Why no hard tops?

NevadaZielmeister · Jul 21, 2015

Gentlemen,

I have watched about 20 of Eddie's and Cindy's videos and I think I only saw maybe 1/20th of the vehicles sporting a hard top. I see a lot of soft tops, naked and a combination of such.

What is the reasoning behind this? Is there an advantage NOT get a hard top? Is it just a personal choice? What performance advantage is there either way?

Thank you for your help. I just wanted some input and discussion before I order my 2016 JKUR.

sean.m.adams33 · Jul 21, 2015

A TON of people run hard tops. But on a trip if the weather is nice it's nice to undress your jeep. Also on some trails there is some potential to do damage to your top. I personally love my hard top but I also like running a soft top. You can always order both of you want.

Spudcannons · Jul 21, 2015

I live in New England and we have pretty awful winters here and I only run a soft top and don't mind at all, the heater is a beast. I was also fine snowboarding up in Canada driving to the mountain in -10 to -15* weather. If I were running a hard top on the trails I would have wrecked it on Saturday against a tree in a really tight off-chamber spot instead the soft top scraped the tree the metal bent a tiny bit then I knocked it back into place. IMO you don't need it unless you can't deal with the road noise.

Peak · Jul 21, 2015

Out here in Southern California there is really no need for a hard top imo. As stated on the trails most people will either go topless or run a soft top because of the potential damage. Which Is one of the reasons people run doorless on the trails as well. It does make the ride a lot quieter and more secure though.

TheStick · Jul 21, 2015

It's also the visibility and ease of getting in and out of the Jeep. When naked it's a lot easier to see if your tires are on track to hit the line you want. Then what also happens is you are forced to park in areas that make getting in and out of the Jeep a 10ft climb. No doors helps with both of these quite a bit.

J.B. · Jul 21, 2015

I install my hard top for winter use and use the soft top in the summer. I like the ease of flipping down the soft top in the summer on a nice day and if the weather changes its easy to flip up.

GCM 2 · Jul 21, 2015

Hard tops are nice for the city and hwy, but on the trail it adds a bunch of weight, increase the height of your center of gravity and looks like junk for the rest of a wheeling trip when you crush the fiberglass or break the side or back glass. Bottom line; its an expensive thing to replace if broken.

AllAmericanInfidel · Jul 22, 2015

For me personally, I run a soft top and half doors because I want to run the Jeep open most of the time, with the option to button it up quickly in the event of inclement weather. For me, that's the whole point of a Jeep, top down and doors off (well, halfway for me at least). I have had hard tops and they are cumbersome and take up a lot of room in my garage. As far as some people saying they are loud on the highway, etc, that's very subjective. I don't find it loud at all, even with the half doors. For me, I would rock a hard top in the winter only if I lived in an area with lots of snow. Otherwise, I'm topless even in cold weather. The heaters in here things are great! Now, with all that said, I've missed half of the summer being topless due to eye surgery. Just got cleared yesterday.

Sessoms14X · Jul 22, 2015

AllAmericanInfidel said:
For me personally, I run a soft top and half doors because I want to run the Jeep open most of the time, with the option to button it up quickly in the event of inclement weather. For me, that's the whole point of a Jeep, top down and doors off (well, halfway for me at least). I have had hard tops and they are cumbersome and take up a lot of room in my garage. As far as some people saying they are loud on the highway, etc, that's very subjective. I don't find it loud at all, even with the half doors. For me, I would rock a hard top in the winter only if I lived in an area with lots of snow. Otherwise, I'm topless even in cold weather. The heaters in here things are great! Now, with all that said, I've missed half of the summer being topless due to eye surgery. Just got cleared yesterday.

I agree 100% with this. I'm saving up money so that I can run my jeep like this in the summers with half doors and soft top. I prefer to run my jeep with everything off like you say. And when winter comes back, put the hard top and full doors on to stay warm.

RedRum · Jul 22, 2015

I had a soft top on my 2 dr loved it but my opinion is the 4 doors don't look great with factory soft tops and when folded down look so bulky
!! Also when loading and unloading things in the back, the rear glass is so much nicer than unzipping ... Next spring an nx top is on the too buy list tho which was the plan from the beginning !

wayoflife · Jul 22, 2015

NevadaZielmeister said:
Gentlemen,

I have watched about 20 of Eddie's and Cindy's videos and I think I only saw maybe 1/20th of the vehicles sporting a hard top. I see a lot of soft tops, naked and a combination of such.

What is the reasoning behind this? Is there an advantage NOT get a hard top? Is it just a personal choice? What performance advantage is there either way?

Thank you for your help. I just wanted some input and discussion before I order my 2016 JKUR.

As others have stated, hard tops are great around town but on the trail, they are a liability as their extra weight will increase your center of gravity. Of course, depending on the trail, the chances of you damaging it can be very high. A brand new hard top can fetch you $1000 or more so long as it's in good condition and that can go a long way in terms of mods.

BlackHawk08jk · Jul 22, 2015

Hard tops and wheeling go together like a brick and a window. Just last weekend I leaned into a tree and if I would have been running a hard top instead of a soft top it would have crushed it for sure. Sadly it did make a splice in it where it pinched it between my jeep and the tree. But a 1/4 inch splice is better then the whole corner being crushed.

LaSkyWkr · Jul 22, 2015

I mostly agree with all the statements I read...but an added factor for me was my hard top is steel, heavy and awkward when I want to take it off. I needed at least 2 others to remove it...and no good place to store it(weight scared me away from a hoist in the garage). A soft top is something I can manage myself...and put in a closet.

jeepnjoe · Jul 22, 2015

When I had my TJ. Believe it or not, my Jeep was warmer in the winter, and quieter with the soft top. I ended up selling the hard top.
As for my JK, I have the freedom top, and prefer a soft top.
But I want to invest in a set of wheels first.
It was a long wait looking for a decent low mileage Wrangler.
So, I happy with what I have. For now, I am taking this one step at a time.

Buster3479 · Jul 22, 2015

Don't be afraid of the hard top. Both have relative advantages and disadvantages. I run both. Hard top and full doors in the winter, or when I need more security for a really long extended road trip away from home. Soft top and half doors early spring through late fall, and whenever possible, half doors and Spiderweb with the top completely off or folded down in a storage boot. 4 door.

The hard top is not steel as aforementioned, it's not as heavy as many are making it out to be. With a simple hoist, it's easily manageable by one person for a 4 door in a few min if you plan out your location when mounting the hoist, and you can store it there all spring through fall if you have room in the garage overhead. Even if you have no room to hoist it, it's manageable by two people, one who can take the weight, and one for mostly balance. My wife helps me with it twice a year since we moved and no longer have the hoist set up.

As others have mentioned, I greatly prefer the soft top when wheeling, as long as there are no windows in it. The soft top is also more forgiving when brushing against obstacles, and cheaper to replace when it isn't forgiving.

Despite that, the soft top is actually a little taller than the hard top when installed, and with half doors and all windows in, actually seems to have less visibility than my hard top on a 4 door. Vastly better than the hard top with all windows out. Both are good, but good at different things.

Buster3479 · Jul 22, 2015

Last thing. I get very sad panda at the end of every year when I put the hard top back on, but it has nothing to do with missing the soft top. I actually don't like the soft top. I get sad because I'm going to miss the easy opportunity to drop the top and go topless until the following spring.

DMF · Jul 22, 2015

I would choose my mangled up soft top that I paid $140 for over my hard top any day simply because the convenience of what I can do with it at any given time.

Dllamas · Jul 22, 2015

I feel like where you live has a lot to do with it I live in Texas and it was 108 today and I have my Ac on full blast I need my hardtop to stay cool if I live in Cali or something I could definitely get a hardtop so I have to option to ride with the top down but in Texas you get very few good months close to winter when it's all good I guess that's why I don't invest in a softwood because I know I cant take full advantage of it because of this Texas heat

drafh · Jul 22, 2015

I just sold my hardtop because we rarely have rough winters in Texas. I enjoy my Jeep more when it is naked. My Safari top is all I need.

NevadaZielmeister · Jul 22, 2015

As usual, you guys crushed it with well thought out opinions and ideas. Thank you.

So when ordering my JK, what about getting the dual top group? Would anyone recommend the color matching hard top? I see a lot of hard tops where they look pretty worn out.

Why no hard tops?

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