Sun damaged soft top windows fix

[Nick Alexander]

So my back soft top window is pretty badly sun damaged and I’ve tried cleaning it to no avail. I cant find replacement windows for factory soft top and I’m too cheap to buy a whole new soft top. It has acquired a few rips in it from being stored like an idiot that I patched with packing tape. What was strange is that I could see a lot better through the taped parts than I could the rest of the window. So ya know what I did?

I taped the whole frickin window.

Did I do a good job? Not really

Do I care? Not really

Do I understand why this worked? Not in the slightest

Am I a genius regardless? I’d like to think so

Here is before, during, and after

Too nice out right now to put the top up and window on but I will add an update once I do. As far as I can tell, its a lot better than before.

Note: I started by taping both sides, but it only works if the exterior is taped, so its mostly done just on the exterior.

 

[CharlesHS]

Check on the Forum TJ Classifieds Parts For Sale; there is bound to be one of the members selling a used soft top rear window in better condition.

https://wranglertjforum.com/forums/parts-for-sale.128/

 

[Jablinski]

 

[801 Driver]

My 98 TJ had the half door windows recently replaced when I purchased it. I then used plexiglass cleaner/polish with a soft rag on the back ones and helped it a lot.

 

[Kiwi TJ]

I used Maguires car polish on my passenger window when i first got the Jeep it cleaned it up well....just needed to add some elbow grease....It was a little bit swirly (technical term) but at least I could see through them after that.

 

[801 Driver]

I might add, if using a very mild "polish" go back and forth sideways direction only, not in circles. Just like motorcycle windshields and aircraft windows, you want all the microscopic scratch marks left behind to be all in one direction. Usually sideways works best rather than up and down because you usually scan from side to side more than up and down and there is less distortion visibale.

 

[Nick Alexander]

Yeah it doesn't look great but I guess its better than nothing I literally couldn’t see anything through it before. I think I tried some sort of Maguire’s product on it before that didn’t work but I’ll try the polish.

 

[Elliott]

As others have already posted, i use a mild polish on the windows. Keeps them clear and the material soft.

 

[AndyG]

There is a time to save a few bucks, but when it involves lane changes, highway speeds and your passengers and others on the road, it would be well worth it to watch craigslist-if you are persistent someone will likely give you one that has no longer has their Tj.