Who makes the best soft top for the JK?
02-08-2008, 02:13 PM
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Who makes the best soft top for the JK?
I tried a search on this, but the words “soft top” are used on this site about a million times.
With the weather getting nice I have been wanting to be able to cruise with top off, but don’t want to get caught away from home with no protection should the weather change. So I have been trying to find some info on soft tops.
My TJ was a hardtop model and now my JK is too so I have no experience with soft tops (with no rear seat or carpet I just usually ran the TJ with a Bestop bikini top).
I just checked out the Bestop website and did not see any soft tops for the JK except the replace-a-top (unless I am missing something). I would like to get some opinions on what the best soft top is. I am not sure if there is a better product out there than the OEM soft top.
If you have an aftermarket top please comment on what you like or dislike about it. Prices and picture are appreciated if you have them available.
For you guys and girls running the OEM soft top. Are you happy with it? Would you buy one if you had a hard top? Is there a way to run a Bikini top with the OEM soft top down and then install the soft top if the weather gets crappy?
Thanks for your help.
With the weather getting nice I have been wanting to be able to cruise with top off, but don’t want to get caught away from home with no protection should the weather change. So I have been trying to find some info on soft tops.
My TJ was a hardtop model and now my JK is too so I have no experience with soft tops (with no rear seat or carpet I just usually ran the TJ with a Bestop bikini top).
I just checked out the Bestop website and did not see any soft tops for the JK except the replace-a-top (unless I am missing something). I would like to get some opinions on what the best soft top is. I am not sure if there is a better product out there than the OEM soft top.
If you have an aftermarket top please comment on what you like or dislike about it. Prices and picture are appreciated if you have them available.
For you guys and girls running the OEM soft top. Are you happy with it? Would you buy one if you had a hard top? Is there a way to run a Bikini top with the OEM soft top down and then install the soft top if the weather gets crappy?
Thanks for your help.
02-08-2008, 02:45 PM
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02-08-2008, 05:50 PM
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02-08-2008, 06:30 PM
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heres the skinny...
Bestop actually makes the OEM top for Jeep, so whether you buy a bestop Replace a top, or the OEM top from the dealer or someone else, its the same quality top. the problem you will run into however, is that bestop currently does not sell the hardware, at least they didn't last time i checked. So your best bet is to go on ebay, or the for sale section here and buy the soft top from someone who is getting rid of theres. you can usually find them very reasonable, and anyone selling it from their jeep is going to have the hardware with it. the soft top is nice, i prefer it to my hardtop, but do run the hardtop in the winter for the obvious reasons. I have the four door and it takes a bit of getting used to to figure out all the tricks to folding the top up and down but its really pretty nice. If you have a second person to help you, it goes up and down in minutes... by yourself, it takes about 5-7 minutes. Either way, the soft top is great, i hope that helped
Bestop actually makes the OEM top for Jeep, so whether you buy a bestop Replace a top, or the OEM top from the dealer or someone else, its the same quality top. the problem you will run into however, is that bestop currently does not sell the hardware, at least they didn't last time i checked. So your best bet is to go on ebay, or the for sale section here and buy the soft top from someone who is getting rid of theres. you can usually find them very reasonable, and anyone selling it from their jeep is going to have the hardware with it. the soft top is nice, i prefer it to my hardtop, but do run the hardtop in the winter for the obvious reasons. I have the four door and it takes a bit of getting used to to figure out all the tricks to folding the top up and down but its really pretty nice. If you have a second person to help you, it goes up and down in minutes... by yourself, it takes about 5-7 minutes. Either way, the soft top is great, i hope that helped
02-09-2008, 05:16 PM
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heres the skinny...
Bestop actually makes the OEM top for Jeep, so whether you buy a bestop Replace a top, or the OEM top from the dealer or someone else, its the same quality top. the problem you will run into however, is that bestop currently does not sell the hardware, at least they didn't last time i checked. So your best bet is to go on ebay, or the for sale section here and buy the soft top from someone who is getting rid of theres. you can usually find them very reasonable, and anyone selling it from their jeep is going to have the hardware with it. the soft top is nice, i prefer it to my hardtop, but do run the hardtop in the winter for the obvious reasons. I have the four door and it takes a bit of getting used to to figure out all the tricks to folding the top up and down but its really pretty nice. If you have a second person to help you, it goes up and down in minutes... by yourself, it takes about 5-7 minutes. Either way, the soft top is great, i hope that helped
Bestop actually makes the OEM top for Jeep, so whether you buy a bestop Replace a top, or the OEM top from the dealer or someone else, its the same quality top. the problem you will run into however, is that bestop currently does not sell the hardware, at least they didn't last time i checked. So your best bet is to go on ebay, or the for sale section here and buy the soft top from someone who is getting rid of theres. you can usually find them very reasonable, and anyone selling it from their jeep is going to have the hardware with it. the soft top is nice, i prefer it to my hardtop, but do run the hardtop in the winter for the obvious reasons. I have the four door and it takes a bit of getting used to to figure out all the tricks to folding the top up and down but its really pretty nice. If you have a second person to help you, it goes up and down in minutes... by yourself, it takes about 5-7 minutes. Either way, the soft top is great, i hope that helped
This definitely helps. I had no idea that Bestop made the OEM top. Now I can buy a slightly used OEM without wondering if I should have went with the Bestop.
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02-09-2008, 08:00 PM
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Living here in Texas I love my softtop. I wanted the dual tops, but it just didn't work out that way. (I can be so impatient). Anyway I love the ability to drop the top whenever it's nice.
Last two days have been great. This evening my son and I were about an hour from home and it started getting late and at 70 on the highway a little chilly. The windows were at home, but we put the top up, rolled up the front windows and turned the heat on and was actually very pleasant, well until my feet got hot. Man that heater works.
I haven't bought one yet, but definately plan on buying a bag to roll my windows up in so I can toss them in the Jeep instead of leaving them at the house all the time, or having to wait till I get home to put the top down.
Last two days have been great. This evening my son and I were about an hour from home and it started getting late and at 70 on the highway a little chilly. The windows were at home, but we put the top up, rolled up the front windows and turned the heat on and was actually very pleasant, well until my feet got hot. Man that heater works.
I haven't bought one yet, but definately plan on buying a bag to roll my windows up in so I can toss them in the Jeep instead of leaving them at the house all the time, or having to wait till I get home to put the top down.
02-09-2008, 08:38 PM
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I thought Magna made both the OEM tops and those from Bestop (though, could just be the hard tops).
Jeep licensed the name "Sunrider" from Bestop to describe the soft-tops "sunroof".
Either way, both tops from Jeep and Bestop are made by the same people.
Please don't hesitate to correct the facts if I am wrong... I read so many posts from so many sites that I get confused (Too Much AMP and Swedish Fish).
Rob
Jeep licensed the name "Sunrider" from Bestop to describe the soft-tops "sunroof".
Either way, both tops from Jeep and Bestop are made by the same people.
Please don't hesitate to correct the facts if I am wrong... I read so many posts from so many sites that I get confused (Too Much AMP and Swedish Fish).
Rob
