Go Topless – Lowering the Sunrider Soft Top on a 2007 Jeep JK Wrangler 4-Door Unlimited

50 Comments

1. Thanks for taking the time to show how to remove the soft top. I wish it was easier to do with one person. The owners manual kinda sucked. Your pictures were excellent.

   Sincerely,

   -Leor

2. I just wanted to say that this site has more information then any other site on the web including Jeeps own site on How-To’s at this time.
   I busted one of my window frames because I could not figure it out on my own, Don-A-Vee was good to me though and they picked up the bill for a replacement. Had I known about this site, it would never have happened.
   Thanks Eddie!
   Tell Mel hello, can’t wait to have him lift my JK
   Robert

3. Hey Leor and Robert, thanks for the feedback. I can guarantee you that more how-to’s are coming your way as soon as I get my JK. 🙂

   Eddie

4. Great info – my only question, Does the storage boot come with all soft tops. My new JK did not come with one and I am wondering if it should have?

5. Hi Johnny, in all honesty, I don’t think so. In fact, I’m starting to think that the storage boot that we installed was nothing more than the temporary shipping boot that Jeep packages their soft tops in when shipping it.

   Eddie

6. without this, we would have never got the top down. thanks so much. will the dealer still have the storage boot? we broke a piece off both window frames try to follow dealers and manual intructions. bv

7. Hi Bill, I doubt your dealer would still have it as it is typically discarded after installation. Apparently, the boot was intended only for shipping – go figure.

   I’m glad to know that my write-up was able to help you out.
   Eddie

8. Glad I found your site….my dealer was clueless.

   If you order the Dual Top option then the dealer doesn’t mess with the Sunrider Soft Top sitting inside.

   I didn’t realize the ugly wrinkled mess sitting in the corner of my apt was meant to cover up the soft top when down.

   Guess it has to sit in the sun for a while to look better.

   Also, I wish I had found something to show how to remove the stored soft top from inside when the hard top is still on.

   Several bruised knuckles and an hour and half later I managed to worm the top out by raising the hard top a few inches.

   Simon

9. Thanks for the pictures – I was shocked to find out that Chrysler no longer includes how-to videos detailing the top removal. There may be a good market for someone willing to create a video showing all the hard/soft top remvoal and replacement.

10. Thank you for the very informative pictures and narrative. I agree the owner’s manual is very poor regarding the soft top. Is it possible to lower the soft top by myself? I certainly hope so but await warmer Chicago weather to switch my hard top for the soft and give it a try. I also wonder if anyone has a sense for how much overhead clearance you need to lower the soft top as you fold it on to itself – or unfold it as you put it on – as this is my first convertible as I am trying to figure out whether I will be able to do this in my garage. Finally, I was going to purchase the $175 soft top boot cover on the Mopar site to keep the folded top secure – anyone with experience with it? Thanks,
    Bill Maloney

11. Hey Bill, yes you most certainly can lower the top all by yourself. Regarding overhead clearance, I think you’ll need a bit more room than would a standard height garage will offer. As far as the boot goes, it is a bit pricy but it does work pretty well. I would just be carefull to not wrap your windows within it unless Mopar includes some kind of scratch resistant cloth to put in between them.

    Eddie

12. Hello, I’m in the market for a jeep and was originally thinking I didnt need a soft top. Will I regret not getting that option. If I found one on the dealer lot without the dual top option can I have them ordered the soft top? Thanks

13. Yes, you can have the soft top ordered separately but it will cost significantly more to do it that way. As far as whether or not you will regret not getting one goes, it all depends on who you are. Now that the JK’s come with the Freedom top, I would argue that you may not.

    Eddie

14. Thanks Eddie, also, I’ve been reading about people complaining about the freedom top leaking. Have they fixed that problem yet?

15. Hi Joe,
    There has in fact been a TSB released to fix the leaky Freedom Top which can be seen by clicking on the link below:

    TSB 23-001-07 – Modular Hard Top Freedom Panel Waterleaks

    Newer Jeep JK Wrangler should already have this fixes.

    Eddie 

     

16. this was very helpful, just bought a 4 dr. unlimited on Saturday and had to take it to the dealer for them to do a hands on demonstration on how to lower the softop, bummer there is not an included boot it would make it look nicer when opened up.

17. I’m a bit confused when putting the softtop back up. I’m not able to do the reverse on step #7;

    7. Separate the Sunrider Soft Top from the retaining channel along the doors of your Jeep JK Wrangler.

    I can’t get it back into the channel so it stays…. what am i doing wrong???

    Any help from anyone would be great.
    Thx
    matt g

18. Hey, Just wanted to give kudos on the great info, I also agree that Jeep needs to work on much needed step by step instructions. I just bought the 4 door X Unlimited with soft top, I used to have a 2000 Wrangler Sport with soft top, and this one seems very similar…. I love the new style and the ride is awesome…

    Keep up the great work guys….

    Seeya

19. I would like to know if you have an opinion about the boot by mopar which is supposed to have a pouch for the windows.

    I am thinking of just getting the Clover Patch window roll because I know that it can take the rear window with the crossbar and with the roll secured over the top it should hold the top and windows together nicely.

    I do not want to spend all that money on the boot and find out it is not doing a good job of protecting the windows.

    Your opinion? By the the way, thanks for a great site.

20. JC Whitney has cover boots for older Jeeps but havent got one for new JK yet hope to see one soon good prices on older ones

21. Many thanks. I am gonna try to remove the hard top and put on the soft top this weekend. I just wonder how heavy is the rear section of the hard top. Can one guy handle it?

22. Shaker, Just to let you know I have a 07 4dr sahara with the dual top and had to take hard top off to remove soft. Me and my Girlfriend and a very difficult time with it. Don’t know if its just cause she’s my first(jeep not gf) or what, but very difficult to manuever. Ended up scraping it up a little and the white fiberglass shows a little bit now due to scratch. Any suggestions from anyone to patch that scratch up so it looks prettier? Any help much appreciated. Thanks.
    -Brandon

23. Hey Mattg, I apologize for not responding to you sooner but did you ever figure out how to get them back in?

    Likewise, did you ever take off your hard top Shaker? If you didn’t already know by now, it weighs about 100 lbs.

    Brandon, you can go to your dealership and buy a bottle of touch up paint. The bottle will have a brush applicator and will do a good job of fixing your scratches.

    Eddie

24. Eddie,
    For some reason when I called my dealership they told me there was no touch up paint for the hard tops. Is there a product # or something I can ask specifically for. Also eddie looking to up grade the stock rescue green jk, what should be first on my list. Deffinately wanting to lift her and put some sweet tires on but any suggestions for a newbie to the jeep field. Thanks.
    -Brandon

25. Much thanks to you for taking the time to put up the pictures and pretty much step by step explanation on how to remove the top. I just got mine and the first time I took it off it looked kinda funny so I put it back up til I knew how to do it properly. The guide is great, thanks again!!

26. Hello,

    I also had to take my four door soft top to the dealer, to have them show me how to remove the top. The guy there did not remove the rear window when folding the top; instead, he rolled it up and secured it with button straps.

    1. Later, I realized that the manual says not to lower the top with the windows attached. Which is the best way to safely lower the top?

    2. Also, when the guy lowered the top, it did not seem to be folded evenly. Part of the flaps were hanging out over the tailgate door a few inches. Does this guy know what he is doing?

    Thanks!

27. My soft top went down after wrestling with it for a bit. This guide did help a lot. I need to swing by my dealer and see if they have any of the boots left. They get 10 of these jeeps a week with the soft tops installed, so they are bound to have a few laying around. I found that the top won’t go down properly with the rear window rolled up; it has to be taken out. I just got the “Clover Patch Window Roll” and used it for all 3 removable windows. Again, nice write up, the pictures helped the most.

28. We followed the step to remove the soft top of my 2007 4 dr sahara. We are having problems. Everything goes fine until the very end. After step 12 our top does not lay down properly. The retaining bars that are suppose to wind up being parallel to the back of the jeep so that they can be strapped into place by the velcro straps etc, are sticking up in the air about a foot. The roll bars in the back appear to keep them from coming all the way down. We called the dealer and they dont seem to know what we are doing wrong. The instructions seem easy but this happens everytime we try. HELP!!!!!

29. Hi D Clayton,
    It’s hard to know what you are experiencing without seeing what you are doing but, are you making sure to fold the plastic edges that normally tuck in along the side of the doors?

    Eddie

30. I have the 2007 4 door wrangler. I cannot get the back window out. The zipper will not come completly loose. I started on the passenger side and zip it all the way to the left and it stops when it reaches the zipper on the other side.

31. Is the torx wrench stowed with the jack, or do I have to buy that separately?

32. Hi Scott, the zipper can be difficult to remove if it wasn’t started just right. All I can say is to try and pull down on the window and work the zipper the best that you can.

    Hi Jim, the torx bit or screw driver is something you need to buy.

    Eddie

33. Thanks, Eddie. The weather hasn’t been cooperating, so I hadn’t gotten around to looking for it.

    Jim

34. Hi,

    Just bought my first 4 door jeep unlim. This website answered my questions of being a first time jeep owner. The jeep dealership who sold this to me( will remain nameless, did not have good jeep product ship. All I heard from them was “I dont know”…. Thanks for cool websites like this one….

    Thanks

    Tom

35. Hey,

    Kind of a dumb question however i think its pretty important, once i remove the windows (i have a 4door sahara) both sides and back, is it ok to store them in the back of the jeep, just in the cargo area or should I avoid this? (I was thinking possibly them sticking together or something of the sorts) just wondering, anyone may help and all ideas welcome.

    Thanks,

    Chris

36. Hey Chris, it’s typically a bad idea to store your windows like that as they would get quite scratched up or might even blow away. I would recommend getting a window bag/carrier to store them in. These typically have felt protectors inside and will keep your windows in great shape.

    Eddie

37. Has anyone experienced a problem with the plastic retaining clips that are supposed to hold the rear window bar in place and seal to the back door, popping off? We have a new 07 Wrangler 2 door Sahara (3 weeks old) – the clips will not stay in place. As soon as we try to attach the rear sail panels, the clips pop off. It almost seems as if the top is just a little too small. We had it sitting in the sun for 3 weeks and it did not help to stretch it. The dealer has been no help – and in fact found a problem in another Wrangler on the lot. They were not able to install the clips properly either. Is there any fix for this?

38. HI Eddie,

    We just got an 07 Rubicon 4 door and it is awesome. We figurred everything out with the soft top except how to get the velcro strap threaded through the slot in the body side retainer. Does the bolt receptor clipped into the body panel pop out to allow the velcor strap to thread through?

    To Jane regarding the rear window clips popping out. I had that happen once but was able to snap them back in place. With the full assembly installed the clips seem to hold in just fine.

39. I am also having a problem with the soft top being too small. I can’t seem to secure the sail panels underneath the ridges along the rear sides and back. Its hot here and I’ve pulled on the last bar like suggested in the manual but it still didn’t make it long enough to be secured. Otherwise, I did pretty good with putting up the top with little help from the manual.
    BTW for whoever asked, don’t try to remove the hard top by yourself. Its heavy, yes, but very awkward as well. One side ends up falling down over the side and scratching up your paint pretty badly. Its also a pain in the you know what to store. Any thoughts on the 400 dollar storage dolly the dealer sells?

40. Hey. I haven’t had any problems putting my top down. I do however have a problem when the top is up. (It rains, it has to go up sometimes). My problem is with the plastic clips that hold the rear window base bar in place. When the top is up the clips are knocked out of place by the piece that goes into the retaining channel. Once that happens, the window starts to unzip and is no longer sealed. Is this a common problem?

    Thank you

41. Hello-

    I recently purchased an ’07 Sahara and we love it. You step-by-step directions a 10 times better than in the manual, which I was about to burn. 😉

    With that said, do you know of a place to buy a soft top boot- one of good quality. I have one but it will not last long. It’s cheap.

    Great website!

    Thanks!!!

    Mark
    Grand Haven, MI

42. The boot that Jeep sells retails for $180. I bought mine from the dealer for $150. This boot when installed, unlike the shipping boot, fastens down on the back of the jeep using the rear window bar and the tab/slots on the rear corners, much like the actual top does. The boot also comes with two storage bags for the sides and rear window.

    Tom,

    Franklin, NJ

43. Tom,

    Im new to the whole Jeep world, how do you buy it straight from the dealer. Do you new the Jeep website??

44. Hi Everyone,

    I too am having problems with the plastic clips that the window bar goes into. I have a 2 door Rubicon and have a friend with a 2 door X with the same problems. I hope Jeep has a solution for this. Also I have the Dual top option and on the Jeep website it says that the dual top package comes with the Sunrider. But mine is not? I looked in the owners manual for what that’s worth. LOL And it doesn’t mention anything about a 2 door Sunrider top.
    I think the website is falsely advertising their product.

    Bob Coco
    Sag Harbor, New York

45. I just bought a 2008 Sahara Unlimited with the hardtop and sunrider. Can the sunrider be removed? I don’t need it.

46. Great writeup…

    Question: I got a new 2008 2 door Rubicon and my top fits perfectly, however, I get a wind sound when going faster then say 20mph and sounds stronger in a head wind. The sound only comes from up above as tghe wind blows over the top of the jeep, nothing from the sides or windows. The top fits nice and tight, I washed it last night and drenched the top to test for water leaks with my wife sitting inside. NO leaks whatsoever. When driving faster then 20mph, and placing my hand onto the roof from the inside I feel the wind shake the top slightly yet the seal appears to be tight and I cant accually feel any wind entering at the seal, just hear the wind. Is this normal? The sound is actually kindof annoying, maybe all soft tops howl/woosing noise. Do I take it back to the dealer for repair and risk them screwing it up since I have no water leakage or just deal with the sound?…..Any ideas would be appreciated.

    David

47. Hi David, when driving with the windows closed, turn on your outside air vents to at least the first setting. If you don’t want air in your face, close off the center baffles and direct the outter ones away from you or just use the floor ducts. The air will pressurized your cabin and make your top taught. This will keep it nice and quiet.

    Eddie

48. Stupid question: which buttons the outside air vent? Ill try this and see if it helps.

    thanks for the advise.

49. Not a stupid question at all. To turn on the outside air vent, simply rotate the middle dial on your dash to any of the settings making sure that the re-circulate (bottom center) button is NOT on.

    Eddie

50. FYI: I didnt notice a difference unfortunatly when I had my outside air vents on. I think the sound is coming from the front roof seal, but I have NO leaks whatsoever. I think its something ill have to live with, unless you have another idea?