Since the temperature has been dropping I put the hard top back on. Its been off all summer. I did occasionally run it with the freedom panels on. If the panels were not on they were in a storage bag.

When I first go the jeep I noticed the freedom panels had tar or some kind of lubricant on the corner of the freedom panels. That tar (or whatever it is/was) has dried up. In fact, this is a little lint from the storage bag where the tar used to be. The top is now making a creaking sound. The creaking seems to be coming from around the top where the freedom panels join with the main portion of the top. It isn't that bad on the pavement but was soon as you get on uneven terrain like a gravel or dirt road it starts creaking. It is very annoying.

Has anyone else experienced this? Any suggestions? I have tightened up all the bolts and the knobs on the sound bar.

 

Normal for dry gasket. I have owned automobiles with T-tops or Moon Roofs since the 70's. You should lubricate the sills regular. Use a good quality sillicone lube. Gasket lube works the best but builds up over several applications. Or you can just simply use the same stuff that you would use to wipe down your seats and dash.

 

Buy a block of Bert's Bees Beeswax. Works great to lube up the mounting points on the Freedom Panels.

 

Put mine up last week too. It's been off for about 2 years. It's making the same noise at the same place. Really annoying.

 

Go to any hardware store and ask for some plumbers silicon grease. Not the sealant but the grease, works good and keeps the rubber well lubricated.

 

Besides greasing your rubber, put some lube where the black L latches rub and hold the fredom panels down, that was the source of most of my squeaks.

 

Before you go making to much mess with lubricants check this out first. If it's not the problem then no harm done...

https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/show...aking+hard+top

 

Careful not to tighten the bolts to much. That might cause some creaking when you hit rough terrain.

 

If this does not fix it, every time mine squeaks, I check the screws that hold on the back portion of the hard top (it is basically just behind my left ear when I am in the drivers seat), and the screws have always been loose.

I tighten them back up and no more squeaking again for a month or two. It might be something as simple as those screws backing themselves out.

 

Usually when put my hard top on for the winter months, after running the soft top all summer, the hard top usually creaks a bit for the first few days, almost like it's just settling in place. Then I don't hear a thing.

At a minimum, definitely double check your bolts in the back to make sure they haven't worked themselves loose or are over tightened.