Rickd300mag

All:

I installed a soft top on a 4 door jk successfully...kind of. My drivers side window will not seat in the channel on the surround. I have tried releasing tension on everything and I do get it seated but once I apply tension to everything the top portion unseats itself. Any ideas? Please pm me because there is so much traffic on this site it's difficult to find responses. This issue is driving me nuts! I have called bestop but their recommendations are not working.

jgervasi

I just installed mine over the weekend and have the same issue on the passenger side. If you got any answers by pm, please share. Also Rickd300mag, did you have to seriously force the header latches to attach to the windshield loops? I had to push with all my strength to get the passenger side to reach and grab on, then when I went to do the driver side, I needs a rubber mallet to bang the latch onto the loop. When I clamped them down, the rubber seal on the windshield is getting pinched. Does anyone know I'd this is normal? See pics.

Rooster76

That passenger side does look a bit F'ed up.

1)I'm just throwing this out there because I was a dumb ass and didn't realize it when installing. If you open the latches all the way open (vs. 90 degrees) the hook will come out about another inch which can help grab the loop.

2)The top on mine looks about the same when closed as yours does in the picture from above. If you push that half that has a bunched up rubber seal down with your finger it will prevent a whistling wind noise at about 30 mph.

3)I had pretty good experience with the customer support. I would first take a few pictures of the problem from all angles and send it to there customer support email. Include your name, number, the type of jeep (2DR/4DR), and model of the supertop. Make a sandwich and wait about 20 minutes just to make sure it goes through and then call them up on the phone and tell them you sent them an email (noting the time and subject). Have the install sheet ready because it is much easier to point out a piece in a step then trying to say the bar thingy all the time. I got a set of quick release bow knuckles at no charge using this method after I showed them that they were messed up.

Good Luck,

jgervasi

Thanks for the reply Roster76. Were you able to use your finger to push the pinched rubber down under the header? Right on about the wind noise above 30. At first I was like wtf is that noise?! Did you have the same difficulty hooking the latches onto the ws hooks? I wonder if I should email this issue to cust support. This (4dr 2012) is my third jeep and second 4dr. I got factory soft tips with the other two. I remember having to apply some pressure to the oem top on the first 4dr, the first time until the fabric loosened up, but with this one, I had to brace myself in the seat, grab the header and really push down and forward with all my strength to get the latch (fully extended as you described) to barley hook onto the loop. After all the effort it's been locked down since Sunday morning and I'm afraid to open it up.

jgervasi

Sorry man. I meant Rooster76. My iPhone thinks it can spell better than me.

FJ Jake

I had same issue so I actually undid bolts from brackets on jeep half way so it would reach then tightened them back. Only had to do that first time. After that no issues. However I do have bit of leak in front passenger side. Any ideas?

texwillys

I don't have a Supertop but, on the factory top I have difficulty latching the front down sometimes.
If you will lift the rear of the top from underneath the belt-rail first, you can often latch the front down more easily.
When you go to re-install the rear under the belt-rail, pull down on the rear top bow to ease sliding the flaps under the belt-rail.
It's also a good idea to pull down slightly on the rear top bow when zipping the rear window.

Hope this helps

jgervasi

No ideas as I don't have any experience. How long did you leave the latches locked before it loosened up?

FJ Jake

I opened top few days later. No issues since. One or two days in warm weather stretched it right out. Now just to deal with leak.

Rooster76

Let me start this by saying that I have a 2DR. I was having a hard time the first couple times getting the sun rider to latch in. I called customer support and they said to undo the springs which I did. I was able to get it to snap into the door surrounds after quit a bit of pushing and prodding it. So then I got that to work and I realized that the hooks didn't quite go far enough to clip (this is with the soft-top totally not attached to any bow), but that was because I wasn't opening the latch all the way and it was no problem.

When your putting the hooks into the loops you shouldn't have the rear two flaps (that the rear window attaches to) attached to the back. At least to be able to get it in on in that virgin stretch or when it is still very tight. Not that your going to rip it, but your just going to have a hell of a time getting it to clip in. Basically you should go in this order.

1. Put the sunrider (bolt?) part to clip into the door surround. That should lock it into place with the header being pretty close to the windshield. At least with the 2DR it makes it close enough that you don't have to muscle it to get the hooks in. I did have quit a time getting these clips in the first couple times. It was damb near impossible.
2. Pull the latches on the header all the way back to extend the hooks. Put the hooks in so that they are just resting on the windshield loops but not tighten down.
3. Push down on the rear bow with one hand and put those two rear flaps in the groove.
4. Tighten down the latches all the way. If it is brand spankin' new you might want to wait an hour with it like that in the sun. It's going to be really tight. I seem to remember hearing some rather disturbing pops when I put mine in, but I think it's fine. Actually that might have been the bow quick releases messing up that I got replaced?
5. I now stand on my Ace Rock Rails pushing half of that seal down with my finger. Then I go over and stand on the other side to push down the rest of the seal. It just slips down where it should be with out much effort. Just start on one end like you would with a zip lock bag. It leaves what sort of appears to be a 1/4" gap but it's sitting on that seal. If you don't have steps or on you Jeep you could probably fashion a stick to do the same thing to help reach all the way across. So in your picture it would need to be pushed down on the half that is in the rear of the picture (driver side)
   

By all means I would contact there customer support by phone after you send some photos for them to look at. Yours doesn't seem to be closeing right over the door surround on the passenger side. I don't have a 4DR or know how those tops work to say for sure, but you might as well have them tell you one way or another. If you register your soft-top on there site it might make everything go more smooth. The questions they ask when you register would be the type of stuff I would also include in the email.. I would email them maybe 6 pictures or so of any good angle to see what is going on with it. (Near, Far, Inside, Above, How the bows are sitting, header/windshield etc.). When I sent my email I put 3 topic outline headers PERSONAL INFO, PROBLEM, MY PROPOSED SOLUTION (free stuff). Overall I found them easy to work with.

Good Luck