochester weather (rain, snow, ice, dry pavement, mud). I haven't gotten stuck yet in the light trail ridding I have done, but I have had a couple close calls in mud right after rain. Not too loud on the highway either!

Once the window heats up again, the crease should come out. I would still rather roll the window than fold it though. I wasn't able to test the rolling the windows into the top this weekend, it was raining on and off every day :sad2:

Yes, the plastic that grabs the tub seems stiff, but rolls OK and flattens out nicely once unrolled. I've had my Trektop for a year now and it is a 5 min job to take off or put back on and so am no longer hesitant about taking it off anymore.

Damn it....I've run out of excuses for buying the trektop nx....lol...looks like the credit card is going to take a hit tonight!!

Make sure you PM some of the forum sponsors for a price, I got a great deal + there's $50 rebate through June 30th I believe

Just bought a Trek Top NX, brilliant, this shall be the first mod!

Awesome thread! I've had the NX for a couple months now and will definitely be using this method from now on!

Thread Revival
 

Forgot to post when this thread was alive :doh: but I figured now that it is soft top season it would be a useful revival. I was able to roll the back windows pretty easily, just like the video link shows. I did not need a towel, but its a good idea to keep them from getting scratched. Mine were already scratched so I didn't bother. They all fit under my rear seats.

Thanks for the info. Just put a nx on my jkur this week and realized then that full removal was quite as easy as I hoped. Seems like someone should sell these brackets for us less engineering minded folk.

NX Plus
 

Great DIY! Now that there's a NX Plus version, anyone knows if the same can be done with that version? (JK 2 door if if that matters)