I've read a bunch on this topic and I don't mean to beat a dead horse but I recently put a hardtop (I believe its a factory issue) on my 93 YJ. I was told it came off a '93 YJ and had been on that jeep since the two were brand new. I had always used a soft top so I have all of the brackets and parts for one. The issue (as seems to be everyone's) is that I don't want to spend a grand for hard doors on a car I don't use everyday and that is only worth abut $2500 (160K on it and going strong). I have already used TJ soft top doors so I know how to modify them to fit the YJ doors. If somebody could giveme the best recommendation on what soft upper doors to use and what modifications i would need to make I'd greatly appreciate it. I've been told no soft uppers will seal right on my hardtop but I drove through a hurricane with NO upper doors and the car only got wet when it was sitting still so I'm not too worried about the "Perfect Seal." Any ideas on what the best option would be?
I did a write up about this same thing. Search is your friend and it is a very easy project to do. Buy some TJ soft uppers, cut the rear pin off. Slide the door in, adjust, weld in newly placed rear pin. Paint if you don't want rust and presto. Soft uppers with a hard top on a YJ. Good luck!
i just got a hard top for my '94 two years ago. if you notice on your soft doors the corners are pointed and on hard doors the corners a rounded. you could use your soft doors with hard top but you will have a big gap. you can find some used doors. i got a used top and doors for $800.00
You can use the soft uppers for the supertop also.... They are rounded like the factory hard doors. But they are kind of pricey. I picked up a set at a swap for 75.00 with frames.
I am going through the exact same thing. Picked up a factory top for my 94 YJ - and I also have the half doors.
On a previous thread, someone mentioned about the Smittybilt soft upper doors. It is at 4Wheel parts. I called and specifically asked if these would work. I was told that yes, these will definitely work with a factory hard top. The upper rear corner of the frames are round, just like the factory and at the rear, where the door, soft upper and top meet, it is rounded there as well.
Don't know which color you would need - I bought a tan top, but will wet sand it a little and put the Rustoleum Bed Liner on it, like the rest of my Jeep.
I looked at doing what hallway94yj did, but I don't have a welder, or even access to one where I am at, so it seemed rather fruitless. Plus, for a measly 50 bucks more, I get something I can just put on and go.
Huh, that's the first YJ soft uppers I've seen with rounded corners.
Are ALL Saharas equiped with a hardtop out the door or something?
Or is it all smitybuilt soft tops are rounded corners? hummm.
I personally am sold on the Softopper, but it requires rounded doors
as well. I was thinking I'd have to spend $600 on harddoors or buy
TJ upppers and mod the rods.
thanks for this find, you saved me $450/3 hours work! :2thumbsup:
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No problem, Bro. Most of the guys here really know there stuff. I just researched the living crap out of this!!! This is one of the few times (other than the hard top) my wife did not begrudge me spending money.
We are looking at relocating next year to climate that gets some serious snow (Eastern Washington State) and we were concerned that the soft top wouldn't survive a few FEET of snow on it, even with the Skid Row performance bows on the front and back.
And before anyone asks why the Jeep won't be in the garage, my Sancha (otherwise known as my Corvette) is the ONLY vehicle that goes in any garage I own. Even the wife's pickup stays outside.
Just received the Smittybilt doors - they are a NO GO - and to top it off, 4 Wheel Parts customer service is not answering the phone. I was on hold for over 1 hour and 20 minutes with NO ONE on the line ahead of me. And that is straight from the computer (You have ZERO people on the line in front of you.)
Called the order line, and they could not get through either. Neeedless to say I am pissed beyond belief. I specifically ASKED if it would fit the factory tops, and it says so on the website.
Needless to say, I am calling Smittybilt on Monday and they should be prepared to get an earful. Time to hit the local Craigslist and check the junkyards for upper doors or full doors.
The rounded corners are for the Supertops or the factory hardtop. The factory softtop had a sqaured off corner. It's either use the soft upper for the supertop or modify the TJ soft uppers.
Let's beat a dead horse - the Supertop soft uppers don't fit either, the kick out at the base is shaped wrong and the damn upper is too long, by about an inch or so.
Bestop and pavement ends tj uppers work. I knw cause my driver side uppers is pavementends and pass. side is bestop. just cut rear pin off frame, measure it to fit yj halfdr, reweld. Put them on. A unique mod for the yj. Mine with tj soft uppers and oem hardtop
I do not have access to a welder - I sold off my welder when I had to relocate 3000 miles North from Texas to BC Canada.
The Bestop uppers I have are the 51780's - after I spoke to Adam at 4wheel parts - he told me that you are right, the TJ uppers can be modified to fit, but with no welder I am kinda **** out of luck. And these uppers will not fit. I have to ship these back, again I am without the Jeep - and here in beautiful BC, it rains like a mofo most of the year.
And what about the bottom, do you remove the channel from the YJ doors?
yeah you have to remove the channel of the door. if you dont have a welder just cut the last pin off and use the 2 1st pins. they will fit no problem until you get hold of a welder to weld rear pin back on. i did that until i got a welder
Kboltz, I'm still in the process of returning my square yj uppers. I'm going to order a set of the TJ uppers. I do have access to a welder but I'll see how the doors work with just two pins and let you know if its a reasonable option to just use two pins. Once again thanks to all for the help.
They are on and fit like a glove. The new skins shipped today from Amazon (and after being screwed twice, I opted for Super Saver free shipping) and should be here sometime late next week, more likely I will be able to pick them up from my ship to address the week after. I'll shoot some pics then and post them.
I am glad I got this all done - got my transfer orders today - don't know when next year we will be relocated, but it is up in the Rockies and I expect alot more snow than I experience here in Vancouver, Canada.
Hey, sorry I forgot to post on how it went. I wouldn't say my tj uppers fit like a glove but after cutting off the rear pin and trimming some of the weather stripping they're more than good enough. The doors close and the inside is dry and warm. The doors did their job in the 8 in of snow we got here for halloween so I'm happy with it. It was a bit unnerving taking a hack saw to a brand new part but it turned out ok. good luck to eveyone.
I recently did the same mod with smittybuilt tj uppers. I had to modify the upper frame also to get a better fit and it worked out well. Pain in the a$*, but it worked out. Three days later I found a killer deal on full doors, go figure. Needless to say, i have a basically brand new set of spice uppers already moded that i dont need anymore. If anyone needs a set, shoot me a pm and we can see if we can work out a deal.
Cut the rear pin off right at the frame. You may have to "TRIM" the other two pins in length. Once the frame starts to fit, mark where the third pin goes in relation to the frame, mark and weld up.
It takes some bending and wiggling to get it to work right the first time.
I've had mine off a time or two since then, and they fit right back on. I got some frames from a local guy for 40 bucks and new Rampage skins, so all told I was out about 250.
Do your skins come off the frames? I had old original skins on the frames and just cut them enough to do the cutting and welding (well, a friend did the welding) to get them to fit.
i had this problem too. at first i tried bending the pins to get the angle i needed. after struggleing to fit them back in the door i decided on another aproach. i quit trying to modify the windows and direct my attention the the top itself. so i got some weather stripping and put that between the body of the jeep and the top. it elevated the topp just enough to get the angle i needed and now the windows fit perfect! no welding required! :2thumbsup: plus it creates a water tight seal all the way around. still had to cut the 3rd pin tho of course.
ok i just got soft uppers, not sure on brand, but they dont even line up with the wholes in the stock hard doors. I think i will be trying the TJ nod its really bugging me cuz i got a good deal on the top. so the uppers dont fit but i got a good deal on the uppers with soft lowers. they fit the soft lowers just not the stock hard doors. can anyone answer this?
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