Need a quick rundown on replacement soft tops

rol1964

Member
Joined
Oct 10, 2020
Messages
58
Location
montreal, canada
I am looking at replacing the original soft top on my '04 Sahara as the stitching and velcro are failing, the zippers are crusty and it is an absolute bear to get on!

The websites show tops with prices ranging from $250 to $900. I understand that you get what you pay for but what else should I be considering when making a selection?

Thanks Rol1964
 
Since you have a Sahara; I would suggest you opt for the Bestop factory replacement.

I purchased that one for my '01 Sport and the Sail Cloth looks really nice.

Nice quality material with tinted windows.

Cost me $550 at 4 Wheel Parts

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday coming up... you might come across some really good prices.

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Do yourself a favor and spend the money for a Bestop Replace-a-top. The material is thicker like OEM, and the overall quality is better. I made the mistake of buying a cheaper brand $200 replacement top, and ended up selling it because the material was so thin and noisy.
 
My top was done when i bought it but i was reluctant to spend more at the time so that is where this advice comes from, I bought a year:

You didn't say it's leaking or looks bad. You could squeeze another year out of it by triming the frayed ends, lubing the zippers, using hooks or hooked pliers on the zipper pulls and install it on a warm day.

If this is a non starter see above, they're not wrong.
 
If you spend the money for a Bestop sailcloth RAT, you'll probably get 16 years of life out of it like you did the oem one.
 
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I've installed several tops and the things to consider generally fall into three categories:

- Price
- Quality
- Fit

As an example of one I installed, here's an instance where the price and quality was good, but the fit wasn't. This is the reason folks advocate for Bestop. The price is higher, but the quality and fit are factory. Below is a link to the top shown in the picture. Notice how it's loose. Would I buy one again? Yes. Is it as good as Bestop? No. Ultimately, it's your call!

https://www.autotopsdirect.com/Sier...-Sailcloth-p/10-40-tj19702-22-upper-doors.htm
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This may be a dumb question, but I'm going to ask it anyway. In some of the pictures for their tops, you can see a Bestop logo/sticker on the lower left of rear window. Can anyone who's purchased one verify if they came liike that?
 
Best top factory replacement. Absolutely love it. Great fit. Best part? We've had a few strong rain storms since I've had it and absolutely NO water on the inside.

IMG_20200923_152533.jpg
 
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This may be a dumb question, but I'm going to ask it anyway. In some of the pictures for their tops, you can see a Bestop logo/sticker on the lower left of rear window. Can anyone who's purchased one verify if they came liike that?
They come with the sticker on the lower left rear window. Can confirm
 
OK ....so Bestop is the best. My current soft top is ok but it's probably not going to last very much longer. As I intend to mostly run the Jeep topless (it will be stored in the garage winters), one of the lower cost soft tops may fit the bill.
Thanks for all your comments.
Cheers, Rol1964
 
I'm gonna go against the grain and suggest the "bargain brand" top. Save yourself a little money. That way you won't be so pissed off when your brand new top kisses a tree on the next trail ride... smh
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Anybody here run the MasterTop Skymaster fastback twill? Reviews make it sound comparable in quality and fit to the BT Trektop NX but runs a couple hundred $$ less. Still pricey at a touch over a grand with upper doors but I don't want to go that route if it's inferior in any way.
 
Coincidentally I picked up a new, still in the box, never ever installed Bestop NX today. Spice color. Looks cool. The lady had purchased it years ago and just never opened the box. She sold it to me for a song.
So be sure to check your local used websites. You never know what you might find close to your own backyard!