Are the black plastic door frames really needed, with soft-top on ?

Hopefully my title was clear enough, but on a JK 4-door is the soft-top secure enough at highway speeds using only the windshield latches, if all these are removed : plastic door-top frames, doors & side windows.

I see no reason why not, so why are they needed in the first place ? Its a convertible, they all leak....

 

Mine doesn't leak. That being said, if you drove on the highway without them, yes, the latches would probably hold. However, it would flap around a fair amount more than it would without them. You might want to consider removing the back window as well, as it won't do you any good in that scenario either.

 

i must have missed the point of this thread... you want to take the plastic frames out and just latch to the window.

maybe it makes sense to you, but it sure doesnt to me

 

missed that, Yes, rear window is also removed.

Im asking why are the plastic door-top frames even needed if the soft-top is secure enough without 'em for regular driving? With or without doors, side windows etc.

 

That's not going to work well. Why would you want to do that anyway? The door surrounds aren't hard to put on or take off. Go ahead and try it if you want to, but i don't thinkyou will like it.

 

They are there to keep the inside dry and secure.
I am sure you could run without them but as mentioned they will flap a lot. The plastic piece on the edge of the softop that clips into the frame will start wacking whatever it can.

 

I haven't tried it yet, but I get the question. Sometimes I take my door frames off and leave them at home when the top is down. I guess if there was some reason I really needed to put up the top, it would be nice to know I could drive around with just the windshield latches in place. It seems like it would work if necessary, but like others said-- it wouldn't exactly be ideal.

 

yea I think it would be a loose floppy mess.... and you MAY have a better chance mesing up the top with all that "looseness" flapping arround driving down the road...

 

Are you talking about taking the door surrounds out forever and having the top up or just for a few miles if you get caught in the rain and left them at home?

 

In a pinch , like if it started pouring..........just to get you home...............yes. Otherwise I think it would leak.............