Rubi28

This may be a dumb question but... never owned a Jeep let alone a soft top for a Jeep so any advice I can get would be greatly appreciated. I removed the soft top and installed the hard top. There are 2 different sets of bolts in the bow bar brackets, 1 set goes in to the roll bar and the other set holds the bow to the bow bracket. My question is do most people leave the bow brackets bolted to the roll bar and remove the bolts that hold the bow to the bow bracket or remove the bolts from the roll bar? I am not sure if the previous year JKU's had a setup EXACTLY like this with 2 sets of bolts but anyways, I removed the bolts from the bow brackets and left the brackets installed on the jeep. I thought it might be easier but it seemed to kinda "spring" when I slid the bow off of the bracket so now I am not sure if I can even get the soft top back on period without taking the brackets off anyways. Am I missing something here? Just seems like a huge pain to the the soft top on and off... If you are wondering why I didn't take the brackets off in the first place it's because when the bolts were put in from the factory I think one got cross threaded into the roll bar and I did not want to mess with it if I didn't have to. Any advice you can give or "procedure" on exactly how you install and un-install your soft top would help. Thanks again.

Chadc880

Here you go sir

http://youtu.be/sb-scTkvg84

Rubi28

Thanks for your reply. I actually watched this video before I posted to the forum, lol. Which led me to the question of whether Jeep changed something in 2013-2014 on the brackets because his doesn't look exactly like mine. Where he talkes about some people selling the soft tops on ebay without the brackets part. The bolts he refers to are different then what I have. I have 2 bolts that fit a 10MM socket. Take them out and the bow slides up and off the bow brakets then holy $hit hang on cause it springs to the heavens when you slide it off.

Chadc880

That is a video that I made

However I have heard several people talk about a specific temporary strap that was installed at the factory as a temporary option and I'm guessing this is what everybody is referring to is the spring activating once the top is removed without the strap installed

Rubi28

WHOA! Just realized that the guy in the video is you!!! haha, I have watched all of your videos and found them VERY helpful in figuring out the Jeep top situation with the little to no instructions Jeep provides us with. So thanks for that big time! Am I making any sense about what might some kind of design change? I can take a picture tonight and post it if I can figure out how. Maybe you can compare it to what you have.

Rubi28

Here is a link to an ebay post for 2013-2014 JKU brackets. Definately a change. It has some good pics of what I have.


Jeep Wrangler 2013 2014 Unlimited Soft Top Roll Bar Brackets Screws Mopar | eBay

Red Rubi 124

Yes there is a retaining strap that holds the spring loaded top together when you take it off. There should have been warning labels attached to each retaining strap saying not to remove top without these being attached. I would recommend attaching the straps and taking everything off the toll bar in one piece and not leaving the brackets on there. Worked great for me.

Rubi28

Now that you say that I think you are right. I do a couple straps but... I don't remember a warning label. The dealership removed the soft top for me when I bought the Jeep and I think they cross threaded a bolt in the roll bar. Actually I know they did.... so I was trying to get out of taking them off but... may be a tap and die job... thanks for the post.

13_gecko_rubi

The straps are permanently attached to the bows. You have to attach like pic by spring mechanism to keep it from popping open when you remove top. The strap has a snap on it too that attaches to top at opposite end of bow so dealership may have put it there.

I just leave my brackets on the roll bar and remove the other two screws as I found it easier. It's personal preference.

Rubi28

ok, thats what I was hoping I could do. Glad I am not crazy here... Although I do have another slight problem... I got against a tree in a bad predicament one day in the woods and I managed to bend the spring assist brackets. I bent them back the best I could but it looks like a monkey's @$$ if you could imagine... Do you or ANYBODY have any idea where I can find these brackets. I am not talking about the bracket that bolts to the roll bar but the actual spring assist pivot bracket deal on the soft top itself. Thanks.