Anyone every swappped out the hard top for a soft top on a 1990? Any
thoughtful advice on steps to take and best equipment to use? I
replaced the soft top on my 1997 without too much trouble - just that I
am spoiled without much expereince on the earlier models - my 1978 cj
was just plain naked all the time. Many thanks - this is Jeep number 5
for my daughter lol.

Nick

 

There are two OEM models of soft top for the YJ, plus a couple others like
the Bestop Supertop. The first thing you are going to run into is that the
full hard doors don't fit the OEM half door soft top, which is in my opinion
the only soft top worth having. The OEM hard door soft top leaks water
where the top of the hard doors are supposed to seal against it, and there
isn't much you can do about it. I personally don't understand why anyone
would want a soft top, if when they put it down they had to drive around
with dorky looking full doors.

Make absolutely sure, whatever soft top you are getting, that it will work
with the doors you plan to use with it. There are some combinations that
are "supposed to" work, but when you call the factory representative, they
admit that "there will be some leakage". If it is at all cold or rainy
where you live, you don't want that.

I put my hard top on a set of saw horses and a shelf that goes on top, that
I built to just the right height, for sliding it on and off the Jeep. The
hard top is pretty heavy, but if you take your time and line things up just
right, it is no trouble at all changing it.

Earle

"Danj" <knikdanger@excite.com> wrote in message
news:1157924214.486382.26460@q16g2000cwq.googlegro ups.com...
> Anyone every swappped out the hard top for a soft top on a 1990? Any
> thoughtful advice on steps to take and best equipment to use? I
> replaced the soft top on my 1997 without too much trouble - just that I
> am spoiled without much expereince on the earlier models - my 1978 cj
> was just plain naked all the time. Many thanks - this is Jeep number 5
> for my daughter lol.
>
> Nick
>

 

There are two OEM models of soft top for the YJ, plus a couple others like
the Bestop Supertop. The first thing you are going to run into is that the
full hard doors don't fit the OEM half door soft top, which is in my opinion
the only soft top worth having. The OEM hard door soft top leaks water
where the top of the hard doors are supposed to seal against it, and there
isn't much you can do about it. I personally don't understand why anyone
would want a soft top, if when they put it down they had to drive around
with dorky looking full doors.

Make absolutely sure, whatever soft top you are getting, that it will work
with the doors you plan to use with it. There are some combinations that
are "supposed to" work, but when you call the factory representative, they
admit that "there will be some leakage". If it is at all cold or rainy
where you live, you don't want that.

I put my hard top on a set of saw horses and a shelf that goes on top, that
I built to just the right height, for sliding it on and off the Jeep. The
hard top is pretty heavy, but if you take your time and line things up just
right, it is no trouble at all changing it.

Earle

"Danj" <knikdanger@excite.com> wrote in message
news:1157924214.486382.26460@q16g2000cwq.googlegro ups.com...
> Anyone every swappped out the hard top for a soft top on a 1990? Any
> thoughtful advice on steps to take and best equipment to use? I
> replaced the soft top on my 1997 without too much trouble - just that I
> am spoiled without much expereince on the earlier models - my 1978 cj
> was just plain naked all the time. Many thanks - this is Jeep number 5
> for my daughter lol.
>
> Nick
>

 

There are two OEM models of soft top for the YJ, plus a couple others like
the Bestop Supertop. The first thing you are going to run into is that the
full hard doors don't fit the OEM half door soft top, which is in my opinion
the only soft top worth having. The OEM hard door soft top leaks water
where the top of the hard doors are supposed to seal against it, and there
isn't much you can do about it. I personally don't understand why anyone
would want a soft top, if when they put it down they had to drive around
with dorky looking full doors.

Make absolutely sure, whatever soft top you are getting, that it will work
with the doors you plan to use with it. There are some combinations that
are "supposed to" work, but when you call the factory representative, they
admit that "there will be some leakage". If it is at all cold or rainy
where you live, you don't want that.

I put my hard top on a set of saw horses and a shelf that goes on top, that
I built to just the right height, for sliding it on and off the Jeep. The
hard top is pretty heavy, but if you take your time and line things up just
right, it is no trouble at all changing it.

Earle

"Danj" <knikdanger@excite.com> wrote in message
news:1157924214.486382.26460@q16g2000cwq.googlegro ups.com...
> Anyone every swappped out the hard top for a soft top on a 1990? Any
> thoughtful advice on steps to take and best equipment to use? I
> replaced the soft top on my 1997 without too much trouble - just that I
> am spoiled without much expereince on the earlier models - my 1978 cj
> was just plain naked all the time. Many thanks - this is Jeep number 5
> for my daughter lol.
>
> Nick
>