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| Bestop Supertop Installation |
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The Jeep project was coming to a close and winter was setting in, so I had decided
to buy a top so I could drive the Jeep in the cold. I had never intended it to see the New England winters
because of the amount of salt that is used on the roads, but I figured on the nice days, it would be nice to
drive.
So I ordered up the top from
4wheelersupply.
Once it came in, I opened up the package and checked it out to see what I had. This kit included everything. It
wasn't a replace-a-top or anything like that. This was the full-blown version that included rails to mount the
top without snaps as well as full soft doors that can be taken apart and unzipped.
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| I was really impressed with the quality of the supertop. The sticthing was very
impressive and the amount of care that went into hiding all the seams and sealing everything up was very impressive. With
everything unpacked, I set out to install the top. Directions are pretty straightforward for this. Basically you have a
set of "rails" that need to be installed on the top of the Jeep tub. These rails allow for the top to be installed over
them and then hold it in place. These rails are held in place by screws that need to be drilled through the top of the
tub. This takes quite a long time to do since there are like 24 holes to drill. I don't remember the exact number, but
there are a lot.
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Once the rails were all installed, the front windshield needed some attention in that I
had an old style windshield channel installed and that wasn't going to work with the new supertop. The old one was taken
off and then new one was put in its place along with the side vents on the windshield. This requires drilling through the
windshield frame, so when you do that, it might be a good idea to seal it up a bit with some silicone to prevent leakage
and rusting.
With the rails and other support members installed, it was time to fit the doors and put the top on. Once the
top is laid in place and stretched over the framework, the side windows zip in place and the installation is
complete. I realize I make it seem a lot easier then it really is, but plan on taking about 4 hours to install
this properly.
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| Lessons Learned the Hard Way |
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So, my lessons learned here would have to be that you shouldn't put in a soft top in the
dead of winter in New England. There is a very good reason that they guys from
Bestop tell you to lay this out in the sun on a warm day.
They really seemed to know what they were talking about since I couldn't get my top to stretch due to the cold.
It was actually quite amusing how pissed off I got.
Humor aside, read the directions and follow the order. I know as a fellow know-it-all that you know best, but believe me,
reading these directions greatly speeds up the installation time. Make sure you put the right connections on the right
screws, that make a big difference!
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| Conclusions |
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This is a pretty easy thing to do for a nice clean and dry look for the Jeep, that also
adds weather protection to your everyday driving. Two people would have really helped move this project along since
some of the items are bulky and it required running back and forth around the Jeep to accomplish the total installation.
Also, put your top on during the summer when it is warm, it will stretch a lot easier and you won't end up busting your
knuckles as I did. This will also help a lot in fitting the doors and angle of the windshield a lot easier due to the
pliability of the top.
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