I have an unlimited with a hardtop and am looking into getting a Bestop Bikini Top. My question may have less to do with the actual top, but I'm wondering if the windshield channel necessary for the bikini top interferes at all with the hardtop or does the windshield header need to be taken off when switching from hardtop to bikini top? If it's possible to leave it on with the hardtop, does anyone know of issues this may cause with leaking or noises?

 

I dont have the bastop bikini for our JK, but I have seen the header channels. You will have to take it off for your hard top, but they look like they are easy to remove.

 

The bikini header channel will have to be removed but it just clamps into the same location at the hard top. It only takes a second.

 

I have the bikini top. The header channel is attached to the canvas of the top, so you just pop the whole thing on or off. It only takes about 2 minutes to put on. You don't leave the header channel on if you want to put the hard top on. Keep in mind that if you don't have door surrounds like the soft toppers do, you'll have a gap between the roll bar and the door, which kinda sucks in the summer here in CO because it rains every afternoon. It still works fine without the door surrounds (that's how I'm running it). But it sure would be nice with them.

 

So, installing the header is just part of installing the bikini top then. Thanks for the info. I'm not too worried about the door surrounds b/c I'm really only considering the bikini top as a weekend/for fun option when I want to have some open air, but still not be completely exposed if the weather man turns out to be wrong.

 

I used my bestop bikini top for 6 months last year, I have the hardtop and not having the doors surrounds gets old if you do a lot of highway driving. The header channel never really leaked but since you can only connect the sides by the velcro straps the whole thing tends to fly up at high speeds and flaps around a good bit. I am going to get the door surrounds for this summer along with the windjammer and a duster deck to seal things up a bit more. As far as take on take off, its a breeze, you starting rolling the header and top all they way back and set it in the back. 2 of the velcro straps broke, but like I said, I did a lot of highway driving. I am going to sew them back up and go for another season.

 

I had it on for a month, now it is in storage and I'll go topless and clean up the water when it rains.

On the 4-door it flaps around a lot more than the factory. It also leaks a whole heck of a lot more than the factory.

It looks good, but that's about all I can say positive about it.

 

hey ryno, have u already purchased the bikini top? if not i have one for sale, i had a 4dr and used it once, then i ended up trading it in, now i have a 2dr with soft top so i have no need for the unlimited bikini top, im willing to sell it, it has the velcro straps so it does not require door surrounds, it is the besttop safari top with header channel, i paid $175 from 4wd.... make me an offer if u are interested, email me at e_batco@hotmail.com

 

If I have a hardtop, will I need the Mopar "Tailgate Bar" to install the duster cover?

 

Never mind. I just looked on the quadratech website and it has a little note at the bottom of the picture for the duster cover that the tailgate bar is required if you have a hardtop.