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

50 Comments

1. HI THERE GUY’S

   THANK TOU FOR A VERY INFOFMATIVE ARTICLE ,

   HAVING JUST PURCHASED MY FIRST JEEP EVER[4 DR UNLIMITED SPORT] I HAD A LIMITED AMOUNT OF HELP FROM THE DEALER AND CHRYSLER HEAD OFFICE IN AUSTRALIA YOUR WEBSITE IS INVALUABLE I NOW CAN BE CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO LOWER MY ROOF WITHOUT HAVING TO WORRY ABOUT DAMAGE ,I WILL TELL OTHERS OF YOUR WEBSITE

   THANKS A HEAP
   LOUIS

2. i had my soft top down all last week and then when i folded it back up, the black straps connected to the bars had come loose on both sides… did i fold it wrong? can it be fixed without going to the dealer?

3. after looking at the manual i see they are called “check straps” and i also see that they were grommeted in place and not hooked in place…. not looking too good for my soft top. i also notice my rear soft windows aren’t laying flat when zipped on and i have installed them correctly. i would imagine this is a result of the check straps not pulling the fabric into the correct position. any thoughts on what to do? am i looking at a $1500 soft top replacement or do you think this is a warranty situation? thanks in advance for your thoughts. i can tell this is an easy process after doing it a couple of times, but unfortunately i may be travelling an expensive learning curve.

4. I also have had a problem with the back window clips coming off. I lost them once and had to go and purchase new ones. This is my 3rd Jeep Wrangler and I never had this issue with my other 2 Wranglers. Maybe if we complain to Jeep they may do something about this. It is very annoying.

5. Hello, in recent month lamentably I committed a mistake on buying a BESTOP SAILCLOTH JK 4DR when indeed the product that I needed was the complete MOPAR® Sunrider® Soft Top, because de Wrangler Unlimited model in Chile hasn’t the bow assembly or the framework folding.
   My questions is if somebody knows where buy ONLY the hardware/framework folding for my jeep? Do you have some information about this? Can i import only this part to my country?

   I hope your answer.

   Thanks a lot.

   PD: sorry for my english.

6. thanks for taking the time to explain this. I was actually aple to install a soft top on my new jeep thanks to the pics. keep up the good work.

7. I’m Confused. Does the bow on the 4 door go on top of the other brace or underneath it in the little square? It seems to fit either way on my top.
   Thanks

8. Hi ,

   I just purchased a JK 4 doors with Hard Top.

   I need to buy a complet soft top with the frame.

   Where can i find one?

9. I just picked up a new 2008 Jeep JK Wrangler 4-Door Unlimited. It is equipped with a hard top and a soft top. The hard top is on and will not come off until the spring. My dealer told me that I have to remover the hard top to completely remove the soft top. Looking at your instructions in step 16, and from what I can see I don’t think the hard top has to come off. The soft top is still rolled up as it came from the dealer. I think I just need to remove the 2 Torx T-30 bolts securing the bow assembly to both sides of the roll bar. Am I corrector am I missing something? Thanks, Sparky

10. Wendy Dane & Bob Coco. After many trips to my dealer and then to an upholstery shop they referred me to about the clips that hold the window bar in they work! The solution, I got new clips. Apparently they are on their 4th design of the clips. The pair I have now are working for now. Go in and have your dealer look at them and you should be able to get a set under warranty. Good luck

11. Hey I tried to put my top down and folded it how the directions say, but the soft top fabric wont let me lay the top flat the roll bars in the back keep the fabric from lying down flat so my top cant lay flat any suggestions on what I did wrong? Thanks

12. I have an 08 unlimited X 4 door and I’m having a problem with the driver side rear soft window. On the higway, the wind catches the top corner (where the window meets the full door. The wind causes it to flap back. It will not fit correctly. The passenger side is fine. Anyone else with this problem? The one in the showroom appears to have the same issue.

13. ALEX,
    I had the same problems with my soft top. You have to push the fabric with the moldings to the inside of the roll bars. This will allow it to lay flatter in back where you can get the velcro strapping secured. Hope this helps.

    I ordered a bikini top recently for my 07 unlimited 4 dr.
    This seems to be too small. I get the drivers side door channel molding up and into the groove but it’s just not wide enough… It lacks about 1 inch in width on the other side to get that channel molding in on the passenger side. ??? Anyone else have this problem?

14. Kim – I had the same problem with both rear windows. At first I didn’t see how it was phyically possible, but after working it I got it to go. Thanks for the help!

15. Thanks for the information on folding the top. I recently purchased a 2007 2 door wrangler. The retaing clips you refer to in step 4 dont stay in place, is there a trick to making them stay in position? A slight push on them fron the outside causes then to come off?

    Thanks!

16. Hey Tom!

    Do you are anybody know the part number for that boot that fastens to the back of the jeep and hold the windows as well.
    sounds like a good thing.

17. Hi everyone…. I have my first Jeep on order and it will arrive in about 3 weeks. I bought the 4 door Wrangler and am EXCITED. I have a few questions..

    1) I got the dual top. I hear people mention the boot that comes with the soft top that will be stored inside the Wrangler (since, obviously, it comes with the hard top installed). Does this boot also have a storage compartment for the windows like the $180 boot that I see for sale on various websites?

    2) How long does it take to put the soft top up and down?

    3) I have an iPhone and want to plug it into the auxiliary jack. Does anyone know of a great holder that is easy to install?

    Thanks, everyone!

18. Where can I buy replacement sunrider arms(plastic pieces that I broke prior to reading this article)? Broke both sides after not realizing I had to unscrew mid section…..Thx, Mike

19. Hey Pat,
    1. no, the boot is intended for delivery of the soft top only and while it can be reused to keep the top together when down, it has no provisions for the windows.

    2. about 10 min or less by yourself – faster with some help.

    3. talk to ‘toad’ over on JK-Forum.com – she’ll be albe to hook you up.

    Hey Mike, you’ll have to go to your dealership for them.

    Eddie

20. Thanks, Eddie!!

21. Is there a video on how to put the top back up?

22. We’ll try to put one together and publish it soon.

23. Thank you for getting these instructions online…much better than the owners manual and even the instructional video on the Jeep website.

    A quick question though..I am having trouble with my “check straps”. I have a tangle on the #2 bow…no mater what angle I try to work it, I cannot get the twist undone, leading me to believe they came from the factory wrong….unfortunately, the twist has caused excess tentsion that ha pulled the rivets/grommets from the cloth on the center attchment.

    I notice in picture 16 above that the check strap appears to be twisted as well…is it this common factory flaw ?

24. actually, i think the soft top was installed at the dealership so the mistake could have been made there.

25. Thanks from Germany, very useful, as I plan to remove the hard top and thus know how to work the soft top.

    Yours, Hans

26. Just bought an ’08 4-door Wrangler Unlimited. Trying to put the soft top up for the first time. There are no windows; just the piece that comes up over the top of the vehicle. No top rails, etc. Am I missing something? My Jeep came with the two roofs. Any help would be appreciated.

27. This is the most informative site so far for information on how to do anything related to the soft top for a Jeep.
    I am looking for assembly instruction for the soft top and bikini top for my 1987 Jeep Wrangler. I have been looking for weeks.
    Any help would be greatly appreciated.
    Thank you in advance.

28. I just bought my first Wrangler, an Unlimited X with the hard top. I have someone willing to sell me their soft top they got as part of the dual top option. Is there any reason I shouldn’t purchase from him at a significant discount to the $1400 version on Mopar?

29. This site is extremely helpful and a great resource as a first time Jeep owner. I purchased a 4 dr X unlimited with soft and hardtop. I went to the local Jeep dealer in HB and they were not helpful at all after they found out I bought elsewhere. I was wondering if I can have the hardtop over the folded softtop with/boot bag? Also, the dealer said to throw the boot bag away, its was only for shipping…

30. Thanks so much for the step by step instructions. I too had no clue how to properly store my soft top so I got discouraged and put the hardtop back on. I think now I will put the soft top back on again and enjoy the freedom. I do have a question though???

    The side windows that come with the soft top are velcro and zippered in and then they just fit into the door jam but at highway speeds they blow out very easily. Am I doing something wrong???

31. Hi, We just bought a 2007 Jeep Wrangler X Unlimited. We have no idea on how to take the hard top off and put on the soft top. Anyone know of where to get directions on how to put the top on? Right now it’s in a pile on the garage floor. HELP Please

32. a few things…

    regarding the door jam/soft tops blowing out.. yeah.. the rigid strip slides INTO the slot.. I had the same problem. It’s a stretch.. but it in first.. but it works !

    folding the soft top. Use the rectangular owners manual. There is one picture there that shows the “z” shape of the fold that you NEED to have before you unclip the pivot point along the roll bar. Make this fold EXACTLY like the pic, and the top folds nice and neat.. BUT.. making that “z” fold is a pain and the top does not naturally fall into it.

    Lastly… the soft top does look intimidating, but if you can muscle off the hard top (a few torx screws, the washer, etc).. it actually is not hard. I laid the top in the hot sun so I could stretch it. I think it helped.

33. PLEASE HELP! LOL – I am still fighting with the #%#! plastic clips that hold the rear window in place. Has ANYbody found a fix for this?

    Also, a couple people asked about the seat belts “flapping in the wind”. I just stuck a small piece of sheepskin (that matched) to the side wall wear the seat belt hit. No problems (noise) after that!

    Thanks!

34. Figured it out. Lots of stuff on JK Forums.

    Thanks.

35. I have trouble with the clips for the back window too – not to mention the top is definitely too small. I have built a hardtop stand as per instructions I found on the internet – will post link.

36. I have a 2008 wrangler unlimited sahara with hard top. Is there any advantage to purchasing the mopar soft top over the bestop?

    What’s the difference other than price?

37. We have a 2008 Sahara – purchased it iwth both the hard and soft top and very glad we did. All summer kept the soft top on, which was eash (once we “mastered” it) to lower and raise it even with just one person. Now that there is a chill in the air, we took the soft top off completely and replaced the hard top – it’s great b/c on 70+ degree weather we can still remove the “T-tops.”

    Question – is anyone experiencing popping noises with their four door Jeeps? When hitting a dip or bump the back doors pop – wanted to know if this is the norm?

38. that sounds like a door latch problem that there is a tsb for, so check with your dealer for it. I have mine ordered over a month ago, and still not in though!

39. When storing the hardtop for a 4 door wrangler….is it ok to leave it standing up (rear glass on the ground)? I have a blanket underneath it to prevent the glass and rear wiper from being scratched. Just want to make sure I wont cause any damage to the top or have an issue if/when I remove the soft top to put the hard top back on.

    Thanks for your help….this is really a great site!

40. NO COMMENTS ABOUT MY SOFTTOP, BUT I AM HAVING SOME ISSUES WITH MY JEEP IN REGARDS TO HAVING THE MODULE(S) REPLACED YES MORE THAN ONE. STEERING MODULE, OB SENSOR, TRACTION CONTROL, NOW THE MULTIFUNCTION SWITCH. I’VE HAD MY JEEP FOR 2 YRS NOW ITS AN 07 JK 4 DOOR 4X4. I LOVE MY JEEP BUT THIS HAS BEEN NOTHING BUT A HEADACHE. I STILL HAVE CLOSE TO 1500 MORE MILES BEFORE IT GOES OUT OF THE FACTORY WARRANTY. I AM WORRIED AS FAR WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN ONCE THE WARRANTY EXPIRES.

41. Does anyone know where I can order replacement Torx bolts for the soft top frame? I had one of the bolts come out and haven’t been able to find a new one. Thanks.

42. you can get them from your dealership

43. Question: Purchased 2008 4d Wrnglr X Unlimited in July 2007 – Where can I get just the two rear side windows for the soft top, as they have been stolen? I am in Mass. and these are hard to come by unless you purchase them illegally. Someone help.

    Question 2: Is anyone having a problem with burning oil. I have 29k miles and the every oil change I have been down 3-5 quarts. The dealer says nothing is wrong, I have to disagree. I am running out of time, can anyone help? Thank you, appreciate your time

44. These pictures are great but is there a video somewhere I can watch it being done??

45. Congratulation,

    I bought since a couple of week a new Wrangler sahara unlimited.
    The car has been sold with the soft top positioned inside the car, and the hard top is on.
    My question is: Could the soft top be removed without removing the hard top?

46. sorry, no video but perhaps we’ll try to have one made.

    regarding the removal of the soft top, i seriously doubt that you can take it out without removing the hard top first.

47. I am also having problems with burning oil. Mine is a 2007 Wrangler Unlimited 4 door. When I went in for my last oil change at 3000 miles, the oil didn’t even show on the oil stick. I checked it this time after 2000 miles into the oil change and was already a quart low. I’m getting ready to take it to the dealer.

48. Much great information.However, what about how to put the soft top on for the first time…Can you direct me to a site that helps..thanks, and again , great work

49. I have a 2008 jeep wrangelr four door. I have a problem with my soft top in that just past the back passenger doors, where the rear quarter window starts, there is nothing to hold it to the frame, and when I am on the freeway it keeps catching the air and flying over (bending). Any advice.

50. Help! Just bought my first Jeep Wrangler 2010. Took the sunroof down partway and wanted to latch it back in place and the softop looks too small…can’t get it to latch. What do I do now? Tried to pull it, is it always this hard?