Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ engine mounts

Insulation options for hardtop

JessicaJeeper08

JessicaJeeper08

TJ Enthusiast
Original poster
Joined
Jan 21, 2025
Messages
104
Location
Huntsville, Alabama
Does anyone have recommendations on what I could install to insulate my Jeep a little better? I keep the hardtop on all the time and I’ve taken out the carpet in the back but kept the front. I also cut a thick rubber mat to cover the back as I run without the rear seat.

Looking for something to make it cooler in summer and warmer in winter.

Thanks!
 
foam.jpg
 
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No way I'm paying hundreds of $$'s for one of those insulation kits. I run a full length spiderwebshade. For winter I unfold an old sleeping bag and spread it on top of the shade then pop the hardtop on. Keeps the heat down lower in the cab. And it's free.
For summer the hardtop goes so can't help you with personal experience on that aspect. I do recall a few southern members painted the roof of their hardtop white to reflect the suns heat, they said it helped
 
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Mac57 said:
No way I'm paying hundreds of $$'s for one of those insulation kits. I run a full length spiderwebshade. For winter I unfold an old sleeping bag and spread it on top of the shade then pop the hardtop on. Keeps the heat down lower in the cab.
Click to expand...

That actually makes a noticeable difference in the winter?
 
Anything you put on it will be a thermal break and anything is better than nothing. I just have the indoor/outdoor patio carpet (don't know the name but that is the best way to describe it). I glued it on with carpet glue and used a heat gun to massage it around the corners.
 
NKlekas

Thread 'Hard Top Insulation'

I recently installed the "Hot Headliners" sound dampening/Insulation kit for my LJ. I had the "Boom Mat" insulation on my last jeep which I really liked. HotHeadliners comes with more for the sound and insulation and I wanted to give them a try. I thought I'd share some pics and info on it.
With the Hot Headliner kits, there are 3 things you can add to your hard top for the dampening/insulation: ceiling mats, side mats, and "sound assassin strips". I went with all 3 because 1. I have no self-control and 2. My Jeep is my DD, I drive it a ton on highways/interstates and I get...
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No one has mentioned Dynamat or similar products? It's basically an adhesive sound deadening/insulating product.

I'm thinking I will put this on my hard top and then get some stretchy soft material to make a headliner.

Some day I plan to pull most of my interior and put adhesive sound deadening/insulation down and put the carpet back.

I do like the idea of throwing a sleeping bag on top of the sun shade. That's a good cheap solution for now.
 
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macleanflood said:
https://hotheadheadliners.com/collections/1997-2006-jeep-wrangler-tj

-Mac
Click to expand...

I've seen that before, but I don't trust those Velcro fasteners to hold up for any length of time in the Arizona heat, especially being right on the top. Over the course of a few years, I have lost 2 sets of roll bar speakers, multiple roll bar grab rail handles, and a CB internal speaker due to the extreme summer heat. I just do not trust Velcro (or that adhesive) to last any length of time.

  • Attached with 2" high-quality, adhesive-backed Velcro
 
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Limestone said:
No one has mentioned Dynamat or similar products? It's basically an adhesive sound deadening/insulating product.

I'm thinking I will put this on my hard top and then get some stretchy soft material to make a headliner.

Some day I plan to pull most of my interior and put adhesive sound deadening/insulation down and put the carpet back.

I do like the idea of throwing a sleeping bag on top of the sun shade. That's a good cheap solution for now.
Click to expand...

I insulated my whole tub with the foam backed siless brand from amazon and i don't feel it did much, so I'm thinking a thick layer like the sleeping bag might do the trick for the roof and as for the floor the butle rubber would probably have worked better
Amazon Sound-Deadening-Foam
I'm also contemplating just selling my hard top and going back to my soft top and just give up on the quite soundproof goal

IMG_8120.jpg


IMG_8121.jpg
 
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It gets hot hot where Im at right now, and I had been looking at insulating the hard top.

But I tinted the windows last summer. 5% on the three in the hard top, 35% on the doors, and a clear UV on the windshield.

The heat reduction inside was shocking. No interest in insulating the top now.

Want to address the floor though. Cup holders can keep coffee hot :D
 
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I used a butyl rubberized / foil backed type product on my floor pan. Here in Western Australia it gets bloody hot - we had 115F in Perth last week and that product has worked wonders for reducing the heat coming up from the road into the cab. Its a sticky rubber backed product and quite heavy. For the hardtop, I used a much lighter weight closed cell foam with foil to cover the interior. More for noise reduction than heat management though as in Summer the roof is always off and in winter it never really gets below about 45F down here so I can't really comment on how effective it is at that! https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07T53HBSY?tag=wranglerorg-20
 
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Swiss-cheese TJ-6 said:
I insulated my whole tub with the foam backed siless brand from amazon and i don't feel it did much, so I'm thinking a thick layer like the sleeping bag might do the trick for the roof and as for the floor the butle rubber would probably have worked better
Amazon Sound-Deadening-Foam
I'm also contemplating just selling my hard top and going back to my soft top and just give up on the quite soundproof goal
Click to expand...

Interesting... I'm wondering without the hard top also insulated in some fashion it would be really hard to tell? It would be interesting if you had only put the blanket or whatever under the hard top and took a db reading and then a db reading with only insulation on the tub and then db reading with everything together to see the difference.

When I switch between soft top and hard top, its a hugely noticeable difference in wind/road noise. Seemingly from the leading edge of the roof, but I have no idea really.

Something HAS to be better than just the carpet and fiberglass hard top shell right?
 
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