Door/Top options for YJ

[KCJeeper]

I have a 94 YJ. I just bought it two weeks ago. It came with a bestop soft top and a new bikini top. I have the half doors with soft uppers with zipper windows. I'm not a big fan of my soft top because it does not stay attached around the side on drivers side when I am driving over 45 mph, and the driver side door upper flaps away from the frame (1-2 inches depending on speed). This makes for a cold loud ride during winter.

I purchased a hardtop which is getting installed tomorrow. It is made by Astro Truck Accessories.

My question is on doors. Do upper door sliders fit the hardtop? Will that make a difference on the door flapping away? Is there a way to fix the door flapping? I looked and looked and can't figure out why the door does that on one side and not the other. Are the door sliders better on noise than the soft uppers. I've looked at getting full steel doors but they are hard to find used here in Kansas and really expensive. I ordered some new Bestop upper door sliders from a wholesaler on ebay, but the seller is now telling me that they will not fit with a hardtop. I'm a little confused here, please give me some input.

I am planning on rocking the hardtop in winter and bikini/no top when it warms up. The Jeep is not my daily driver, but I will take it to work some days and that involves about 30 miles of highway driving each way.

I would like the soft top a lot better if it fit right. Is this common with age, or maybe did the previous owner just not have it on right?

 

[Craig]

Where is the reverse light switch located?

I've heard there is a company out there that makes the hard upper doors for half doors that will fit a hard top but I don't know who. If you find out, let me know because I'll be in the market for some sometime before summer. As for your soft top slipping out, where exactly is it coming out? My Bestop Sunrider used to slip out at the rear corners. I have to adjust my windshield frame forward to pull the back of the soft top up tighter in the rear. Can't go too far foroward though or there will be a gap inbetween the windshield frame and the door. I also took a hammer and pounded the gap that the top fits into a little tighter. It fits good now.

 

[life_amateur]

I live in the same town where the astro manf is and I didn't even know they made jeep hardtops must be fairly recent. Anyway I was on there webpage and looked at some of the pics, they show one with with their hardtop with upper half doors.

http://www.astro-cap.com/thumbs/hardtops/jeepOnePiecehardtop.jpg

You might call them and see what upper halfs it would work with, bestop, steelhorse or these...

http://ourworld.cs.com/_ht_a/GaJeepsInc/id85.htm

I have a steelhorse hardtop with steelhorse uppers (I know I know it was on the jeep when purchased), it is not to bad, I have to do some finagling to get everything to fit satisfactory. What do you think of the quality of the astro?

 

[KCJeeper]

Astro hardtop gets put on today so I will find out guess.

 

[Sparky-Watts]

When I bought my Jeep, the original top was still on it, and both uppers would flap out an inch or two, I'm assuming because the frames had weakened. When the wind ripped that old top off, I put a new Best Top on with uppers. They don't flap at all now, and in fact are so stiff, it's hard to close the doors. Try bending the door upper frame inward toward the Jeep with the door open, so that it leans slightly to the inside. Then when the door is closed, there is a much tighter strain on the upper frame and it will hold in better with less flappage.

 

[TwistedCU]

If you buy anything at all to work with your new hardtop I would get the uppers that are made by the same company.

Bestop, Steel Horse, and the rest all say "not compatible with other tops". This may baloney, because how could they be different if they all work with factory doors but to be safe I'd stay with the same manufacturer.

 

[Craig]

Find a jeep with a stock hardtop and compare the measurements. I looked on Bestop's website today and found out that their upper door sliders will work with a factory hard top. I always thought they wouldn't.

 

[KCJeeper]

I talked to the Astro guy today and he gave me a deal on some Fiberglass upper doors that go with the top. I'm getting it all put on tomorrow.

The suggestion about bending the soft upper back in makes sense. I'll try that.