Bestop two-piece soft doors = My two doors of crap
12-21-2009, 09:27 PM
#1
JK Freak
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2008
Location: North AL
Posts: 759
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Bestop two-piece soft doors = My two doors of crap
I bought front and rear Bestop two-piece doors from 4wd.com knowing that they wouldn't be perfect. I've read plenty of posts from people saying they didn't fit just right or the pins in the upper door didn't line up perfect with the slots in the lower door. Those posts were vast understatements of the junk Bestop tries to pass off as a soft door.
I bought the doors mainly for trail use so I wouldn't scratch up my factory doors and to keep the mud and weather on the outside of the jeep. In that respect, the doors were fine. It's the quality and fitment of the front doors that are the real problems. I managed to adjust the rear doors enough to make them satisfactory, but there was no hope for the front doors.
To begin with, even after adjusting the doors so that they fit flush on the outside, on the inside there is about a 1" gap between the soft door weatherstripping and about 1/3 of the jeep metal. The upper door comes with metal collars that fit over the pins so you can adjust it up and down to fit the door frame. However, three of the four collars were missing the allen screws so I couldn't do any adjustments. But that's ok because one of the upper doors is longer than the other so I had to remove the collars and jam the pins all the way down in order to make the upper portion low enough to fit in the door frame.
Driving down the highway brought on a whole new set of problems. Up to 40 mph, everything was fine. However, once I got to 50 mph, new problems started. The canvas material started to slap against the metal bar frame and the upper door began to flap and separate from the upper part of my jeep. It was flapping around so bad that at times there was a two or three inch gap between the top of the upper door and the jeep. It's a good thing I had to jam the pins in or else the upper door probably would have flew off.
Between the canvas slapping, whistling through the doors because of lack of weatherstripping and the wind blowing through the separated upper doors; the noise was actually louder than when I run with no doors at all.
I bought some pipe insulation to put on the metal bar to keep the canvas from slapping it, but I have no idea how to fix the separation of the upper door from the door frame when going down the highway.
Anyway, this is just fair warning for anyone planning on buying these doors. I have pretty much read about these problems in different posts, but here they all are in one post for your convenience.
I bought the doors mainly for trail use so I wouldn't scratch up my factory doors and to keep the mud and weather on the outside of the jeep. In that respect, the doors were fine. It's the quality and fitment of the front doors that are the real problems. I managed to adjust the rear doors enough to make them satisfactory, but there was no hope for the front doors.
To begin with, even after adjusting the doors so that they fit flush on the outside, on the inside there is about a 1" gap between the soft door weatherstripping and about 1/3 of the jeep metal. The upper door comes with metal collars that fit over the pins so you can adjust it up and down to fit the door frame. However, three of the four collars were missing the allen screws so I couldn't do any adjustments. But that's ok because one of the upper doors is longer than the other so I had to remove the collars and jam the pins all the way down in order to make the upper portion low enough to fit in the door frame.
Driving down the highway brought on a whole new set of problems. Up to 40 mph, everything was fine. However, once I got to 50 mph, new problems started. The canvas material started to slap against the metal bar frame and the upper door began to flap and separate from the upper part of my jeep. It was flapping around so bad that at times there was a two or three inch gap between the top of the upper door and the jeep. It's a good thing I had to jam the pins in or else the upper door probably would have flew off.
Between the canvas slapping, whistling through the doors because of lack of weatherstripping and the wind blowing through the separated upper doors; the noise was actually louder than when I run with no doors at all.
I bought some pipe insulation to put on the metal bar to keep the canvas from slapping it, but I have no idea how to fix the separation of the upper door from the door frame when going down the highway.
Anyway, this is just fair warning for anyone planning on buying these doors. I have pretty much read about these problems in different posts, but here they all are in one post for your convenience.
12-22-2009, 05:22 AM
#2
I agree. They are worthless. Every time I post a negative comment people jump in to say how the ones they have are perfect and then they get all jeepier than thou. 
The Best Top Soft doors are garbage. Don't waste your money. The element doors are also garbage. I've tried both.
Worst QC/design of any production piece I have ever seen.
The Best Top Soft doors are garbage. Don't waste your money. The element doors are also garbage. I've tried both.
Worst QC/design of any production piece I have ever seen.
12-22-2009, 05:53 AM
#5
JK Enthusiast
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Dacula, GA
Posts: 305
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I have issues as well, but have resolved most with adjustments. I'm running an ORH top so it adds an entire new dimension.
You can stop the flapping and opening at the top by bending the door in from the middle to the top. Open the door, brace the middle with 1 arm, and pull in with the other arm. They will be harder to close, but will work and stay firmly closed.
The passenger has an awful flap that my wife fixed by stuffing a coat sleeve between the bar and skin, but some bending fixed that too.
I only have a gap at the very front lower corner on both fronts now.
Love the concept. Needs some better engineering and manufacturing.
You can stop the flapping and opening at the top by bending the door in from the middle to the top. Open the door, brace the middle with 1 arm, and pull in with the other arm. They will be harder to close, but will work and stay firmly closed.
The passenger has an awful flap that my wife fixed by stuffing a coat sleeve between the bar and skin, but some bending fixed that too.
I only have a gap at the very front lower corner on both fronts now.
Love the concept. Needs some better engineering and manufacturing.
12-22-2009, 10:38 AM
#7
JK Enthusiast
Thanks for letting us know how crappy they are.
However, I still think if I could find a great deal on a set I would take them in a heartbeat, they look great. https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/images/smilies/yup.gif
However, I still think if I could find a great deal on a set I would take them in a heartbeat, they look great. https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/images/smilies/yup.gif
Trending Topics
12-22-2009, 06:36 PM
#8
JK Freak
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2008
Location: North AL
Posts: 759
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
$200 is a great deal and probably closer to actual worth. Mine did fine on the trail this weekend which is why I bought them. Everytime I heard a branch dragging along the side of the jeep, I felt good knowing that the soft doors were taking the punishment and my painted doors were safe and sound (and unscratched) back in my garage.
12-23-2009, 06:50 AM
#10
JK Freak
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Gatineau (Ottawa area), Canada
Posts: 807
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I use a 1" canvas strap with quick connects. I run them around the top metal rail of the doors and above the roll bar and click them together between the seats. It hold the top of the doors together quite nicely on the hwy. Don't forget to unclick them though before you try to open them!!! 