This may be a bit out of place, but I have an idea. I love my hard top. I am an avid shooter and really enjoy the additional security it provides for my belongings. I HATE THE FREEDOM PANELS. I hate taking them off to store them in the back. I have a dog that occupies the cargo area which leaves little room for the panels. I have toyed with buying the tire mount for storing the panels outside, but it is way too expensive for $500 if you can even find it.

On to my idea. I want a soft top panel to replace the two from freedom panels of my hardtop for my JKU. This would give me the flexibility to roll the soft top portion back while still having the security of the hardtop.

Parts needed:
Front door surrounds for softtop
Some bikini top to use as material
Windshield mount for bikini top

This is where it gets tricky. I will need to create some sort of mounting panel to sit flush with the hardtop and provide a water tight seal. I am thinking of using the freedom top locking bolts to hold it in place. My initial thought is wood because I am comfortable with it as a material. I am struggling with a design for how to do this. This seemed like the perfect place to ask for help. I am working out my own plans, but a billion heads are better than one.

This is what im looking for:
Design ideas or existing products to draw from. IF a vendor happens upon this and it actually goes to production I hope you send me a free one

 

That's an interesting idea. I'm in the midst of designing an emergency top that is not a poncho. Instead of using a bikini top, you can purchase sail cloth for much cheaper, $14 a yard. The header channel is pretty easy. Bestop has two that should work well, I'm waiting for mine to get here. It's the channel for the nx top. As far as attaching it to the hardtop with a good waterproof seal, that will be the difficult part, imo.

 

I fail to see how having a soft top over the front row provides you security.

But in any case, if you plan on doing it with wood why can't you just copy the back, say 4", of the freedom panels except as one long piece?

 

I am a surprised this doesn't exist from a vendor honestly... I.would be interested for sure... I don't usually have help to remove my hard top so it's usually just the panels that are taken off... following along as its a neat idea

 

The security aspect comes from the back portion of the hard top. I assume that most people wouldn't climb in through the roof portion. My concern is someone just unzipping my rear windows and taking things out of the Jeep. I leave the freedom panels off regularly with minimal worry.

For the mounting bracket, I am planning on mimicking the freedom panels shape. The issue is mounting the soft top to the bracket.

I am really looking at the Bestop header safari bikini top ( Bestop 52584-35 - Bestop® Header Safari Bikini® Top for 10-14 Jeep® Wrangler Unlimited JK 4 Door - Quadratec ) but for the two door.

Two reasons: 1) it looks like a water tight fit around the door surrounds and windshield. I think I may add some industrial velcro to the door surrounds for extra seal (much like the stock soft top rear windows) 2) At 50$ it comes pre-cut for 85% of my application. I just need to find a way to connect it to a yet to be defined mounting bracket. I am wondering if I could simply hook the bikini up and use the bracket to wedge the bikini against the weather stripping on the hardtop. This may give me the seal I need at least short term until I figure something else out.

Parts list:
Front only JKU door surrounds: Yet to be determined where I can find the fronts only for a decent price
Bestop header safari top: 50$
Bestop windshield header: 50$
Velcro: Guessing 15$
Bracket Materials: Guessing 20$

Sorry for the long post. I am moving to Seattle in a month and have nothing but time to think about this

 

I gotcha. Maybe you could wrap the fabric around the bracket and glue it to the wood where the weatherstrip would start. Sounds interesting though. Can't wait to see how it comes out.

 

Think I landed on the bestop cable safari top. I think that will provide the best seal for the front. I will go for the 2dr version since I don't need coverage in the back. I'll keep everyone posted. Now I need door surrounds.

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

seems almost like you could stretch a safari top over the top of the hardtop.. make a mount on the hardtop to securie it when its open.. it may not seal as tight as the freedom panels but would keep the rain out and most of the wind if you were driving windows closed..
-Christopher

 

Just an alternate idea. How about mounting both halfs of the freedom panels together and getting them sliding back and forth on a rail mounted on the hard top?

Want to open, release the latches, push the panel backwards on the rails, slide and lock it. Want it back, slide frontward, put it back and lock with the latches. Does not take any space. You don't have to deal with water sealing or having a soft spot on your roof top.

I thought about this one but do not have time to manufacture it.

 

Wow. I really like that idea. That's good thinking, Mav.