Soft top installation help

[Rickellington84]

Hey everyone I just bought another Jeep Wrangler tj a 1997. The soft top was junk on it so I went to summit and got the smittybilt replacement soft top. When I took the old one off I noticed they used a header from a bikini top to install the soft top on to the jeep. I’m trying to figure out how to get ride of that bikini to header and use the factory header. When I installed the new to I tried to take the bikini top header off and use the factory header but I can’t get the clamps to lock down there way to tight when I try to use the factory header anyone know what’s going on

Thanks rick

 

[dbbd1]

Is your new soft top warm, like to 80*? I had to put a heater in mine while the jeep itself was sitting inside my shop with the woodstove going. It was still a bear to stretch.

 

[Rickellington84]

Yes it was warm when I did it. The top isn’t a problem the factory header for the soft top want latch I tried to without the top screwed to it after I took the old top off just laid it up there buy itself and is so tight to latch I will have to beat it with a hammer to make it latch

 

[dbbd1]

Yeah, that's what I was referring to also. With the new top and not bring warm enough, it felt like I was bending/re-shaping the latch. It was that tight.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Not sure if that new Smittybilt can be adapted to the OE header. But, latch the header first, then install the rear corners. If you tuck the rear corners in first the header won't be able to reach the windshield frame. What I do is get the header hooks inserted into the windshield frame slots but I don't latch them. Next I tuck the rear corners in then finish latching the header clamps.

 

[dbbd1]

I ended latching the front then pulling down on the rear bow (with a strap) to get the corners on.
Thanks Jerry for reminding me about how I finally got it.
But it was still in the warm shop and still tight.

Which is not to say that that header will work at all, anyways.

 

[Rickellington84]

The top said use the factory hardware but I can’t get the header latch without the top on i took the bikini top header off the windshield and with no top at all on the Jeep anywhere I laid the header on the windshield and cant get the latches to lactch with nothing no the header at all

 

[Rickellington84]

If take the bare frame for the soft top with nothing on the top and put it like I’m putting the top on the Jeep and have the bare header laying on the rubber windshield gasket should the header latches latch easy or should I have to beat them down closed

 

[Edward Turner]

That seems wrong if there’s no fabric attached.

 

[dbbd1]

Indeed.
Were they that hard to unlatch when you took the top off?

 

[Rickellington84]

it Wasn’t hooked like that it was tru the bikini top header on the old one

 

[Benjeepn]

Yes, it should latch easily. A picture would be nice to make sure something isn't oddball.
I replaced 2 TJs with Smittybilt tops. They are tight. I've used a small space heater inside to get some expansion (some directions say to run the TJ heater to get the inside warm, this is probably the safest). I also used a 2x4 and the factory jack on the rollbar to push the header forward that extra 1/4" to get it to latch. It was cold and cloudly, and I was impatient.

 

[Rickellington84]

Yes, it should latch easily. A picture would be nice to make sure something isn't oddball.
I replaced 2 TJs with Smittybilt tops. They are tight. I've used a small space heater inside to get some expansion (some directions say to run the TJ heater to get the inside warm, this is probably the safest). I also used a 2x4 and the factory jack on the rollbar to push the header forward that extra 1/4" to get it to latch. It was cold and cloudly, and I was impatient.

I got the top on no problem but it’s in the bikini top header where you just slide it in there but it keeps coming out of the spot it slides in

 

[Edward Turner]

You know until I read it here about leaving the back tabs out until the hooks were in I used a plastic faced body hammer to latch my Bestop. But that’s just because the fabric is very taut, I think the bare header would’ve dropped right into place with no drama.

 

[Benjeepn]

I don't think a bikini header will work.

 

[Rickellington84]

You know until I read it here about leaving the back tabs out until the hooks were in I used a plastic faced body hammer to latch my Bestop. But that’s just because the fabric is very taut, I think the bare header would’ve dropped right into place with no drama.

I think should drop into place to it’s on in the bikini top slot but has a shit ton of slack and it comes out of the bikini top slot going down the road and it’s not sealed up like outside the doors because it is so high on the front at the windshield

 

[Huckster]

I have a used Smittybilt bowless topfor a 97-06 TJ for cheap in the classifieds if anyone is interested. I had a 4x4 shop put my new Bestop on the other day, as in Feb in Ga. they used the Jeeps heater to loosen the fabric....