Hey, I have a 2008 JKU with a factory hard top. I bought an oem soft top over the winter off craigslist. Now that I started looking at it I think I'm missing some things like two plastic clips that attach by the rear window and 4 screw on knobs? I have the door surrounds but is there any other hardware or header pieces that I'm going to need to make the switch? I don't want any surprises when I commit. Thanks!

 

Off the top of my head, you will need....

-4 door surrounds
-6 screw knobs (4 long and 2 short)
-2 clips for tailgate bar
-tailgate bar
-4 small torx screws for the knuckles that attach to the rear rollbar
-brackets for rear rollbar (that top bows attach to)

and of course the top, and windows.

Hopefully Im not missing anything...

 

Don't remember clips near the rear window, but those hard plastic tabs that are build into the top is all you need (Tricky the first time for me). Oh and the 4 longer allen screws if you can't get the other. The factory knobs has the leads which makes it nice for the install.

 

Im thinking he doesnt have the 2 plastic pieces that snap on on either side of the tailgate to hold the tailgate bar either?

 

Don't buy the screws to hold the surrounds because they are a bit expensive, you can make your own like I did. Just search the forums for the exact size threads needed to make them. I had to go to Ace Hardware to get them because they were somewhat unique, but it was like $5.00 total for all four instead of $25 EACH!!! ($100 total!!!) MOPAR 55397130AC - MOPAR® Door Surround Knob for 07-10 Jeep® Wrangler & Wrangler Unlimited JK - Quadratec

The rear bar retaining brackets are $15 each and you will need those.

Left: MOPAR 55395761AE - MOPAR&#174 Left Rear Tailgate Retainer Bracket for 07-13 Jeep® Wrangler & Wrangler Unlimited JK - Quadratec
Right: MOPAR 55395760AE - MOPAR&#174 Right Rear Tailgate Retainer Bracket for 07-13 Jeep® Wrangler & Wrangler Unlimited JK - Quadratec

 

Those suggestions covered all you will need to install the soft top. It will take you a few minutes the first time you do it, but after that, pretty quick.

 

Hopefully you did not pay too much. I can't believe a fellow Jeeper would sell you an incomplete top..

 

Ahhhh man I jumped the gun on that one...I paid 200 with shipping for the knobs alone and around 100 for the rest of the stuff...I paid 300 for the top which did come with the surrounds and rear window bar, so I guess I'm still somewhat ahead of the game? Haha

 

Okay so now I have everything, it just arrived via UPS. My only question now is, how do the knuckles attach to the brackets for the rear roll bar? I got the special torx screws which i assume mount the bracket to the roll bar, but how do the brackets attach to the knuckles, Are they just screws? And if they are should I just go to Autozone or wherever and with trial and error find the right ones?

 

The knuckles just attach to the brackets on the roll bar. Should be pretty straight forward