Sunrider FINALLY finished!

**BloodThirsty** · 04-21-2008, 07:59 PM

Only took me about 8 hours total! Complete nightmare from start to finish but it is finally done. So since it was such a big hassle I snapped some pics.

And before with the hard top: (still have it, going back on in the winter)

kevin_dubay00 · 04-21-2008, 08:05 PM

What was so hard about it?? That's the top I planned on getting

**BloodThirsty** · 04-21-2008, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kevin_dubay00

What was so hard about it?? That's the top I planned on getting

Pretty much everything. There was 21 steps in the instructions and I think one went as planned. The biggest problem was mounting the rear sway bar brackets. One just was not fabricated correctly and I had to bend and pull on it for about and hour to get it correct. But in the end I couldn't be happier. I love it and I learned a good bit doing it.

BJ5781 · 04-21-2008, 11:45 PM

I have this top too and let me tell you it can be a pain. It took me about 5 hours the first time and as Blood said above the rear sway bar bracket (Passenger Side) was not fabbed up right so I thought maybe it was just a bad assembly so had Quadratec send me a new assembly. Much to my surprise that this bracket was the same too! I ended up just drilling a bigger hole in the bracket the second time and everything went together just fine. Just remember aftermarket parts never fit as good as factory but the top ROCKS!

tangofox007 · 04-22-2008, 08:08 AM

Maybe someone could explain how the rear sway bar is related to the soft top!!! If you are changing sway bar brackets as part of a soft top installation, it's no wonder that the job is taking so long.

**BloodThirsty** · 04-22-2008, 08:23 AM

I haven't actually taken the top all the way down yet. Trying to get a good stretch on it today so it fits perfectly. Anyway the rear sway bar connects to the roll cage in the back and supports the rear of the top. I'm not sure how it's going to look when the top is all the way down but the sway bar rotate up or down depending on if the top is up or down. It's not like the factory top from videos I've seen anyway. If anyone has a pic of the aftermarket Sunrider with the top down please post it. Especially if it shows how the sway bar works.

Oh and just to clear up any confusion. The Bestop Sunrider DOES NOT require the large plastic door surrounds. I know there has been a lot of confusion on that lately.

Xlr8n · 04-22-2008, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BloodThirsty

I haven't actually taken the top all the way down yet. Trying to get a good stretch on it today so it fits perfectly. Anyway the rear sway bar connects to the roll cage in the back and supports the rear of the top. I'm not sure how it's going to look when the top is all the way down but the sway bar rotate up or down depending on if the top is up or down. It's not like the factory top from videos I've seen anyway. If anyone has a pic of the aftermarket Sunrider with the top down please post it. Especially if it shows how the sway bar works.

Oh and just to clear up any confusion. The Bestop Sunrider DOES NOT require the large plastic door surrounds. I know there has been a lot of confusion on that lately.

I believe you are referring to the rear bow bar, not sway bar.

**Edited for mis-info on my part!**
I just bought a sunrider used and am waiting on the rear brackets to install it, but other than the brackets it is completely together. I'll let you know how mine goes.
One quick question, does the top velcro up to the door surrounds on the top of the surround and the door shuts against the top surface? And if so, do you have to unvelcro that area to flop the sunrider portion back?

**BloodThirsty** · 04-22-2008, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xlr8n

I believe you are referring to the rear bow bar, not sway bar.

Anyhow, the Sunrider frame doesn't completely retract and fold down like the non-sunrider factory top. It is intended to either open up the sunrider portion alone, open with removing the windows, or remove the top entirely in which case you'd unbolt the rear bow from the two mounts. It looks like you could use a bit more tension on the rear bow to get rid of the slack in the side windows.
I just bought a sunrider used and am waiting on the rear brackets to install it, but other than the brackets it is completely together. I'll let you know how mine goes.
One quick question, does the top velcro up to the door surrounds on the top of the surround and the door shuts against the top surface? And if so, do you have to unvelcro that area to flop the sunrider portion back?

Well that is some interesting news. I didn't know it didn't go all the way down.

Are you 100% sure on that? That rear bow bar looks like it would go all the way down to let it fully retract.

How do I get more tension on the rear bow? I was fooling around with the windows ttrying to get the slack out but figured it was just cause it's new. Guess not.

And yes the top velcros onto the metal surround and the door fits up against it. And yes to put the sunrider back you have to unvelcro the top from the surrounds.

Unscathed · 04-22-2008, 11:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xlr8n

is intended to either open up the sunrider portion alone, open with removing the windows, or remove the top entirely in which case you'd unbolt the rear bow from the two mounts.

Uhm no sir.. you don't have to unbolt Squat to take the cover down like a normal top.

Your options are
Flipped open top "Sun Rider"
Flipped open top with windows Off
And to put it all the way down, there are two finger releases that allow the ENTIRE top to fold back and out of the way like stock.

I have this top on my jeep
(I will have a picture up shortly)

Schwalby · 04-22-2008, 11:20 AM

I agree that the first install is a major PIA that rear bow bar is a nightmare to get on and you have to slice your padding cover. This will be the third year with mine and after the first install the season change is real easy. I actually have not taken it all the way down though in the past two years. I find just have the top section back seems enough for me, faster to. I also have not had a single leak in the two years. One thing to check though is one of my welds on the door has torn a bit of the top where it wraps around the vertical bar. The weld was just sticking out too much not a BestTop issue more of a Jeep issue and a quick smack with the grinder solved it. Just an fyi to look for so if it looks like it is rubbing you can clean up the weld.

**BloodThirsty** · 04-22-2008, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Unscathed

Uhm no sir.. you don't have to unbolt Squat to take the cover down like a normal top.

Your options are
Flipped open top "Sun Rider"
Flipped open top with windows Off
And to put it all the way down, there are two finger releases that allow the ENTIRE top to fold back and out of the way like stock.

I have this top on my jeep

THANK YOU! I was just about to freak out when I saw that! You got any pics of yours all the way down? Also as you can see in my pics the side windows have some slack. How can I adjust the rear bow to make it look right?

Unscathed · 04-22-2008, 11:24 AM

I just took a few, uploading them now.... I will edit this in a second.

Gotta like people who don't own the top, telling you what it does or doesn't do

**BloodThirsty** · 04-22-2008, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schwalby

I agree that the first install is a major PIA that rear bow bar is a nightmare to get on and you have to slice your padding cover. This will be the third year with mine and after the first install the season change is real easy. I actually have not taken it all the way down though in the past two years. I find just have the top section back seems enough for me, faster to. I also have not had a single leak in the two years. One thing to check though is one of my welds on the door has torn a bit of the top where it wraps around the vertical bar. The weld was just sticking out too much not a BestTop issue more of a Jeep issue and a quick smack with the grinder solved it. Just an fyi to look for so if it looks like it is rubbing you can clean up the weld.

What parts do you remove for the season change? I figured pretty much all hardware except the brackets attached to the roll cage.

Unscathed · 04-22-2008, 11:31 AM

I don't know as I don't have a hard top. but if you are taking the top off, the only thing I THINK you would need to change back would be the door surrounds that ride along the top corners of your doors.... but I am telling you in advance that I DON'T KNOW for certain.

Schwalby · 04-22-2008, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BloodThirsty

What parts do you remove for the season change? I figured pretty much all hardware except the brackets attached to the roll cage.

Yup everything comes off except for the brackets that go around the rear roll bars. Probably could leave the bow bar in but it comes off and goes back on pretty easy so I saw no reason to not take it off. I have found that once the cloth is off fold the front bar back as if you have just it open and use the securing strap to keep it up against the main cross brace. This makes it a lot easier to move around once it is off the Jeep. O I also just use one of the bolts that hold the hard top on to secure the forward vertical braces. They seem to go on and off better then what BestTop provides. Mine should be on in the next week or so I can send you some pics if you want then.

04-22-2008, 08:08 AM	#5
tangofox007 Web Wheeler Join Date: May 2005 Location: GA Posts: 5,933 Profile Gallery Classifieds My Jeeps	Maybe someone could explain how the rear sway bar is related to the soft top!!! If you are changing sway bar brackets as part of a soft top installation, it's no wonder that the job is taking so long.