Why The Soft Top is Better Than the Hard Top
08-23-2008, 10:29 AM
#1
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Why The Soft Top is Better Than the Hard Top
My good friend CCDJeep will be especially pissed at me for posting this. lol But oh well, it's all in fun.
The soft top JK is better than the hard top. If you are considering a new JK, be a real man or for you girls, a hot mama, and get the soft top. Why?
1. The origin of the species first and foremost. Jeeps were born as soft top reconnaissance and light duty vehicle. Soft tops made them easy to transport. Rule # 1 in Jeep lore is "Thou shalt not break with tradition!" as we all found out when Jeep put square headlights in the Wrangler. Hard tops are an effort to make the Jeep something it's not, a Ford Explorer.
2. Soft tops are far easier to remove. You've come outside for the first time in the day. Maybe you're headed off to work, maybe you're just headed off somewhere. The point is, it's a beautiful day, perfect weather, and that just begs to have windows removed from the soft top at the very least and possibly even take the whole soft top down. It takes mere minutes to convert your ride into an open air experience. With the hard top? Not so much. You better go get some help and have a place handy to store that big heavy monster once you muscle it off the Jeep.
3. For us 2 door Jeepers (real Jeepers) rolling the door windows down on a nice day tends to mean that wind whips around the interior. However, a simple process of unzipping and removing the back window alleviates this problem. In the hard top? Windows not removable. WTF!!!!! LOL
4. You are taking a road trip to a campsite that is a couple of hours away. The forecast is rain today, but once you get there it will be nice and there will be some trail riding involved. Hard top therefore must be taken to campsite. Not good! Then you get to muscle it off out in the wilderness somewhere and try to find somewhere to sit it without damaging it.
5. Soft tops never have to be hammered back in place! LOL
The soft top JK is better than the hard top. If you are considering a new JK, be a real man or for you girls, a hot mama, and get the soft top. Why?
1. The origin of the species first and foremost. Jeeps were born as soft top reconnaissance and light duty vehicle. Soft tops made them easy to transport. Rule # 1 in Jeep lore is "Thou shalt not break with tradition!" as we all found out when Jeep put square headlights in the Wrangler. Hard tops are an effort to make the Jeep something it's not, a Ford Explorer.
2. Soft tops are far easier to remove. You've come outside for the first time in the day. Maybe you're headed off to work, maybe you're just headed off somewhere. The point is, it's a beautiful day, perfect weather, and that just begs to have windows removed from the soft top at the very least and possibly even take the whole soft top down. It takes mere minutes to convert your ride into an open air experience. With the hard top? Not so much. You better go get some help and have a place handy to store that big heavy monster once you muscle it off the Jeep.
3. For us 2 door Jeepers (real Jeepers) rolling the door windows down on a nice day tends to mean that wind whips around the interior. However, a simple process of unzipping and removing the back window alleviates this problem. In the hard top? Windows not removable. WTF!!!!! LOL
4. You are taking a road trip to a campsite that is a couple of hours away. The forecast is rain today, but once you get there it will be nice and there will be some trail riding involved. Hard top therefore must be taken to campsite. Not good! Then you get to muscle it off out in the wilderness somewhere and try to find somewhere to sit it without damaging it.
5. Soft tops never have to be hammered back in place! LOL
08-23-2008, 10:54 AM
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I'll give you #1 and #3, but only #3 for the removable quarter sails and not the 2 door aspect.
2. I test drove a couple soft tops and bought a hard top. The soft top was a pain in the @$$ to take down. It takes me less time to remove the hard top. 8 bolts and bam, I pick it up over my head and place it on 2x6 boards I have across the horizontal supports of my overhang.
4. We drove hundreds of miles to Silver Lake, then I removed the top and left it at the campsite while the Jeep went to play...... with 3 kids and a wife. Try THAT in a 2 door!!!
5. The front right bolt hole was drilled a bit off-center, but other than that, the top drops right into place and the bolt can be brought snug by fingertip.
6. Hard tops get better MPG and you can carry on a conversation while moving. (All bets are off when tops are off.)
2. I test drove a couple soft tops and bought a hard top. The soft top was a pain in the @$$ to take down. It takes me less time to remove the hard top. 8 bolts and bam, I pick it up over my head and place it on 2x6 boards I have across the horizontal supports of my overhang.
4. We drove hundreds of miles to Silver Lake, then I removed the top and left it at the campsite while the Jeep went to play...... with 3 kids and a wife. Try THAT in a 2 door!!!
5. The front right bolt hole was drilled a bit off-center, but other than that, the top drops right into place and the bolt can be brought snug by fingertip.
6. Hard tops get better MPG and you can carry on a conversation while moving. (All bets are off when tops are off.)
08-23-2008, 11:05 AM
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I'll give you #1 and #3, but only #3 for the removable quarter sails and not the 2 door aspect.
2. I test drove a couple soft tops and bought a hard top. The soft top was a pain in the @$$ to take down. It takes me less time to remove the hard top. 8 bolts and bam, I pick it up over my head and place it on 2x6 boards I have across the horizontal supports of my overhang.
4. We drove hundreds of miles to Silver Lake, then I removed the top and left it at the campsite while the Jeep went to play...... with 3 kids and a wife. Try THAT in a 2 door!!!
5. The front right bolt hole was drilled a bit off-center, but other than that, the top drops right into place and the bolt can be brought snug by fingertip.
6. Hard tops get better MPG and you can carry on a conversation while moving. (All bets are off when tops are off.)
2. I test drove a couple soft tops and bought a hard top. The soft top was a pain in the @$$ to take down. It takes me less time to remove the hard top. 8 bolts and bam, I pick it up over my head and place it on 2x6 boards I have across the horizontal supports of my overhang.
4. We drove hundreds of miles to Silver Lake, then I removed the top and left it at the campsite while the Jeep went to play...... with 3 kids and a wife. Try THAT in a 2 door!!!
5. The front right bolt hole was drilled a bit off-center, but other than that, the top drops right into place and the bolt can be brought snug by fingertip.
6. Hard tops get better MPG and you can carry on a conversation while moving. (All bets are off when tops are off.)
Actually the "hammering" thing I was referring to is where some guys have taken out their roof panels and left them in the sun where they expand and they try to put them back in and have to take a rubber mallet to them to get them to fit. It's a minor thing.
As for the rest or your post.
OVER RULED!!!
THE SOFT TOP IS KING MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHA!!!
Can't carry on a conversation, or lord, whatever. We took a two and half hour road trip down to Birmingham, interstate the whole way, 80 mph. No problem carrying on a conversation. If a little wind noise bothers you then you got the wrong vehicle. lol
As for MPG, yeah, my buddy gets better mileage in his hard top. ONE mile per gallon! whoopie. We get the same on the highway.
Last edited by Black08X; 08-23-2008 at 11:08 AM.
08-23-2008, 01:47 PM
#7
I've had a soft top and I've had a hard top. The best compromise is the Freedom Top. Top on for the road and top off for the trail. What's not to like?
I can take the FT off and have it zipped up in the carrying case in about three minutes. Reinstallation takes about five minutes. Best of both worlds.
I can take the FT off and have it zipped up in the carrying case in about three minutes. Reinstallation takes about five minutes. Best of both worlds.
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08-23-2008, 01:55 PM
#8
JK Enthusiast
My soft top JK is much quieter than my hardtop YJ was.
But I do concede the need for a hard top when in the frozen North.. The reason my YJ was a hardtop was because I lived in Michigan then.. The reason my JK is a soft top is because I live in Florida now.
08-23-2008, 03:53 PM
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I put this in the why a soft top is better category!!!
My soft top JK is much quieter than my hardtop YJ was.
But I do concede the need for a hard top when in the frozen North.. The reason my YJ was a hardtop was because I lived in Michigan then.. The reason my JK is a soft top is because I live in Florida now.
My soft top JK is much quieter than my hardtop YJ was.
But I do concede the need for a hard top when in the frozen North.. The reason my YJ was a hardtop was because I lived in Michigan then.. The reason my JK is a soft top is because I live in Florida now.
JKs, both hard and soft top, are quieter than all previous Wrangler and CJ models.
I'm pretty sure a dual-top dude would be able to testify to the superior acoustics of the JK hard top.
Last edited by sixt7gt350; 08-23-2008 at 04:07 PM.