I currently own a 2009 Jeep Wrangler unlimited with a hard top. I did not get the dual top option however I am now looking to get a soft top. I've seen several soft tops being sold that are from the dual top option. Will this soft top fit directly on to my jeep or will my jeep be missing side and rear channels that the soft top will clip into? I know I am obviously missing door surrounds and my header channel but I am just wondering if there is anything else.

I would be very interested in hearing from someone else who has has made this same conversion.


P.S. Busted my windshield 2 weeks after having to replace it. . . FML

 

Mopar soft top is expensive, and you need the door frames.
You can find a used one on this forum

There is also the Bestop Supertop. Cheap price. Same soft top, but the hardware is different. I had both, and I prefer the Mopar.

http://www.quadratec.com/products/11102_023X_PG.htm

 

The dual top option will fit on your JK, but just make sure you get all of the hardware to go with it. Most of it needs to be removed to install the hardtop.

If you search you find a thread from last summer where some one in your situation posted a list of the hardware parts.

 

Okay, I'm going by memory here: The seller should provide you with the softtop (it has the header channel built in), the door surrounds (two for front, and two for rear, if applicable), large plastic headed bolts to hold door frames in place, the hinges that attach the softtop to the roll bar, the screws for those hinges, the rear window support bar, the two plastic clips that hold the support bar onto either side of the tailgate (not on the tailgate, but just outside it on each side of the tub), and the windows. I think that's a general summary of parts. Oh, and a couple Velcro strips which no one seems to figure out what they are for (if you don't get them, don't worry--they're to hold windows up, sunrider top down, etc, and many of us don't even have them). The door surrounds and the rear window support bar/plastic clips are usable when installing some versions of safari tops, so the seller may wish to keep those. So, make sure you understand what you're buying from him.

BTW: There are differences between softtops from '07 and other early years, to now. Not sure how that affects my description above.

 

I've got the dual-tops on mine and switch to the hard top for winter and road trips. The factory soft top should have the windshield channel installed already. The other pieces you would need are the frames that go over the front doors and behind and over the rear doors (think C-pillar). From what I remember, there are 2 additional short and 2 additional long hand-turn bolts that hold these pieces in place along with re-use of the 2 front torx bolts from the front of the hard top. In addition, the rear window will need the channel for the bottom, and the 2 plastic clips that it snaps into on each side of the tailgate.

I'm pretty sure that's everything, but I guess I'll know for sure when I put the soft top back on in a couple weeks

 

I was in the same boat last summer. I had the hard top but wanted the soft top too for summer months. I bought a mopar top from someone on the forum and it was brand new in the box. Definitely worth the money. I am really impressed with the soft top and how sturdy it is. It's really easy to put up/down. I also think it looks a lot better than the hard top, but I love having the hard top for the winter months here in Colorado.

 

I agree, except I;m in IL not Colorado. The rear defrost is pretty nice. It's be hard to scrape ice/snow/frost off the plastic softtop windows without screwing them up.

 

Can I ask what you didn't like about the Supertop?

 

The hardware sucks

With the Mopar, you put the 4 door frames, it takes 2 minutes and here you go...and there is no adjustment

With the Bestop door frames, there's about 20 bolts and screws that you have to adjust. It takes several hours, and if it not adjusted at 100% water will go in the Jeep by the doors
And I'm not talking about the small leaks of the Mopar soft top, I'm talking about Niagara Falls!

Also, the Bestop windshield channel is not solid enough, there is a lot of wind noise.

If you have the extra money, I would buy the Mopar

 

A hard-top-only Jeep may not have the brackets on the real roll cage pillars that the soft top bows connect to. Make sure you get those if you don't have them.