Do I want a hardtop?

[AndyG]

I live in North Alabama . 2-4" of snow is a big deal.

I have full doors and a soft top.

Would I want a hard top?

I've never had one , this is Jeep# 7.

Are they hard to take on and off?

Do they scratch the paint ?

My top is down any time it's possible, so I'm sure I'd only run it in winter .

Thanks ,
Andy

 

[Starrs]

Is it your only vehicle?

 

[JMT]

I dunno, do ya?

I love mine. I live in TX

I have a hoist mounted in a 10’ garage ceiling to remove it and store it. ($150)

I don’t think they scratch it. I’m sure being haphazard you could scratch the frame rails.

I like the look, very clean. I like the quietness of the ride.

It comes off in May and stays off till the end of Sept, early Oct

 

[billiebob]

Might be an age thing, I drive doorless all the time. But I never take the hardtop off.
My doors come off in May & go back on in Sept/Oct.

No doubt, winter, you might love the hardtop and no they do not damage the paint.

Removal, is more about storage. 2 guys can easily lift it off.

 

[Chris]

I'd never own a TJ without a hardtop for these reasons:

1. It adds resale value
2. It's much, much, MUCH quieter on the road (especially on the highway)
3. It keeps the heat in better in the winter, and if you use the A/C, it keeps the cool in too!
4. Did I mention how much quieter it is?
5. If you live somewhere where it rains or snows a lot, it's an absolute must.

That being said. I love my hard top! So much so that I don't even own a soft top!

 

[Starrs]

I wanted one for a LONG time. Now my jeep is permanently topless and doorless...unless I get some half doors. No longer my daily so I can keep the top off. If it was my sole transportation I would be getting a hardtop before this next winter more than likely. I loved the comvience of the soft top. They both have their strong points.

 

[mots]

Love my hard top, but can’t wait to get a frameless soft top for summer!

I dunno, do ya?

I love mine. I live in TX

I have a hoist mounted in a 10’ garage ceiling to remove it and store it. ($150)

I don’t think they scratch it. I’m sure being haphazard you could scratch the frame rails.

I like the look, very clean. I like the quietness of the ride.

It comes off in May and stays off till the end of Sept, early Oct

Been looking for a hoist to buy or build, just not sure what I should go with. What type of setup do you have, and would you recommend? $150 sounds good! I would be fine with a simple hand crank hoist if it was sturdy, safe and reliable. My garage ceiling is also 10’.

 

[Hawkeye]

When I first bought my Jeep it was in the dead of a midwest winter and it only came with a soft top. I was pleasantly surprised how well the heat stayed in even with just the soft top. Depending on what you carry in the Jeep and where you live a hardtop might help to deter thieves. But really if they want it they will still get it regardless if it's a a hardtop or not.

 

[JMT]

Love my hard top, but can’t wait to get a frameless soft top for summer!



Been looking for a hoist to buy or build, just not sure what I should go with. What type of setup do you have, and would you recommend? $150 sounds good! I would be fine with a simple hand crank hoist if it was sturdy, safe and reliable. My garage ceiling is also 10’.

I have the Harken Hoist.

https://www.extremeterrain.com/harken-hoist-4pt-7803b-jeep.html

My wife got it for my birthday. I’ve had no issues with it. No crank, you just use your hands to pull the rope or let it down. It has a catch mechanism on the pulley that holds it in place. The only thing is that as the Jeep has gotten taller, it’s more difficult to get the top high enough to be completely out of the way of the Jeep! Oh well, I have an idea to fix that. I have no desire to spend big bucks on something like this, so this one is right up my alley. It gets the job done and provides good support for the hardtop. Consider where you want to mount it, because your hardtop may be at about the 5 1/2-6” range and you don’t want to hit your head. I’m used to mine and just dip my head slightly when working in the garage.

 

[Edward Turner]

I live in north Alabama, too, and I have both. The hard top sure is nice in late December thru mid-March but I wouldn’t say it’s a necessary thing, it just makes the heater work more evenly. You need a decent storage spot and a buddy, it’s a five minute remove/replace job (I put castors on an old door with a couple of riser blocks to store mine).

 

[mots]

I have the Harken Hoist.

https://www.extremeterrain.com/harken-hoist-4pt-7803b-jeep.html

My wife got it for my birthday. I’ve had no issues with it. No crank, you just use your hands to pull the rope or let it down. It has a catch mechanism on the pulley that holds it in place. The only thing is that as the Jeep has gotten taller, it’s more difficult to get the top high enough to be completely out of the way of the Jeep! Oh well, I have an idea to fix that. I have no desire to spend big bucks on something like this, so this one is right up my alley. It gets the job done and provides good support for the hardtop. Consider where you want to mount it, because your hardtop may be at about the 5 1/2-6” range and you don’t want to hit your head. I’m used to mine and just dip my head slightly when working in the garage.

Thanks! I see it gets good reviews and the price is nice for a kit. When I first saw this one back when I started looking, I thought it looked like it wasn’t heavy duty enough for me. But with 4 anchors, I guess it distributes the weight nicely and this isn’t an issue if anchored into studs properly. The Extreme Terrain video is what made me nervous, they way it torques on the screw eye of the pulley when he is hoisting. Proabably just his makeshift setup in the demonstration and me being nervous. Looks like I may go this direction if I don’t build something more heavy duty myself. I’ll leave it up for months if I get a soft top. Decisions, decisions...thanks again for the info!

 

[JMT]

@mots

 

[ohiopatriot]

I'm from Ohio, took my hardtops off my Jeeps the day I bought them and have never put them back on. I also run 1/2 doors with zipper windows on both.

It's a Jeep.

 

[mots]

I'm from Ohio, took my hardtops off my Jeeps the day I bought them and have never put them back on. I also run 1/2 doors with zipper windows on both.

It's a Jeep.

Different strokes for different folks I guess. I like the look of the hard top, mine is in pristine condition. And I like the option to run with hard top, soft top or no top. I daily mine a lot more than I thought I would, so I fully agree with Chris' summary above:

I'd never own a TJ without a hardtop for these reasons:

1. It adds resale value
2. It's much, much, MUCH quieter on the road (especially on the highway)
3. It keeps the heat in better in the winter, and if you use the A/C, it keeps the cool in too!
4. Did I mention how much quieter it is?
5. If you live somewhere where it rains or snows a lot, it's an absolute must.

That being said. I love my hard top! So much so that I don't even own a soft top!

 

[ohiopatriot]

Different strokes for different folks I guess.

That's why we buy and build them our own way.

 

[Equilibrium31]

I've had my Jeep since 2007 and have lived several years in Texas, Colorado, and now Minnesota. To this day, I've never owned a hard top, but I never felt like I needed one.

Some people seem to love them, but I would say that you need a garage or at least a good storage space if you ever plan on taking the top down, should you decide to go for a hard top.

But personally, I never felt like they justified the extra expense.

 

[mots]

It's possible that once I get a hoist, and if I find it very easy to take on and off myself, I might be able to talk myself into skipping the soft top I am planning to buy next Spring. I love that Trektop frameless though...would be awesome for the warmer 5 months of the year with all the features it has.

That's why we buy and build them our own way.

That's right! If you haven't seen my Toledo Jeep Fest pictures, check them out here. You'll find every kind of Jeep made since 1941 and just about every Jeep mod known to man!
Toledo Jeep Fest

 

[mots]

@mots
View attachment 51598

Nice, thanks for posting. Just curious, I am guessing from what I have read that you can't close the rear window on this one? Not really an issue for me since I have space and it will be up in the air.

 

[TheGanzman]

Caffeine-induced rant: I wish the hardtop(s) didn't make a Wrangler look so "boxy"! Of course there's no room due to the roll bar to make a "fastback hardtop" - my pipe dream is a hardtop molded in the shape of the convertible top; now THAT might be cool!
I've had a hardtop for the last three Wranglers I've owned - 75% of the time it either hung from the ceiling of the carriage house or sat in my side yard...

 

[Boinked]

I'd never own a TJ without a hardtop for these reasons:

1. It keeps the heat in better in the winter, and if you use the A/C, it keeps the cool in too!

I agree with all but the a/c

In Arizona i can cool off my tj soft top much faster then a hard top.
Don't know about the heat. Never have to use it much.