Gotta love the weahter in the Midwest. It was 80-82 degrees Monday and Tuesday. Today it was a high of 34, snowed last night and supposed to snow tomorrow night. Anyway, I bought my Jeep last Oct. I took the soft top down Sunday and it's been down since. Went to put in back on tonight and holly crap. Sunday was the first time I've had it off since we bought it, so tonight was the first time I've put it back on. Maybe it's time for a new top. Is it always EXTREMELLY difficult to put it back on.

My problem:

If I put the rear all together first (zipping everything up and fitting everything into place) I couldn't get the front two latches closed. If I closed the two latches first I couldn't get the rear installed. To get everything together I latched the two front latches first and then installed the rear. I had to get on the rear bumper, and push down on the top as much as I could to get the bottom hooked into place. Maybe this was because when I took the top off it was 80 degrees and tonight it was about 45-50 in the garage. I just can't see it being that hard on all Jeeps.

What is the proper way to put it back on. The front two latches are to be latched last, right?

Also, after doing all this, just above and behind the rear doors, the top doesn't come down enough (on either side) to velcro it shut. There is about 2 inches where I have a hole now that the top won't velcro to the windows.


Maybe it's just time for a new top. Any input. Thanks

 

I have a 2 door, but they aren't much different. The way I go about it is to rest the latches in the footman loops without latching them. Then I put the sail panels in the tub channel. I then latch the front latches. I'll start the side windows zippers about six inches then put the c channel on the door surround. I'll then slide the window down the door surround to take the vertical slack out and then zip them all the way up. I'll put the plastic bit at the bottom in the tub channel starting from the door surround and working back. Velcro it all up last while using pressure to keep some of the wrinkles out. I'll put the back window in last. The trick to zipping around the curves is to make sure the window is slid all the way to the side of the curve you're about to zip around to line it up without making the zipper do the alignment, and to pull down on the corner of the top a little to give some more slack. Once you've done it a couple times it'll take less than ten minutes by yourself, especially when it's warm out and the top is soft.

Hope my ramblings help out.

As for the gap on the sides, I really have no idea.

 

My guess would be the temperature is the cause. The manual says not to install or remove the top below a certain temp. I believe it's around 50 degrees.

 

I had the same problem last fall. Look at all of your screws that house the hinges and connecting pieces of the top. I had a missing screw in one and once I replaced it worked fine. Hope this helps you. I will post a pic tomorrow with the screw that was missing , and where it came from .