Tim_with_the_tj

TJ Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 25, 2021
Messages
240
Location
Vancouver, WA
Bought the Jeep a while back and have been prioritizing other things, but it’s been like this since I got it. The soft uppers contact the windshield frame and make it difficult to close the drivers door specifically.


I have to really slam it shut or it will only latch halfway closed. The top corner used to contact the windshield frame even more than this… it would stick out and not even come close to sealing. I removed the soft upper and bent the forward pin on the frame slightly to help correct it, but it’s still difficult to close the door. Feels like lots of spring tension popping the door open if you pay attention at the end of the video.

I believe they are old Bestop uppers and frame, but not 100% sure. It appears they have been on the Jeep for years since the paint is worn at the windshield and where the upper inserts into the lower half door.

The passenger door is only about half this bad, but also has missing paint in the area where the upper contacts the windshield frame. The half doors seem to be aligned correctly at the hinges and latch. No missing paint on the hinge brackets like they’ve been adjusted ever. Anything I can do to fix this issue? I remember seeing the roll cage might have some adjustability under the foam cover?
 
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I have the same issue with the fabric slider uppers I bought for my '97 SE. I halfway wonder if I wasn't sold a set of uppers for a YJ instead of a TJ? There is a definite angle difference between the windshields of the YJ and TJ.
 
I have the same issue with the fabric slider uppers I bought for my '97 SE. I halfway wonder if I wasn't sold a set of uppers for a YJ instead of a TJ? There is a definite angle difference between the windshields of the YJ and TJ.
Hmmm. I would have to see a side-by-side comparison of the two uppers to be sure. Let me see if I can find any photos.

Edit: After looking at some YJ pictures, mine are certainly all TJ parts.
 
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The half-door is not properly aligned on its hinges. Slightly loosen the hinge bolts that go into the half door (not the hinge bolts that go into the tub!) and move the door around until it's centered in the door opening and at the right angle so the window from has the correct amount of clearance from the windshield frame.
 
The half-door is not properly aligned on its hinges. Slightly loosen the hinge bolts that go into the half door (not the hinge bolts that go into the tub!) and move the door around until it's centered in the door opening and at the right angle so the window from has the correct amount of clearance from the windshield frame.
That was my first thought, but I was hesitant to do it since there was no evidence (on the paint at the hinges) that they’d ever shifted out of position. Maybe they were just never adjusted in the first place when the soft uppers were replaced at some point.

Upon looking more closely, there are matching vin numbers on these half doors and Jeep so they’ve always been on here. The strikers and latches line up just right.

Before I bust loose the paint on the hinge bolts, can the door be adjusted horizontally on the hinge bracket without tilting it to misalign the striker?
 
I’ve got these same old upper doors by Bestop, you have to re center them as Jerry said, plus you can wrap a bit the frame around the upper doors to get them in touch together, I mean, inside, under the top over the frame just to eliminate that gap between door and soft top.
I’ve done this everytime I have to reinstall the top after the summer, and it’s all sealed and waterproof!

1AD1C529-BAD6-41B3-8E72-4E47FA49312A.jpeg
 
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My half doors with fabric tops work 98 percent with the American Fastback hard top I purchased...no issues...let me know if you want measurements and angles on the pins for comparison.

-Mac
 
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That was my first thought, but I was hesitant to do it since there was no evidence (on the paint at the hinges) that they’d ever shifted out of position. Maybe they were just never adjusted in the first place when the soft uppers were replaced at some point.

Upon looking more closely, there are matching vin numbers on these half doors and Jeep so they’ve always been on here. The strikers and latches line up just right.

Before I bust loose the paint on the hinge bolts, can the door be adjusted horizontally on the hinge bracket without tilting it to misalign the striker?
Does it happen on both doors or just one door? Wondering if the frame alignment pins on the uppers could be bent?
 
Does it happen on both doors or just one door? Wondering if the frame alignment pins on the uppers could be bent?
Both doors. The passenger side is 50% better, but still missing some paint on the windshield frame from the upper door rubbing too hard when closed. I would say the pins could be bent on the upper door frames…but they seat onto the lower half doors just fine. No gaps on the weather seal at the base. I slightly bent the forward pin on the drivers door on purpose and it helped the seal at that top corner of the windshield… but it still doesn’t fit right. I think it’s just gotta be what Jerry said. Gonna have to re-adjust the lower half doors at the hinges.
 
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Before changing the hinge positions, check the gap around the bottom and sides of the door. If it's uniform, then I would leave it alone and adjust the upper. Adjusting the windshield angle (if possible) would be a good option too.
 
Before changing the hinge positions, check the gap around the bottom and sides of the door. If it's uniform, then I would leave it alone and adjust the upper. Adjusting the windshield angle (if possible) would be a good option too.
How does one adjust the windshield angle? Wouldn't that run the risk of changing the seal at the top?
 
Before changing the hinge positions, check the gap around the bottom and sides of the door. If it's uniform, then I would leave it alone and adjust the upper. Adjusting the windshield angle (if possible) would be a good option too.
You talking about the body panel gaps on the lower half door and the tub? The body gaps looked good, but I’ll look again.

If you watch the video you’ll see there’s a gap on the rearward part of the upper where it should seal to the soft top better.

I’m not sure how to adjust the windshield angle unless that’s possible using the roll bars like I mentioned in post #1.
 
Bought the Jeep a while back and have been prioritizing other things, but it’s been like this since I got it. The soft uppers contact the windshield frame and make it difficult to close the drivers door specifically.
View attachment 303478

I have to really slam it shut or it will only latch halfway closed. The top corner used to contact the windshield frame even more than this… it would stick out and not even come close to sealing. I removed the soft upper and bent the forward pin on the frame slightly to help correct it, but it’s still difficult to close the door. Feels like lots of spring tension popping the door open if you pay attention at the end of the video.

I believe they are old Bestop uppers and frame, but not 100% sure. It appears they have been on the Jeep for years since the paint is worn at the windshield and where the upper inserts into the lower half door.

The passenger door is only about half this bad, but also has missing paint in the area where the upper contacts the windshield frame. The half doors seem to be aligned correctly at the hinges and latch. No missing paint on the hinge brackets like they’ve been adjusted ever. Anything I can do to fix this issue? I remember seeing the roll cage might have some adjustability under the foam cover?
You don’t use the factory surrounds?