Agreed. I NEVER unzip the whole back window, even when I remove the whole top with the doors off. Zipping it back in takes forever. So I roll it up and place it in the straps (I also double up the elastic straps like you do when need a rubber band tighter so it is a tighter roll and doesn't budge).

It is now quite scratched up. But I choose to trade additional scratches each time for the ease and ability to have the windows gone (or back in) within a couple minutes.

Just my two cents, but when it annoys me enough, I'll just buy a new back window. I think a whole set of windows for the soft top is only $220. So the back window alone can't run more than $100, and I doubt you'd need to replace it more than every other year or so (I'm at 18 months and it is only now getting pretty bad, and I do this a LOT).

Besides, being as anal as I am about my Jeep, I like the rear window to have scratches to somewhat match all the tree branch scratches on my side windows.

 

I did this all the time in my TJ and it definitely will do a number on the window. My buddy is very anal about his windows and always zips them out and they still look great, not worth the effort IMO. In short, if you roll it up, it will deteriorate.

 

First I've ever heard of that, never had such an issue in 5 years of doing it w/ my TJ (which included some serious Arizona and Southwest heat).

 

Yeah, I'v had my JK for only a couple weeks and the rear window is already scratched from rolling it up (it hits part of the roof framing when rolled, so there are marks from that). I should mind as I am usually super anal about such things, but the "Jeep thing" attitude has allowed me to accept it. No sweat.

(And, as a side note, I have found the best way to keep the doors from being scratched off-road - take them off! Try that is an FJ.)

 

x2 this works great and after probably 25 or more roll ups no scratching at all.

 

The sun will fuse the windows together. I have had it happen on the TJ many times and the JK once. If they sit in the sun without anything b/w them you can expect it to happen. Eventually, when you get them apart they will be permanently wrinkled.

 

I don't roll mine at all, but most days I just unzip it (start from the drivers side) and just let it fall into the tub. This works well but still gets some minor scratches. Most of the scratches I have are from it being rolled.

BTW, I do this when I open the top too, I almost never take the rear window out with the top open.

Works for me.

 

A thought just occured. Is there enough strech in the provided straps to roll it up with a thin piece of cloth to keep it from beign scratched?

 

Just get a safarie or bikini top and don't worry about any windows. When I do run the full soft top, I just roll it and don't worry about it. I've been through two CJ's with about 5 tops. The bikini's have always been my fav, those windows will all eventually be scratched. If you take it in and out all the time your zippers will eventually crap out too. Just my two cents.

 

it's a soft top. look at any convertable and look at the soft windows. they scratch. jeeps even more, large areas and lots of use. it's just part of owning a jeep. glass doesn't scratch you could just get a hard top and not worry about it. if the jeep or top doesn't get scratched and was kept clean and like new maybe a nice suv should have been bought.