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Retaining clips for soft top
I was wondering if the retaining clips found on the soft top door surrounds can be removed. I'm attempting to use a JK wraparound windjammer on my JKU, but the retaining clips appear to be in the way. At the least, they look like they pierce the bikini top from Bestop.
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If you're talking about the spring loaded latch that hold the sunrider portion in place, no, those can't be removed. Instructions for the few tops that use the door surrounds like that will typically have you press that lever down (which will have the rear of the level then sticking up a bit) and pull the top over it. This will leave a bit of a bulge right there in the top that you can typically see in some of the advertising pictures.
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Yes, that's what I'm talking about
Thank you, resharp001! That's indeed what I was talking about. It's a bummer those can't be removed as it seems everything else on a Jeep can be modified. I did see those pictures and saw the bulge where the latches are. Just hoping not to puncture the bikini top. I'll probably put a hand towel on top of the latch to soften any sharp point.
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2 thoughts......
1) keep an eye out on CL for a random set of door surrounds that are cheap and you could mutilate to remove that. I recall looking at mine one time for someone else asking this question, and it looked like you'd have to ruin that part of the door surround to get it out. I don't recall it looking like a rivet you could remove and then simply use a bolt or something instead....but it was some time ago that I looked at it. 2) maybe use a heavy duty fabric patch on the underside of the top, adhering with some spray adhesive, to help reinforce the material on each side in that specific area. My surrounds are on my garage ceiling for storage. If I remember I'll grab one when I get home and look at that again. I just recall it not being simple, but I'm curious again. |
Originally Posted by resharp001
(Post 4328438)
2 thoughts......
1) keep an eye out on CL for a random set of door surrounds that are cheap and you could mutilate to remove that. I recall looking at mine one time for someone else asking this question, and it looked like you'd have to ruin that part of the door surround to get it out. I don't recall it looking like a rivet you could remove and then simply use a bolt or something instead....but it was some time ago that I looked at it. 2) maybe use a heavy duty fabric patch on the underside of the top, adhering with some spray adhesive, to help reinforce the material on each side in that specific area. My surrounds are on my garage ceiling for storage. If I remember I'll grab one when I get home and look at that again. I just recall it not being simple, but I'm curious again. Keeping an eye on CL for a second, cheaper set of door surrounds is a great idea! Not only are these my first posts on JK forum, but this project is also my first step away from my stock JKU. I put my door surrounds back on and I'm happier with them on than off. It appears to be significantly more rain resistant. Though it's not as good as my soft top, it just might due. |
I just looked at mine tonight. I'm going to revise my response and say if you COULD find a way to get that pin out, you could drill all the way through and use a bolt/nut to hold the lever in place as there is room to hold a nut on the other side. The pin that holds it is splined, and inserted from the outside towards the inside, but does not go all the way through. It looks like a metal pin, so can't imagine it would be fun trying to drill that out. I wonder if using an EZ out would work....if the plastic splines on the molding itself would just strip and give way, allowing the pin to come on back out fairly easily. Those are $100 pieces brand new, so that's the maximum risk if you jack it up so bad it's ruined. I do think it would be nice to just have a 2nd set handy, but I'd guess that might be hard to locate at a decent cost. It might be worth a shot if you have an EZ out. I think you'd realize if it's going to work or not pretty quickly, and I don't think you can do too much harm trying tbh.
**Edit - I couldn't stand it. I don't value my soft top much as it's just a trail top. I just went and tried the EZ out and that did not work. That peg is in there good....and the EZ out just stripped the drilled hole. Having drilled a small hole in the peg though, I do think you could carefully drill that out. You'd just need to use a center punch to get a good start, and then gradually step up the bit size. |
Originally Posted by resharp001
(Post 4328490)
I just looked at mine tonight. I'm going to revise my response and say if you COULD find a way to get that pin out, you could drill all the way through and use a bolt/nut to hold the lever in place as there is room to hold a nut on the other side. The pin that holds it is splined, and inserted from the outside towards the inside, but does not go all the way through. It looks like a metal pin, so can't imagine it would be fun trying to drill that out. I wonder if using an EZ out would work....if the plastic splines on the molding itself would just strip and give way, allowing the pin to come on back out fairly easily. Those are $100 pieces brand new, so that's the maximum risk if you jack it up so bad it's ruined. I do think it would be nice to just have a 2nd set handy, but I'd guess that might be hard to locate at a decent cost. It might be worth a shot if you have an EZ out. I think you'd realize if it's going to work or not pretty quickly, and I don't think you can do too much harm trying tbh.
**Edit - I couldn't stand it. I don't value my soft top much as it's just a trail top. I just went and tried the EZ out and that did not work. That peg is in there good....and the EZ out just stripped the drilled hole. Having drilled a small hole in the peg though, I do think you could carefully drill that out. You'd just need to use a center punch to get a good start, and then gradually step up the bit size. |
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