New guy with questions

W

Willis

New Member
Joined
Nov 25, 2017
Messages
11
Location
San Diego, CA, United States
Hey all, I am new to the forum. I have had my jeep 2002 for about 10 years, pre-family, Only 87K on her so she is still going strong. I am back and done with my deployments and well I want to bring the kiddos into the jeep world. Right now all I can do is drive them around the block. Right or wrong my better half wants a few modifications before we go on road trips. I have a 2002 Tj soft top and soft windows. Basic stock. I had it up on a frame lift but I took that off in preps to do a few trips with the family.

My soft top is all beaten up from never being used. sorta beyond repair. I am looking to put on a two piece hard top and I want to put in some upper glass windows to replace my soft windows. I have been reading through the message boards to try to find my answers. So from what I have read this is what I think I can get away with...please let me know if I am right.

I can toss my soft uppers and soft top and replace with aftermarket hard uppers and either an aftermarket hard top or an original hard top. My question would be does changing out soft uppers for hard uppers create the full metal door that it seems I need to have the proper fit for a hard top??

Thanks for helping the new guy.

JW

Oh and we might be leaving sunny San Diego for back east where we have seasons...which is another reason why my wife wants hard tops and glass windows.. I will get pictures up in a bit
 
Welcome to the forum! The only real difference between a hard top and a soft top (aside from the obvious) is that with a soft top, you need door surrounds so that the doors have something to seal to when the shut. The hard tops have these built in, and therefore you can use any door you want with a hard top or soft top, or any combination door either (i.e. hard half doors with soft uppers, hard uppers, etc.).
 
Thank you for your service and welcome to the forum! Your best bet would be to find a used one which may not be too difficult to find in sunny SD. Just make sure you get all the parts that go with it. They aren't cheap, however, expect to pay 800 and up unless you find a smoking deal. Chris covered the logistics of it.
 
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So my jeep is basic factory minus the lift that I put in in my 20s and took out in my 30s. I have the soft top surrounds. If I go with glass window uppers I will just have to take those off is my understanding and what I think you said. Now I know that jeeps are not purchased and played with because the driver wants a quiet ride on the road...but it is my understanding hard tops keep a lot more noise out as compared to the soft tops. I am correct in that? With so few miles my goal is to teach my kids to drive stick with this jeep (I have like 10 years to go but I am pretty sure I can make it happen) and I think a hard top will keep more of the weather out and I want to get the kids in there now.
 
Rob5589 said:
Thank you for your service and welcome to the forum! Your best bet would be to find a used one which may not be too difficult to find in sunny SD. Just make sure you get all the parts that go with it. They aren't cheap, however, expect to pay 800 and up unless you find a smoking deal. Chris covered the logistics of it.
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Yeah I found this place right down on the boarder I think I will head down there next week to check it out. I think this will become obvious when I see the hard top connected to the jeep but is there something I will need beyond some straps. Will I have to drill wholes etc?

JW
 
Willis said:
Yeah I found this place right down on the boarder I think I will head down there next week to check it out. I think this will become obvious when I see the hard top connected to the jeep but is there something I will need beyond some straps. Will I have to drill wholes etc?

JW
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Oh and Rob5589, thank you for your thanks, but I had a blast with what I did so it is more like I should being saying thanks for paying my salary!

JW
 
I would never build a TJ for my family. Just sayin’. You build it and the family adapts. My kids crawl over the sides and jump in all the time (when topless). We have never had a problem with the lift, anything, You just build and everyone can figure it out. MT’s, who cares about road noise, it’s a TJ, that’s what it’s supposed to sound like. No hardtop. Big deal, what’s fun about a hardtop anyway? It’s a have-to when the weather’s a no-go, but hey, build it, adapt, have fun!
 
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Willis said:
So my jeep is basic factory minus the lift that I put in in my 20s and took out in my 30s. I have the soft top surrounds. If I go with glass window uppers I will just have to take those off is my understanding and what I think you said. Now I know that jeeps are not purchased and played with because the driver wants a quiet ride on the road...but it is my understanding hard tops keep a lot more noise out as compared to the soft tops. I am correct in that? With so few miles my goal is to teach my kids to drive stick with this jeep (I have like 10 years to go but I am pretty sure I can make it happen) and I think a hard top will keep more of the weather out and I want to get the kids in there now.
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If you go with half upper doors that are hard with glass, then they are meant to be paired with a hard top, and you will indeed have to the those door surrounds off, yes.

I run mine with a hard top and full doors in the Winter. It's very quiet actually, not loud at all. Especially since I added a headliner to the hard top. We take long trips with it in the Winter with the hard top and full doors on, and no one has ever once complained about it being loud inside. It's very pleasant actually!

We get nasty rain up here too, almost 9 months out of the year.
 
P.s. my wife absolutely said no kids in the TJ with doors off. And get this, they could ride motorcycles!?!? So, the door policy lasted till I broke it so many times that what’s the point of trying to stop me. And then she went doorless, when she swore she never would. And she never went back. She loves it!
 
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I wouldn't own a TJ without a hard top. And, after buying a used soft top, I wouldn't own a TJ without a soft top. My seasons here dictated that I need both. Hard tops are quieter at highway speeds, but they also can amplify drivetrain and tire noise. I can still comfortably have a conversation with my co-pilot with the hard top. Soft top, a little more effort is required. My 2 cents.
 
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JMT said:
P.s. my wife absolutely said no kids in the TJ with doors off. And get this, they could ride motorcycles!?!? So, the door policy lasted till I broke it so many times that what’s the point of trying to stop me. And then she went doorless, when she swore she never would. And she never went back. She loves it!
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I hear where you are coming from. My wife took care of the homefront for a while and my kids are still in car seats. So for now I adhere to the rules and I will just keep the soft top and soft doors on standby for when the kids get older and the wife is more relaxed about it all. Cant stop a river by standing in front of it but you can slow divert it where you want it to go over time...or drive through it with a jeep whichever way you like better...haha
 
Willis said:
I am looking to put on a two piece hard top and I want to put in some upper glass windows to replace my soft windows. I have been reading through the message boards to try to find my answers.
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Ok so this is an expensive option, but this is exactly what you described.
http://www.rallytops.com/shop/jeep-tj-2-pc-hd/

This would be so badass but again, quite pricey. The good thing is that if you get it while your still in SoCal you'll save huge on shipping since you are within driving distance.
 
EJD said:
Ok so this is an expensive option, but this is exactly what you described.
http://www.rallytops.com/shop/jeep-tj-2-pc-hd/

This would be so badass but again, quite pricey. The good thing is that if you get it while your still in SoCal you'll save huge on shipping since you are within driving distance.
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Bulldawg mfg. is $1699 for the top & $650 for the upper doors, so pick your poison...
 
glwood said:
Bulldawg mfg. is $1699 for the top & $650 for the upper doors, so pick your poison...
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The OP stated he wanted a "2-piece Hardtop" which is why I posted that link. Which is cheaper than the total of the Bulldawg stuff...not to mention the shipping for the Bulldawg pieces was $550 vs the local pickup in Cali.

Cool stuff though, I do like that Discovery top with the pop out windows.
 
JMT said:
P.s. my wife absolutely said no kids in the TJ with doors off. And get this, they could ride motorcycles!?!? So, the door policy lasted till I broke it so many times that what’s the point of trying to stop me. And then she went doorless, when she swore she never would. And she never went back. She loves it!
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This is like my motto... it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission. I just do things like that and eventually I wear my wife thin and she doesn’t care anymore. Ask her how this relates to my guitar collection and she would say, “They just show up at the door, he doesn’t even ask me.”. That’s cause I explain it to her after they are already here.
 
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EJD said:
The OP stated he wanted a "2-piece Hardtop" which is why I posted that link. Which is cheaper than the total of the Bulldawg stuff...not to mention the shipping for the Bulldawg pieces was $550 vs the local pickup in Cali.

Cool stuff though, I do like that Discovery top with the pop out windows.
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you are right the rally top is local but the pop out windows are cool, i guess not a bad problem to have either way it will be cool. I was thinking with the two piece I could always take off the back piece and put some mesh netting in when we go to the beach and then put the back piece back on when we go to the mountains.
 
Chris said:
This is like my motto... it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission. I just do things like that and eventually I wear my wife thin and she doesn’t care anymore. Ask her how this relates to my guitar collection and she would say, “They just show up at the door, he doesn’t even ask me.”. That’s cause I explain it to her after they are already here.
Click to expand...

Thats awesome
 
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