Struggling with new soft top

[AndyG]

Thanks - I will read through that! I'm sure I am making a stupid mistake. Andy

Crank the vehicle and turn the heat way up

It is my opinion if you can’t get the zipper with your bare hands you probably don’t need to go further

Once you get it working and stretched in place one of the zipper pulls sold can be handy ....but you can allow you to put too much force on the zipper at this stage with one.

If you haven’t done it you can also release your front windshield clamps and gain a little slack

 

[DougyintheBushies]

I might of missed it but what brand top did you by? Just curious because I just got a new pavement ends by Bestop but haven’t even pulled it out of the box yet.

 

[AndyA]

I might of missed it but what brand top did you by? Just curious because I just got a new pavement ends by Bestop but haven’t even pulled it out of the box yet.

Sierra Offroad.

I contacted them asking for help and they passed it to their warranty department without any discussion, so I will see what happens next.

My recommendation to you is to try zipping the windows on when you take it out of the box to confirm the stitching and zippers are OK, then remove them for the install.

Andy

 

[P man]

I still think you are fighting cold weather and nothing else. I have installed the cheap soft tops and the expensive ones and they all are tight if it's cold outside.

 

[AndyA]

I still think you are fighting cold weather and nothing else. I have installed the cheap soft tops and the expensive ones and they all are tight if it's cold outside.

Even though as an experiment I removed all tension from both sides of a zipper and still can't close it? That is normal for a new top? Andy

 

[P man]

Even though as an experiment I removed all tension from both sides of a zipper and still can't close it? That is normal for a new top? Andy

Yep..ive been there before

 

[AndyA]

It's been 74F here and I have ran the heater at full blast for 30 minutes as well based on a suggestion in a previous response. Still not warm enough?

When I installed the top itself it was a struggle to get it on but by the next day it had stretched enough that it is now easy to hook it onto the back corners. The windows have been through the same conditions as the top.

Andy

 

[John Cooper]

I haven't read every post, are you leaving the top lose and zipping the windows in, or hooking the top in the back and latching the header down, then trying to zip the windows?

 

[AndyA]

I haven't read every post, are you leaving the top lose and zipping the windows in, or hooking the top in the back and latching the header down, then trying to zip the windows?

Doing the windows last after the top is on. Should the windows go on first? Andy

 

[John Cooper]

Doing the windows last after the top is on. Should the windows go on first? Andy

I leave the header unlatched and the top lose to begin with.

I have a Trektop NX, so I'm not stretching over anything but the roll bars.

I still think you need more heat to get it to stretched on.

 

[freedom_in_4low]

I'm gonna depart from the apparent consensus and suggest this isn't a tight top issue due to the fact that you can't even get them to zip with all tension removed. If there's no tension and you're doing your part to get the sides lined up so the slider isn't having to do ALL the work, it should go.

 

[97JadeTJ]

Mine was a Sierra Offroad also… like I said earlier, I put mine on last March and it was 60 Degrees… it Took better part of the afternoon using only the jeeps heater on full blast and direct sunlight…

 

[Skyhawk]

I put a Smitty-Bilt top on my TJ. It took me almost 9 hours to get it installed. Lots of pulling and stretching, it was an inch by inch process. You have to pull hard on the zippers or sometimes work the frame but once you get it on and park it in the sun it conforms nicely. Just be careful not to damage the zippers. The Pro's recommended lubricating the zippers AFTER the top was installed and stretched with spray silicone. Mine zips nicely now. Good luck! It's not easy, been there.

 

[AndyA]

I'd rather replace an engine, transmission and dash than install a fucking soft top. What a miserable experience! Andy

 

[AndyA]

I don't have these straps - one is missing and the other is only attached at one end. That means the rear bow is held in place by the snaps on the soft top. It does line up about with the seam across the top. Are the missing straps critical?

Thanks, Andy

 

[Rickyd]

I have to unhook the rear bow from the rollbar to get my windows in on my crappy bestop supertop. Then i struggle to bow back into its mounts

 

[Skyhawk]

I do not have those straps on my TJ. When I installed my top I would work an area and then move somewhere else. I know I had to unlatch the front end many time, but I would gain an inch in one area, then move somewhere else. It was an all day effort. Now after driving the Jeep for 5000 miles it looks like everything has sort of form fitted itself in the sun. one of the last things I did was the velcro on the center support,

 

['05Train]

Sounds like your zipper is boogered. I just stretched upper door skins onto their frames indoors with only a heat gun to help. It was a process, but it worked. Maybe try using a heat gun - carefully - around the trouble section and see if that helps.

 

[97JadeTJ]

I don’t know that their critical but they do keep everything lined up… I was just given a soft top frame and the straps were tore so I bought a new set… comes with screws or you can use pop rivets (not included) to install…

https://www.carparts.com/Convertibl...ek=2024-02-04T00:31:05Z&bsft_lx=15&bsft_tv=90

 

[SSTJ]

Here is an experiment I just tried.

I removed the driver's side window from the bottom and front so it was only attached by the zipper across the top.
I unhooked the driver's side back corner of the top so it was loose.
I pushed up on the rear (3rd?) bow so the top was loose.
I still couldn't zip up the window around the corner even though there was no tension on either side of the zipper.

Is this normal or not normal for a new top?

Thanks, Andy

View attachment 495564

Sounds to me like you've tried everything. Especially if this pic was taken when the rear was loose and the front was un-latched? If so, I'd send this pic and description to the manufacturer. The way it's buckling the top makes me think that perhaps the window is a bit too short (left-to-right), and bends downward a bit too early.