write-up: how to install TJ uppers on 1/2 doors w/ hard top
I have seen allot of questions about fitting soft uppers on your YJ with a hard top. with full doors going for around $800 in some places, and tops for $5-800, using some ebay uppers and frames is very economical. I sourced my uppers&frames from this complany for $169.99 shipped, but they have gone up a little
Pretty straight forward modification, its great to see with the pictures you posted how easy it really is. This really opens up possibilities for us YJ guys that have, for the most part, been soft top or hard doors with no options.
I discovered that some doors may hit the fiberglass of the top, mine just nicked it, so I filed it to clean it up and repainted it
You will need to remove the YJ belt rail, the TJ doesn't use it and has a nice seal on the bottom instead
I had to trim off the tail on the rear part of the seal, tapper cut it so that it seals to the door nicely.
You will have to play with the pins alittle to get everything to align right, but one you get it right, it seals up nicely, Mine is as quite going down the road as my full doors, it has no leaks anywhere, and you cant see light from anywere around the door. I had to shorten the middle and last pin so they would sit lower on the door, and tweeked the front pin to hold it higher.
You might be able to adjust the spreader bars on the roll bar to pull the windshield back ever so slightly. This will move the hard top back as well and clear the doors properly.
I have seen the question a million times, and its always been one of those subjects where someone thinks it might work. Thanks for clearing it up with so much detail.
There are no companies that make YJ soft uppers to fit hardtops. The only one that does is BesTop for their Supertop soft top, and the Supertop corners are a different radius and angle from the stock hard top. Why ? No idea.
Wrong... There is a company. I purchased a set of them prior to giving in and buying my Bestop Hard uppers a few years back. The only problem is that they didn't fit as promised and the quality was nowhere near that of Bestop. Can't remember the brand anymore... I posted it several years back if you feel like searching my posts a bit.
not much difference? LOL...TJ has ROUNDED corner, YJ is SQUARE....if you don't believe me you can check my classifieds and see the YJ ones im selling...you can use them with a hard top, but you will have to SLAM the door to get it to close, and it will overlap and look like ****.
Now I've muddled through bumpers, hitches and even a frame off on my CJ and this one kicked me in the a$$. I got the upper on eBay like discussed and knew when they arrived this would be a whole evening project... Get a good night's sleep, get the blood sugar up with a nice meal and set in. Well I shortened the rear pin like discussed, slid the vinyl on the frame and tried to imagine HOW IN THE WORLD this would ever close. The rear of the window was too high, the front too low and the whole window seemed too long! I stood back looked at the hard top (wished I never put in on) and it was not too far forward and quit. I threw the phone, the little rolly stool, kicked the dog and headed back tot he house. The wife promptly said she didn't know why I got so worked up about trivial stuff, I bit my tounge, it bled and I went to my little room upstairs to tell everyone I have some TJ uppers for sale; slightly bent.
Great pictures and write up. Been looking for a set myself to do this. I have heard it could be done but first time for pictures. Will need to copy what you did looks like it worked great.
calm down aje3721. your CJ top should be the same deminsions as our YJ's, you may just need to spend some time getting everything to line up. mine didn't just fall on right, it took some time to get it all tweeked in right, Mine liked to be to tight on the windshield frame and I had to lower the back quite a bit from my first try, but it works great now. patients my young padawan.
Texas,
I'm actually working on a 94 YJ now. I got the CJ where I want it and wanted to start over with a YJ. This morning after I calmed down I went back to revisit. I took off the half door and thought I would simply hold up the upper half and see if it fit! it doesn't fit between the windshield and the rear of the door opening on the hard top. It's too long. I realize there is a lot of tweeking do be done but how do I stretch the hard top between where it is screwed to the windshield frame and the rear of the door opening? I sure wish there was someone close that could walk me through this one. I think this is the one that will make me walk away from anymore projects for a while.
One more thought. I checked you post again and looked at the picture you added after your initial post; the one with the frame only on the door. When my frame is seated all the way in the door there is no way the frame will fit into the opening on the hard top. Your picture shows the frame evenly within the hard top lines with approx. 1/2 inch clearance. I have no clearance at the windshield, the top or the rear of the frame.
sounds like a chineese frame, quality control issue (maybe toyota ha ) as you could see, my frame fit fine, do you have a hard door??? you could check to see if the frame they sent you fits the full door. . . . . my fit ussues, were only trying to get the seal to not grab the windshield frame early and the kinda tight fit at the rear above the door handle, nothing like your discribing
Texas,
Yea, mine will involve cutting approx 1/4 out of each section of the frame, tacking it back together and hoping the window fits back on the frame without flopping all over. Keep in mind my hard doors fit fine. They dropped right in the hinges and sealed right up. I purchased my uppers from the same guy on eBay that you used so for others, beware. One thing is for sure; this gives me a whole new appreciation for the simple hard doors!
Texas yj, the link no longer works so I was wondering the brand that you used (since it sounds like some people have been having trouble). Just wanting to make sure I get this right the first time.
I don't know the brand, but they are some good ones I think. The ebay store was called Lightning auto LightNing Auto Parts Store items - Get great deals on NEW items items on eBay Stores!
I'm very happy with them, just put the hard top back on 2 weeks ago, and have been using the tj uppers again. Sense the write-up, all I've done is tweek the frames a little more and the fit is great on mine.
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