Different model soft top tailgate bars?

[Moab]

New soft top. From I believe 2001+ and my Jeep is 1999. I lost my old tailgate bar that the soft top affixes to. This new one is about 2-3" too long. Is there a different bracket for it pre-2001? That accommodates the longer bar?

Can I cut the bar shorter? Will it fit in this bracket?

 

[mrblaine]

New soft top. From I believe 2001+ and my Jeep is 1999. I lost my old tailgate bar that the soft top affixes to. This new one is about 2-3" too long. Is there a different bracket for it pre-2001? That accommodates the longer bar?

Can I cut the bar shorter? Will it fit in this bracket?

View attachment 199615

I believe the correct clips go all the way to the end of the mount. I've never seen a shorter one like that.

Like this-

 

[Moab]

I believe the correct clips go all the way to the end of the mount. I've never seen a shorter one like that.

Like this-

View attachment 199618

Those are the clips I have. But if you seat one end. The other end of the bar is 2 inches or so to long. As seen in my pic.

And each clip has that metal at the end. Which stops it. So there's no play left or right.

I'll take a bigger pic.

 

[mrblaine]

Those are the clips I have. But if you seat one end. The other end of the bar is 2 inches or so to long. As seen in my pic.

And each clip has that metal at the end. Which stops it. So there's no play left or right.

I'll take a bigger pic.

Look closer.

 

[Moab]

Here's a couple pics. One end is lined up. And then the other showing the overlap. I'm sure it must be a year difference thing. I just don't know whether to cut the bar shorter or look for different clips?

 

[Moab]

Look closer.

I know I'm missing something stupid. Right?! lol!

The top looks like a million bucks btw. Even the color is nicer. The material is much thicker too.

 

[mrblaine]

I know I'm missing something stupid. Right?! lol!

The top looks like a million bucks btw. Even the color is nicer. The material is much thicker too.

The clip on your rig now is shorter than OEM by the distance from the end of the part where the bar snaps in to the end of the bracket. The OEM version goes all the way to the red line which is exactly the amount you would mistakenly cut down the OEM window bar in order for it to fit in your current mounts.

This is the pic I posted above of the OEM clip, so like I said, look closer.

 

[JDS123]

Those are the same tailgate clips that came with my Trektop NX. The clips are slightly different than OEM in that they do not allow the hardtop glass to close with them installed, but it appears they are also different in this way. I just checked some photos and my clips are also shorter, just like the ones you have in the photos. If you found some OEM clips, they should work.

 

[Moab]

Ya. I need oem clips. I honestly didnt even see the difference in those two brackets.