Hard Top

[Jeeperjamie]

I've drove both at 70 mph and i can tell you without a doubt the Hardtop is way quieter than the soft top is at 70, that's driving one with a premium soft top and mine with no headliner. I have contemplated adding the hotheads liner just to keep the cab cooler in the summer time. I got a soft top as well but I've never had it on my jeep but I do drive my buddies JT that has the soft top.

I can remove my Hardtop in 15 minutes or less so I haven't saw a need to put the soft top on yet, plus the man bun but that's a whole other topic.

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[KW80]

I have and use both but my preference is the soft top for a quick/easy open air experience; the man bun doesn’t really bother me, the JT generally prioritizes function over form anyway. That said my hard top is definitely more quiet at interstate speeds; not luxury car quiet but decent even without headliners, which I plan to add at some point. The other big benefit for those living or traveling in cold winter locations is the rear defroster, you can’t even scrape the soft top rear window without ruining it

 

[Trickster]

Is the hardtop install fairly simple for one man to attempt in his driveway?

Key word…..attempt.
If you have abnormally long arms and a strong back you could give it a try. Just remember it’s an awkward piece to handle. Your kids could be an asset?

 

[FL Handle Guy]

I have both and the hardtop is quieter, if you add the hotheads it beats it hands down. The finishing touch is sound deadener on the floor with an armor lite floor. I can actually talk handsfree now.

 

[Jeeperjamie]

Key word…..attempt.
If you have abnormally long arms and a strong back you could give it a try. Just remember it’s an awkward piece to handle. Your kids could be an asset?

Dude I'm 5ft 4 and with bed in the back you can do it in 15 minutes or less. It doesn't weigh want JL and JKs weigh. Put some towels down across the top of the truck bed sides, and set it up on the back of the bed. Open the rear window and reach your hand inside and pick it up and walk it across the bed and set it on the back. That easy. I'm no he man and it's easy enough for me. The wife's 5 4 as well and weights 130 and she can do it as well. I'm 44 and so is the wife. @pga202 you can do it no problem.

 

[NachoRuby]

Dude I'm 5ft 4 and with bed in the back you can do it in 15 minutes or less. It doesn't weigh want JL and JKs weigh. Put some towels down across the top of the truck bed sides, and set it up on the back of the bed. Open the rear window and reach your hand inside and pick it up and walk it across the bed and set it on the back. That easy. I'm no he man and it's easy enough for me. The wife's 5 4 as well and weights 130 and she can do it as well. I'm 44 and so is the wife. @pga202 you can do it no problem.

Yeah, it's not hard to do alone. I always do it alone because my wife won't help me . I know sounds like a personal problem.

 

[Fastwake]

Hard top is the only way to go. No leaks more security NO flapping top on the freeway

 

[BowlofSoup]

That's another reason I am looking for a hardtop, for security reasons.

I have the premium soft top and it seems to get into the truck they need to cut the top and jump in, or hop in the bed and cut the back. Both seem so excessive that this thief would break into anything in front of them.

To stay on topic, love my premium soft top, I had a hard top on my jk and I swear this is quieter, and warm as hell. My toddler is warmer in my jeep than my wife's escape.

I may some day get a hard top, but my JK leaked with the hard top, and I was always too lazy to take the freedom panels off.

 

[NachoRuby]

I'm working on getting both. But the aftermarket is taking way too long to give us viable soft top options. I really want the suntop, but they kind of went dark on me. I think there was a rugged ridge one or something that someone accidentally was sent, like a prototype or something. Not sure what happened with that.

 

[f33d]

I’ve had people cut the windows on my soft top Tj because apparently they didn’t know they could just unzip them. I never carried anything of value because I knew how easy it was to break in. So the next day I took the top and doors off parked in the same spot with a sign on the steering wheel that said what the hell are you going to steal.

Comes back tomorrow “steering wheels gone with a note, your move”

 

[f33d]

I have the premium soft top and it seems to get into the truck they need to cut the top and jump in, or hop in the bed and cut the back. Both seem so excessive that this thief would break into anything in front of them.

To stay on topic, love my premium soft top, I had a hard top on my jk and I swear this is quieter, and warm as hell. My toddler is warmer in my jeep than my wife's escape.

I may some day get a hard top, but my JK leaked with the hard top, and I was always too lazy to take the freedom panels off.

Yeah it’s not like a jku with a huge side back window. They need to literally pull a mission impossible move, both of which will be pretty obvious in public.

 

[Boostnu]

Comes back tomorrow “steering wheels gone with a note, your move”

That would be my luck.

 

[WILDHOBO]

I’ve had the same mental conflict. I’ve so far settled on rear hard top, with sunrider instead of freedom panels. I swap the freedom panels back in during the worst of winter due to snow load. Happy so far. If I still lived in FL, I’d likely have a soft top year round.

 

[BowlofSoup]

Yeah it’s not like a jku with a huge side back window. They need to literally pull a mission impossible move, both of which will be pretty obvious in public.

Lol exactly. On my TJ I left the doors unlocked... Please help yourself to my music CDs from highschool and that cigarette USB charger dear criminal.

 

[f33d]

Lol exactly. On my TJ I left the doors unlocked... Please help yourself to my music CDs from highschool and that cigarette USB charger dear criminal.

Truth. I used to panic with my soft top. I mean if you gotta break in to steal my cat mask you prob need it more then me tbh. Though this is not as much of a worry with the gladiator. On my JKU I just locked up valuables. Hopefully the SIG sticker on the back of my jeep was enough of a "Play stupid games, win stupid prizes" deterrent.

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