Topic of the week: soft tops

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ok, in the spirit of the FAQ, each week we will have a topic, to ask the forum members for their experience on particular mods/ products.

We are trying to keep this from becoming an avenue for brand bashing, so please, just tell us what you liked or didn't like (for instance did brand X have poor fasteners) and any installation issues with a brand.

and if you have a soft top that does you well, please post up the brand and that it does the job well, we want both positive and negative information.

Thanks to Mike (me78he78) for suggesting that we set up a topic of the week.

so what brand of soft top do you all run, and how does it perform :cheers:

and rate it out of 5 birfields (thanks eshelbyk)
 
Pakistan OEM-like.

Pros:
-BEEFY, build quality is excellent on metal pieces AND top.
-price is reasonable
-cool retro look
-sites/rear roll up nicely

Cons:
-shipping price not so reasonable (but ok going in on a container)
-other than OEM@ $15 PER, only source for twist-fasteners with threaded bolt is Specialty Tops in CO. Footman loops there, too.
-removal/setup a little more work than after-market

I rate it 4/5 birfields.
 
Bestop Softtop....purchased in about 1990, sold around 1996 or so...

Pros:
Install was pretty easy, just take careful measurements
Material held up well, easy to clean

Cons:
Snap installation, usually replaced at least two a year
VERY tight to install, even on a warm day. Cold was near impossible
Doors sealed poorly...front top edge would rattle as you drove, I rigged a custom snap to prevent it
Never did learn how to roll it down neatly for storage on the rig.

:birf::birf::birf:
 
My experience with Bestop (purchased 1995).

Pro's
Relatively easy to install.
The vinyl has held up well to the weather (no leaks).

Cons
Velcro was used to make the seal above the door. It fails continuously, especially ont he highway.
(poor quality hook and loop).
Doors (frames) wer not rigid enough to keep them from "slapping" to the door recess on the highway.

Tip - I kept the window in really good shape by using a a bedsheet (thin material) when I would roll the windows up. Also used this method when I folded it up for the winter. So far, very few scratches.

Overall a good review - 3.5/5 birfields
 
Kayline Snapless

Pros: No holes to drill or snaps to rust. Bolts onto the inside rails. When the
hardtop goes on there are no holes or snaps. Doors have great handles.

Cons: $

4 Birfields
 
Kayline Fastrac

Pros;
Good tight fit
wind noise
half doors
works w/ factory doors
sides roll up

Cons;
tight fit... makes it almost impossible to get up below 80 degrees
wind noise... hate how it flaps against cage
half doors... have almost fallen back out after hitting latching bolt on hip
works w/ factory doors... never completely seals though
sides roll up... and always get thrashed on trees/ rocks

3 birfs... prefer no top.
 
I got the Besttop Tigertop.
Pros: Really Cheap. Simple (note I didn't say easy) Install.
Cons: Windows scratch way too easy. The damn velcro over the doors. Weak zippers. Door latches pop open. (this may have something to do with the twisting of the frame, tho)

General: I won't complain about noise, because you just have to expect noise with a soft top. I have a few holes in my top because that's what happens in narrow trails in New Mexico.
Dead Pinon trees are hell on a 4-by. (redneck pinstripes)
Hint: if you have a really good local camping gear shop in your town, they will probably be able to fix yer zippers.
Hint #2: I installed mine in my garage in 30-40 degree weather. You can actually get the thing installed if you put a space heater inside the truck for about 45 minutes before trying to stretch the top.
 
Bestop TigerTop
Bought it because I needed a top faster than I could get a Paki top or rebuild my hard top.
Install was not bad-careful measurements, keep it warm while installing, follow instructions.
Material is decent, zippers ok, windows get that white tint (can be removed)
The soft doors are horrible for anything but emergencies (don't even think about the highway)
It will keep you dry (for the most part). On the highway you will get some water in from the center of the windshield channel and from the top corner of the doors. Some water up through the gaps where the zippers are. But still MUCH better than no top.
By far my largest complaint is the velcro around the door posts. If the top is put on a certain way-(do velcro first, then snaps and straps) it will hold, but no other way. This can be rectified with snaps or hook and loop fasteners.

Conclusion- If you need a relatively inexpensive top (Is $700 cheap?!) that is easy to put on and off, and fairly durable, the tigertop works fine.

Note-Sor and others sell different tiger tops. The SOR is a different material-like jeep tops, (canvas-like). The other ones (TPI etc) are shinier, and more vinyl-like.
 
Pick a brand, pick a top they all suck. The kayline OEM top is OK for a season or 2 but then it dies. The Paki tops, while not perfect, are so much better than the Aftm tops that you cannot compare them. There is no top currenty sold in the US that i would buy. Go with a bikini and a hard top in winter or a paki all year long.
 
kayline fastrac

[quote author=Tooth Fairy link=board=1;threadid=14006;start=msg130404#msg130404 date=1080762543]
Kayline Fastrac

Pros;
Good tight fit
wind noise
half doors
works w/ factory doors
sides roll up

Cons;
tight fit... makes it almost impossible to get up below 80 degrees
wind noise... hate how it flaps against cage
half doors... have almost fallen back out after hitting latching bolt on hip
works w/ factory doors... never completely seals though
sides roll up... and always get thrashed on trees/ rocks

3 birfs... prefer no top.
[/quote]
Ditto
 
ran a tigertop in late 80's...it had the velcro problem then...nice to know they fix things...NOT. i had to add snaps to both sections (above door and b pillar). don't know if they changed the way the sides roll up since then, but it used to be just behind the b pillar, all the way to the rear curtain which made a nice safari style top, but was hard to roll up around the rear corner. also, they were held with elastic straps that lasted one summer. zippers on the top were fine, but broke on both doors...in order to replace, they have to deskin the doors, fix zipper, then reskin which is pricey. the passenger area was too loose and the cargo area was too tight. snaps are easy to replace which is good because you'll do it often. and everyone's right about the doors...waste of money. very easy to take down and for a little more, you can get a little storage bag that the top folds into while still attached so it's not flopping in the wind. i haven't been impressed with the bestop bikini's either though.
:birf: :birf:


had an early kayline fastrac a couple of years ago. like the two piece door design and they seem to be much sturdier than the bestop, but the latching sucks, as already has been mentioned. squeaks when you hit bumpy areas unless you have it too tight to close and expect to open the doors from the inside because the outside handle is pretty much just for looks. they have changed the latching mechanism, but those of us with old doors are screwed. as for the top itself, i liked the durability of it and the idea of tracks, but it wouldn't fit over my rollcage (which fits just fine under the oem hardtop). i had problems with my old bestop fitting over a rollbar also...so, i can only judge of off vehicle impressions and experience with others tops.
:birf: :birf: :birf: and a half

i now run a paki top...it gets a wonderful heads up for the nostalgia look and the fact that it fits over my rollcage. it gets a thumbs down for the poor hardware (i believe the bolts and twistlock/frame thingys are now supplied here because of that reason, but the buckles still rust almost immediately), and some stitching was coming loose before i even unpacked it. the only stitching coming loose is on the straps, so it's not that big of a deal. also, two straps have started ripping (i pull tight, but i don't think i pull all that tight). it's nicely heavy duty...two sided vinyl...makes it heavy, but that's not bad in this case. for those that want a top that they can put up or take down in a moment...this is not the top for you. for those that take it off and leave it off for a week, then pop it on for a few days...it's not bad. the wait isn't great, and there's a chance of being short parts (i'm still missing the bottom "feet" for the rear hoop if anyone got extras in their shipment), but if you're into nostalgia, then it's the top to get. price is pretty much comperable to u.s. tops, plus stc makes replacement tops for oem setups, so once you buy this, you've got the bows and you can get new material section here when the top goes south.
:birf: :birf: :birf: :birf:

if you run naked a lot, run the kayline/stc 2 piece doors, rear curtain from tpi (if it's still available), and a bikini top...not a lot to deal with storage wise, covers the passenger area almost as well as a bestop, and a heck of a lot less $
:birf: :birf: :birf: :birf:
 
"Conclusion- If you need a relatively inexpensive top (Is $700 cheap?!) that is easy to put on and off, and fairly durable, the tigertop works fine."


I got my top for less than $500 with doors and shipping from Lightline of Louisiana. (scout specialists)
Considering what it would cost to replace the hard top... yeah. Thats really cheap.
 
[quote author=eshelbyk link=board=1;threadid=14006;start=msg130068#msg130068 date=1080708352]
Pakistan OEM-like.

Pros:
-BEEFY, build quality is excellent on metal pieces AND top.
-price is reasonable
-cool retro look
-sites/rear roll up nicely

Cons:
-shipping price not so reasonable (but ok going in on a container)
-other than OEM@ $15 PER, only source for twist-fasteners with threaded bolt is Specialty Tops in CO. Footman loops there, too.
-removal/setup a little more work than after-market

I rate it 4/5 birfields.
[/quote]

Twist fasteners with threaded bolts can be purchased from almost any marine supply. Get them from catalogs or canvass guys and you can get them for about $1 per.
 
here's the rear curtain and two piece doors, just imagine them with bikini. keep in mind that my second bar sits about 6 inches farther back than stock location. if it were farther forward, there would be better protection.
 
Put this on late summer last year. It is the new STC design with tinted windows. The only complaint I have is with night driving. Quality is about what I expected (Good) and fit is nice and tight. Gonna be interesting to see how it fits with the Metaltechcage cage though. Looks like it may be a tight fit in front. We'll see though. Would I recommend it? Sure, if for nothing else I can get replacement pieces easily, if something tears or gets bent into an unrepairable condition. I don't plan on wheeling with it up though :P
 
[quote author=green73 link=board=1;threadid=14006;start=msg131248#msg131248 date=1080874463]
Put this on late summer last year. It is the new STC design with tinted windows. The only complaint I have is with night driving. Quality is about what I expected (Good) and fit is nice and tight. Gonna be interesting to see how it fits with the Metaltechcage cage though. Looks like it may be a tight fit in front. We'll see though. Would I recommend it? Sure, if for nothing else I can get replacement pieces easily, if something tears or gets bent into an unrepairable condition. I don't plan on wheeling with it up though :P
[/quote]

My rig is gonna be practically your twin after I get my kayline softop, minus the tj flares, the cut front fenders, and a different shade of green :P
 
I have a case and a half of Krylon Forest Green ready to take care of the patchwork multi green scheme I have now, but I am too lazy to paint it. :D
 

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