Need advice on a hard top

[socal_rob]

I'm thinking about getting a hard top for my 99 Wrangler. Any suggestions? I've so far found ones by Bestop, Top Dawg, and Pavement Ends. I'm sure there are more out there. Has anyone had experience with any of these?

As far as features go, a sunroof sounds good and a rear window defroster. A roof rack would be cool too, especially one that can hold skis. Other than that, I want a top that's easy to take off. Since I live in southern California, I will definitely want to revert to a soft top (or just a little half/bikini top) in the summer months.

Thanks very much for your advice!

-Rob

 

[Craig]

I don't have any experience with aftermarket hardtops as my jeep came with the factory one. Your cheapest bet would be to find a stock one at a wrecker. As for the ones with the sunroofs and removeable front halves, I've heard they leak, especially if you take it off road and get any flex in the top. I've also heard the ones with the removeable front halves are very noisy...squeak a lot over bumps. You might have a hard time finding people with aftermarket hardtops because I think most people have their stock hardtop or have bought a stock used one for much cheaper.

 

[Tug-n-pull]

Polar Paragon Trip

I did have a targa two piece top by Pavement Ends. It was not noisey leaky or bad other wise. I did have trouble getting parts for it from the company. They just told me pretty much to bad you need parts we are not in the parts business. So there for that and no other reason I shall never pay good money for anything from that company. tug

 

[jeeperjoe]

why would you want a hardtop in southern california?

 

[socal_rob]

poor gas mileage 258 fuel injection MOPAR

because it gets COLD out in the desert at night...not to mention ski trips, etc. and for long distance drives, the soft top is NOISEY.

-rob

 

[ZBTstang]

dude save your money with the sun roof option....you can take your top off !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[socal_rob]

true enough! how easy is it to remove the hardtop? i have a garage for storage...

-rob

 

[brian4.2]

I run the hard top in the winter in Socal, its a "steel horse" POS two piece. Nothing or an extended( over passenge) bikini for the other 10 months. I think it was stock on the jeep. Dont buy one of these but the hard top concept is great, I to want to take it snowboarding.
Easy to remove, just undo the 8 lever catches (if they havent rattled undone) and 2 people can lift it off and set it down

 

[ZBTstang]

First my apologizes for strecthing out the post with the stupid !!!
Second, they sell a hard top removal/storage gadget that hooks up inside the top of your garage. I havent seen it work, but from what I understand you just pretty much latch it onto the hard top, undo the clamps on the hard top, and hoist the hard top off like a pulley, and it locks up there for easy storage and reinstalation.

 

[Inspector-Gadget]

Hi Rob,

BTW...Welcome to Jeepz.com.

I read the entire thread and thought I would add my $00.02 worth of perspective. Hopefully, I will not walk over already well-trod ground.

I have an OEM hardtop. I think it is of better construction quality than aftermarket hardtops. Just my opinion -- others might disagree.

I find that the hardtop isn't really quieter or warmer than the soft-top. They are both noisy: the soft-top slaps and whistles, the hardtop rumbles. Pick your poison. The Jeep heater is adequate with either top installed.

One advantage of the hardtop during winter becomes apparent when there is 18-inches of fresh, lake-effect (wet and heavy) snow on the Jeep. The hardtop won't sag and permanently stretch under that snow-load. The glass windows of the hardtop hold up to winter temps and road salt better than plastic soft-top windows. The hardtop liftgate is easier to work with gloved hands at 12 degrees-F than soft-top rear window zippers and snap-fasteners.

In my opinion, the hardtop is the safer choice during winter. By way of example: a sport peculiar to snow country is called "ice frisbee." Here is how the game is played: you drive at 65-MPH behind an 18-wheeler on an interstate highway. You wait until a manhole cover-sized sheet of ice peels off the trailer roof. You then watch the ice frisbee sail, soar, flip in the air and fall toward the ground, and you catch the ice frisbee on the roof of your Jeep. The ice frisbee game is best enjoyed in a hardtop equipped Jeep.

As regards hardtop storage and installation, I put together a lifting system using a ganged-pulley rope hoist purchased from Harbor Freight. I can remove or replace the CJ hardtop, working alone, in less than 30-minutes. The hardtop spends the summer in the garage, suspended from the roof rafters. But, we have high, peaked roofs here in snow-country, so I can hoist and store the hardtop high enough above the garage floor to walk under the hanging hardtop. The hardtop is safely stored and does not create a walk-around nuisance. Total cost: around $20.

Roofrack: You might want to do some measuring. My CJ (lifted by 3-inches), with hardtop, clears the garage door opening with only 3 or 4-inches of vertical clearance to spare. Add a roofrack, and the CJ might be too tall to go in/out of the garage. Your situation, of course, might differ.

I hope my thoughts prove useful.

Regards,

Gadget