Thought about doing something similar but mounting hinges on the freedom panels so they would just flip backwards and lock. Decided against modding the hardtop because I didn't want to screw it up since it is my only functioning top at the moment.

Thanks a lot for the ideas. Keep em coming guys. Found a guy on craigslist with the door surrounds. I'll be able to see today if I can run the fronts with the hardtop.

Sent using the dark side of the force

 

Maybe I'm dense but with so many top options out there with varying degrees of hardness what is it you are going for? It seems like a BestTop fastback may be what you're looking for with a hardtop over it or something similar. Or perhaps some sort of moon roof panels that keep the panels there but allow the removal of an area within the panel. Personally I would like a plasma panel that could be both solid and gas at the same time...

 

The bestop trektop would cause me to lose cargo space. Plus the hardtop would not fit over the top and secure properly. A solid moon roof panel would fit the bill, but I have not seen a version for the JKU hardtop. The desire is fairly simple. I want a hardtop in the back for secure cargo storage and a softop in the front for easy removal and minimal storage requirements.

The other option is a gobi rack to store the panels on, but I think I can do better than $1500 and a drop in gas milage

 

Picked up the door surrounds today. I think they should work. Only issue will be I have to cannibalize a portion to get them to fit with the hardtop. I also ordered the bestop cable bikini for the 2dr JK from Amazon (Easy to return). I'll test it out without building the bracket first. One potential issue I see is that the hardtop seals tightly around the rollbar where the doors meet. I'm not sure how I will get the water tight seal at the seam and get the torque needed to keep the soft top tight. At this point the only thing I can do is perform a dry run without cutting the door surrounds. Oddly, pulling the bikini over the hardtop sounds more appealing at this point.

Top shows up on Wed. Pics and conclusions to follow. Keep the ideas coming.

 

Well, despite my efforts this crashed and burned. The cable bikini top was too small and too tight to work with the hardtop. Back to the drawing board.

 

Keep the faith! You'll figure it out.

 

Does anyone have a Bestop Bikini header that can post picks of the fit of the front section with the factory door surrounds? I'm trying to figue out how this will work without going and buying another top/windshield channel. I think what I need is essentially a bikini top with wings long enough to sit over the door surrounds. This could be accomplished a few ways. 1) find a top with it equipped (unlikely based on what I have read about bikini tops) 2) Buy 1 and use the extra material to sew the additional sections that I need.

I think I am going to start building the wood bracket which should help with my top design.

 

I've been recently thinking about this same idea of a soft top replacement for the freedom panels. So did some search and found this thread. Were you (OP) able to find a solution?

 

I think the answer is to make a fiberglass mold of the rear of the freedom panels but in one piece. Then you could take the fabric and wrap it much like it is on the windshield header. You could even put some nutserts in so that the rear freedom top bolts could be used to seal it.

 

you're probably right. I was hoping I didn't have to learn how to fiberglass.