mikeyfl

so while i was at the dealer today with my side window issue, i asked them how to correctly take the top down. i told them that i can take it down, but it seems that every time it comes down, it comes down a different way than the previous time. i end up bunching parts here and there when i have it down by the tail gate. im a person of method and like to do things the same way everytime.

so three jeep employees and myself tackled the top this morning.

now the owners manual is useless. of course i went to the write up sticky first...

Lowering the Sunrider Soft Top - 4 Door Unlimited.

now, in that link steps 1-7 were all done. step 8 we followed Detach the Sunrider bow assembly from its retainer clip on both sides of your Jeep JK Wrangler... but adding another step, which was to separate the velcro holding onto the sunrider bow. the whole bow is sleeved in velcro.

ie:

steps 9 and 10 were pretty much the same, but since the sunrider bow is separated, it is easier to fold the top.

ie:

steps 11 and 12 are the same. when the top is down, its already nicely folded.

ie: and

now i dont have a boot, but i had some straps in the glove box and two of them are used to hold the arms down.

ie:

and there you have it. i guess it pretty much looks the same as the write up sticky, the only difference being the sunrider bow sits on top of the folded top.

REL1203

I usually dont unwrap the Velcro around the first support bar (the added step). I dont see what it adds unwrapping it, infact i think it makes it easier folding it with it

bmcollier

I also never undo the support bar velcro, and have been happy with the results, but I think I'll give this a try just to see how it goes. Thanks for the writeup.

mikeyfl

ive done it both ways... the way posted seems to have a neater fold when its down.

madiro

Ok so now that you have it down how is it to fold up. I never took the velcro piece off and have always had issues putting it up. Seems it would get caught on the soundbar area before I could place it down to attach the sunrider joints.
So please tell me you had some issues putting it up prior to this change and that it is much easier.

Let me know thanks!

mikeyfl

i dont know if i understand... which part gets caught up on the soundbar? the bow that you take the velcro off?

madiro

I blieve so that it is the first bow. I have to get inside my Jeep and lift it up cause it gets caught. Can never do it from outside the Jeep.

mt3

i found that if you start off doing it like you were just going to keep it in the Sunrider position and put the velcro straps on the bow to keep everything together. then disconnect the sunrider switches and slide the top all the way down. it folds super nice and stays neat. then attach the velcro straps to the jeep frame.

i don't do the velcro detach thing either.


ps. when putting the top back up .... if you put the velcro straps back on the sunrider bow before you try to lift it up, it makes it much easier and neater to do by yourself too. standing inside the jeep, i easily put the top back up all by my 5'3" self!

DoyleIII

Good stuff mt3. I'm going to try that next time.

I don't detach the velcro either. I don't think it causes a problem, but I do seem to get an excessive fold at the bottom of the downed roof that bumps into the spare. Maybe it's supposed to be like this, but it doesn't look quite like the pic in this write up. Any thoughts?

mt3

try pushing the fold in the opposite direction ... instead of making a > shape toward the spare, lift up the soft top and push the fold so it makes a < from the spare ....


try that! ....