How to change hard top to soft top?

[Pat]

Hi, im new to the forum,
I would like to change my Hard top to a soft top, anyone have experience doing this. Can you give me any recommendations on how to get started on this. Thanks!

 

[Jerry Bransford]

There are a lot of misc. parts needed to mount a soft top if your Jeep never had one. Are you saying you want to mount the soft top that your Jeep came from or your Jeep never had a soft top and you need all the parts so you can install one?

 

[Chris]

This is one of the easiest things you could do. You'll need to buy a complete soft top kit that includes door surrounds as well as all the hardware.

I've got a thread here that lists a good majority of the soft tops available for the TJ:
What is the best replacement soft top for my Jeep Wrangler TJ?

Bestop tops are obviously the best (that's who makes the factory tops for the TJs).

Bestop has a few options for people such as yourself who need a soft top, including the hardware to install it, those two options would be the Supertop NX and the Trektop NX.

Check out that thread I linked to above.

 

[Pat]

There are a lot of misc. parts needed to mount a soft top if your Jeep never had one. Are you saying you want to mount the soft top that your Jeep came from or your Jeep never had a soft top and you need all the parts so you can install one?

My jeep never had a soft top

 

[Jerry Bransford]

My jeep never had a soft top

Then the easiest way to get everything needed is with Bestop's Supertop NX kit or Trektop NX kit as Chris included links to in his above post. Everything needed is in their NX kits, which is what I'm running on my TJ. The Sailcloth fabric used in that kit is very good, it's extra thick and helps keep the interior quieter than what a cheap soft top fabric can.

 

[T Crawford]

Or look for a used one on craigslist

 

[jamespwsullivan]

Also a noob to TJ(L)s and I'm reading the forums as fast as I can. My 96 XJ is in a state of "simply not worth repairing" so I bought a 2005 TJ unlimited. It has both hard and soft tops yay! The hard top is installed and I figured a way to get the soft top stored close to the ceiling in the garage. But there is no way the hard top is going to fit in the garage, so it will have to go in the shed. And I'll have to get it to the shed. I'm thinking I'll make some extension for my hand truck...
How heavy is this top? I'm told that you "can" get it off and on with two people, three is better and four make it pretty easy. I'm a little concerned about a safe place to put it where it won't fall over and how I'm going to get it there. Hence the question about its weight.
Thanks

 

[glwood]

Also a noob to TJ(L)s and I'm reading the forums as fast as I can. My 96 XJ is in a state of "simply not worth repairing" so I bought a 2005 TJ unlimited. It has both hard and soft tops yay! The hard top is installed and I figured a way to get the soft top stored close to the ceiling in the garage. But there is no way the hard top is going to fit in the garage, so it will have to go in the shed. And I'll have to get it to the shed. I'm thinking I'll make some extension for my hand truck...
How heavy is this top? I'm told that you "can" get it off and on with two people, three is better and four make it pretty easy. I'm a little concerned about a safe place to put it where it won't fall over and how I'm going to get it there. Hence the question about its weight.
Thanks

Built this cart and cover, basically just a roof overhang off the side of a Tuff Shed finished into a separate room:

Hard top covered with a blanket and tarp, stored under the roof for the summer:

 

[GaTechTJ]

Thank you for answering where to get all of the soft top hardware. Very helpful.

 

[LukesfirstJeep]

OP, what part of PA? I installed a soft top on my Jeep for the first time last summer. if you're close, I may be able to help.