Soft top options

[Imagineer]

The '97 I just obtained did not come with a roof. It does have the OEM half doors (no windows though) and soft top window surrounds.

I'm curious if there are opinions out there as to which aftermarket soft top kit offers the easiest removal and reinstall, or is an OEM top and hardware a better option?
My 1st TJ had the OEM soft top which disintegrated when I tried removing it.

I'm on the fence whether to use the parts on hand and piece together a soft top, or just find a hard top & doors. When outfitted with a roof and doors, this Jeep will be parked outside.

 

[TheBoogieman]

Bestop used to be the best top.
p.s. Bestop is oem.

 

[NashvilleTJ]

The '97 I just obtained did not come with a roof. It does have the OEM half doors (no windows though) and soft top window surrounds.

I'm curious if there are opinions out there as to which aftermarket soft top kit offers the easiest removal and reinstall, or is an OEM top and hardware a better option?
My 1st TJ had the OEM soft top which disintegrated when I tried removing it.

I'm on the fence whether to use the parts on hand and piece together a soft top, or just find a hard top & doors. When outfitted with a roof and doors, this Jeep will be parked outside.

If you are looking for a high quality, stock config top which will last, Bestop is generally the best choice. They are the OEM manufacturer for our rigs. But, they are expensive. You definitely get what you pay for.

There are many cheaper options out there, but the quality and durability drops quickly.

In terms of easy of installation / removal, they are all about the same. Someone else here may have some better info there.

I run a Rampage frameless fastback top, and love it. But, I generally damage them on the trail before they have time to wear out. I’ve been through four in twenty years, so for me, they are a wear item.

 

[red02tj]

And Bestop is having their best sale in years.

https://www.bestop.com/products/?page=1

 

[NashvilleTJ]

And Bestop is having their best sale in years.

https://www.bestop.com/products/?page=1

I actually like the Jeep tramp-stamp.

 

[Mudflat]

Our original top was in great shape, but it was so difficult to operate that we just never opened the Jeep up to enjoy the nice weather. We remedied that problem by buying a Bestop Trektop NX. This is a frameless top that is VERY easy to open up & if was also quieter than the factory top. It doesn’t completely open up, but it leaves you with a bikini top for shade & the top over the front seats opens up & flips back.
We love it!

 

[NashvilleTJ]

Our original top was in great shape, but it was so difficult to operate that we just never opened the Jeep up to enjoy the nice weather. We remedied that problem by buying a Bestop Trektop NX. This is a frameless top that is VERY easy to open up & if was also quieter than the factory top. It doesn’t completely open up, but it leaves you with a bikini top for shade & the top over the front seats opens up & flips back.
We love it!

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Does your Trektop have the sunrider feature? For me personally, that’s the reason I’ve stuck with the Rampage. Do they sell a non-sunrider version?

I know folks love it, but I never understood why Bestop calls it a frameless top, when the entire front end is a frame.

 

[TheBoogieman]

I actually like the Jeep tramp-stamp.

Whore.

 

[BonesXX]

Our original top was in great shape, but it was so difficult to operate that we just never opened the Jeep up to enjoy the nice weather. We remedied that problem by buying a Bestop Trektop NX. This is a frameless top that is VERY easy to open up & if was also quieter than the factory top. It doesn’t completely open up, but it leaves you with a bikini top for shade & the top over the front seats opens up & flips back.
We love it!

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This^^^^^^

 

[BonesXX]

Plus I can keep my pups in the shade in the back.

 

[BonesXX]

Damn I’m just remembering when I first installed it the extra rib it comes with had to be bent outward a bit on the metal ends because it was rattling.

Not a big deal. Just take a large crescent wrench and adjust it to the thickness of the metal and bend outboard from the tub. Be careful not to scratch the finish.

Once you do this (there will be some adjustment), and when you reinstall the rib it will we require some flexing inboard to get it into the slots on the surrounds. This tightens the rib up so there is no more rattle.

 

[KennethS]

The '97 I just obtained did not come with a roof.

Do you have the top frame pieces? That may help decide which way to go.

 

[MikekiM]

I add another vote for the TrekTop NX.

I have a security enclosure for the space behind the rear seat. When the stock framed top was folded back it sat on top of the enclosure. In addition to taking a ton of space it was a PITA.

The TrekTop is super versatile. @Mudflat shows a much of ways to configure it.

I painted the underside black to match the interior. I've always disliked the white backing.. Did my soft uppers too. Did it years ago and it still looks perfect.

 

[Mudflat]

Does your Trektop have the sunrider feature? For me personally, that’s the reason I’ve stuck with the Rampage. Do they sell a non-sunrider version?

I know folks love it, but I never understood why Bestop calls it a frameless top, when the entire front end is a frame.

It is a frameless top. It is supported by the roll cage with only one small detachable bow over the front seats.

 

[glowell222]

I will state the obvious: the designer of the Bestop website should not be a web designer, nor allowed anywhere near e-commerce, a computer, or a smartphone until our sun collapses into a black hole.

 

[squirrelmaster]

I have the Pavement Ends (Bestop's cheaper brand) black diamond frameless sprint top, which is very similar to the Bestop Trektop NX/Slantback. Mine has taken some abuse over the years, but has held up pretty well overall. Like others, I like how easy it is to convert into a bikini top and how the front opens. I will probably replace the top in the next year or two, as some of the holes caused by trail damage are beginning to grow too large for my liking, and will likely either go with another Pavement Ends Sprint Top or the Bestop Slantback.

 

[Imagineer]

Thanks for all the responses. As soon this '97 proves its viable, I'm investing in a Trek Top NK or a Pavement Ends Sprint top. How do these tops hold up to winter?

 

[red02tj]

The side windows will scratch if you look at them then crosseyed..others here get more snow then I do, however we get an our fair share of tornado force rains and I’ve never had an issue. When it’s below freezing, be gentle with the windows )don’t bang them or flex them too much) until they warm up.

 

[MikekiM]

The side windows will scratch if you look at them then crosseyed..others here get more snow then I do, however we get an our fair share of tornado force rains and I’ve never had an issue. When it’s below freezing, be gentle with the windows )don’t bang them or flex them too much) until they warm up.

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I'm soft top year round.. plants of snow here over the winter.
I make it point to not use a nylon bristled brush on any of the sift windows. I let Mother Nature take care of the snow disposal.

Once it gets warm, I use the Sunrider nearly every day.

 

[squirrelmaster]

I'm soft top year round here in Colorado, and like the others have said, care with the plastic windows goes a long way when it is snowy or cold. I also polish the plastic windows every once in a while to keep them from getting too cloudy and also to clean up the marks I they get from tree branches, mud chucked up by the tires, and the like. It is mostly water tight, but on heavy rains a bit of water gets in at the windshield header, but then again my top is closing in on a decade old.