Folks with two roofs (rooves?)

KillerIsMe

KillerIsMe

TJ Enthusiast
Supporting Member
Joined
Aug 30, 2019
Messages
239
Location
NE Pennsylvania
I bought my old TJ new in 2000 with a soft top that I had to replace after about six years. It was loud, flapped around a lot, but I accepted it as a "nature of the beast" thing. The TJ I drive now though- a 2006 - has a hardtop. It's quiet (for a TJ), warm in winter and cool in summer, but I miss the top-down factor. I miss it a lot.

I bought the '06 last fall with the intention of buying a Bestop this summer and switching out roofs (rooves?), and then back again in November - lather, rinse, and repeat. Now that summer is here though I've been thinking more about it; my garage is not big and the ceiling is not high and the idea of having my hardtop hanging there from a hoist for 6 months does not make me happy. I do have tons of room outside and a tractor and pallet forks so I can easily slide the roof onto a pallet and store it outside as an alternate solution. What I want to ask the forum however is, for those who do it or have done it in the past how much of a pain is it to switch from hardtop to soft top and then back twice a year? Even though it's just the wife and I, and even though I'm old (64), it looks like the soft top switch is a lot more time-consuming and painful than the hardtop switch.

What I've been considering is:

1. The easy way: buy a TopLift Pro or something similar and then just lift off the hardtop and put it back on whenever I want to. The downside is the unpredictable Northeast weather. Back in the day I frequently got caught out, looking for an underpass or a big tree to give me time to button up the soft top. That idea also limits how far I can go and for how long.

2. The fiscally responsible way: Convert the Jeep to a soft top and sell the hardtop. There's definitely a fear of regret factor there however, as the hardtop is in excellent shape and the color (khaki) looks fantastic on the khaki TJ.

3. The hard way: Suck it up and switch back and forth, see how it goes.

4. The way I usually do things: Procrastinate.

Anybody who's wrestled with this have any input? I'm not in any hurry - with the Rona going there aren't a whole lot of places to go now anyway but I figure by spring there will be a vaccine and then I'll be hot-to-trot again.

I appreciate your reading this far.
 
I tried the switching back and forth route. It lasted one season and now my hard top hasn't left it's perch for many years. I generally leave the top up, but pull all the windows out. Because I can park inside both at home and work, my windows stay out 8+ months, except in cases of heavy rain. Putting the hard top on for 3 - 4 months just wasn't worth it.

Unless you need the money, park the hard top in the yard. Drive the Jeep for one full year and re-vist the decision next year. As you stated, a Jeep isn't quite the same with a hard top on it!
 
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Irun said:
I tried the switching back and forth route. It lasted one season and now my hard top hasn't left it's perch for many years. I generally leave the top up, but pull all the windows out. Because I can park inside both at home and work, my windows stay out 8+ months, except in cases of heavy rain. Putting the hard top on for 3 - 4 months just wasn't worth it.

Unless you need the money, park the hard top in the yard. Drive the Jeep for one full year and re-vist the decision next year. As you stated, a Jeep isn't quite the same with a hard top on it!
Click to expand...

Yeah I can't imagine stripping off the soft top every year and putting it back in the spring. You're right, put on the soft top and see how it goes this winter.
 
It’s very easy to swap over from a hard top to a soft top. Just have someone help you lift it off in the spring and put it back on in the fall. I used to do that on my Jeep and did so for something like 15 years. It’s twice a year and maybe takes 45 minutes if you spend half your time sitting and drinking a beer...

I moved into the city and I have no where for a hard top. So I just run a soft top year round. Would prefer to have a hard top, but it also isn’t a deal breaker.
 
I'm in the same boat. So far have my hardtop sitting behind my shed. I have nowhere else to store it. If I had your options no way would I sell it.

I definitely want to run the soft top in good weather though.
 
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funckmaster flash said:
I have been wanting to try this it seems to be the best of both worlds.....wondering if anyone else here has used this exact top....and also what do you think of it??
https://www.quadratec.com/p/quadrat...tj/adventure-top-without-doors-black-denim-tj
Click to expand...
Sorry, not that exact one, but I put a Quadratec top with tinted windows on the TJ and JK we have.
Purchased 2 Bestops over the years, they are top quality, but for the price difference, Quad top I would do over and over. In Texas the Tinted makes a HUGE difference.
I got this one, it’s I consider them very high quality, but Bestop may be a touch better.

https://www.quadratec.com/products/11000_05XX_PG.htm
 
jodomcfrodo said:
It’s very easy to swap over from a hard top to a soft top. Just have someone help you lift it off in the spring and put it back on in the fall. I used to do that on my Jeep and did so for something like 15 years. It’s twice a year and maybe takes 45 minutes if you spend half your time sitting and drinking a beer...

I moved into the city and I have no where for a hard top. So I just run a soft top year round. Would prefer to have a hard top, but it also isn’t a deal breaker.
Click to expand...


Getting the hard top on and off might be the lesser of the two evils. As I said I have a tractor with FEL and pallet forks so I figure I can raise the pallet to the level of the top and the wife and I can slide it back, and then do the opposite to put it back on. Can't imagine it would be fun but I can't imagine it's impossible either. The part I don't look forward to is taking the soft top on and off.
 
I switch mine out in the winter. Summer months my hardtop sits on a stand pushed flat against my garage wall. Summer time I run a Rampage frameless soft top with factory half doors. Winter time I install my full doors and hardtop again. It’s mainly to keep the wear and tear off the fabric in the winter months. I try not to get my TJ in the snow too much regardless, but I definitely wouldn’t want the extra weight from a good snow laying on it overnight.
E9057164-15F5-4546-B520-342746924DBC.jpeg
 
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WDE said:
Soft top install and removal is quick and easy if you change out the oem mount with quick release ones. Put top down, pull four pins, top is off. Reverse the process to install.

https://www.quadratec.com/products/11033_02.htm
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Pulled the trigger too quickly :).

I never took the soft top frame off before. Do you mean it comes off all in one piece? I mean obviously the windows are separate, but the roof assembly just comes off? So just take off the rear clips and door surrounds and I'm done?
 
KillerIsMe said:
Pulled the trigger too quickly :).

I never took the soft top frame off before. Do you mean it comes off all in one piece? I mean obviously the windows are separate, but the roof assembly just comes off? So just take off the rear clips and door surrounds and I'm done?
Click to expand...
Only 2 torx screws hold the soft top frame on, attached to the roll bar.
 
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I'm in PA too, and I switch them out. I use a cart similar to ranger101 to store my hard top in my garage. Removing the hardtop is a two person job, at least an LJ top, but it only takes a few minutes. I can install the soft top by myself.

I first removal and install took a little longer, but the second time it went smoothly.

I only have space to park one vehicle in my garage, so the jeep sits outside during the winter, but I park it inside during the summer with side and rear windows removed.
 
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LukesfirstJeep said:
I'm in PA too, and I switch them out. I use a cart similar to ranger101 to store my hard top in my garage. Removing the hardtop is a two person job, at least an LJ top, but it only takes a few minutes. I can install the soft top by myself.

I first removal and install took a little longer, but the second time it went smoothly.

I only have space to park one vehicle in my garage, so the jeep sits outside during the winter, but I park it inside during the summer with side and rear windows removed.
Click to expand...

By the way, where in Central PA? I grew up in Altoona
 
I put a 99.00 harbor freight electric winch in the ceiling of my garage. Built my own top puller for another 50 .00 and can pull it all the way to the ceiling of a normal garage. Hard top on or off in 15 minutes by my self. Might be a option for you.
 
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