Sponsored

Sunrider for Hardtop Install- The good, the bad, the ugly!

Bigbrownpilot

Member
First Name
David
Joined
May 30, 2021
Threads
3
Messages
16
Reaction score
16
Location
Big Canoe, GA
Vehicle(s)
2021 Jeep Gladiator Overland
Occupation
Retired pilot
After my negative experience with Quadratec turned out positive in the end, I received my Sunrider top in good shape. I had already downloaded the printed instructions and watched a couple YouTube videos on the install. The best install video was the Quadratec video. His method and instructions were a little but different than the Bestop printed instructions. The Gladiator needed a good wash beforehand to get off some tree sap we picked up down at Tybee Island. The day after, I got with it. I'm not posting step-by-step photos, but I will post finished pictures and discuss the steps as well as minor problems I discovered along the way.

1. Removing the Freedom Tops-- Straightforward and painless. This is my second recent Jeep (third overall), and my 2018 Wrangler had the same top design. I have to give the engineers credit for an easy, painless and leak-free design that is solid and quiet when installed. I used the bed and tailgate of the truck as my work surface, and managed to get them off without damaging or scratching the black paint.

2. Storing the Freedom Tops in the bag-- The pictograms in the bag show you how to do it. I checked the Owners' Manual to make certain I was going it correctly and it was really no help. What confused me was what to do with the two rubber edge guard blocks in the pouch on the outside. The owners' manual mentions them, but never shows how or where they go. I couldn't find a picture of them installed anywhere. I finally gave up and didn't use them. Just zipped up the storage bag and put it on top of the freezer in the garage out of harm's way.

3. Cleaning the seal-- no big deal. Used Windex and then went over the area with some silicon lubricant sprayed onto a rag to keep the seals pliable.

4. Installing the side rails/"Z" clips-- This is where the video install instructions differ from the printed ones. Bestop has you insert the "Z" clips first, then attach the top to the side rails. Then you put the whole thing on the Jeep with a helper and bolt down the side rails. The video I watched has you put the side rails on with the front bolt, then install the "Z" clips, then bolt the top to the side rails. The rear bolt between the sport bar and the side rail then goes in at the end
Jeep Gladiator Sunrider for Hardtop Install- The good, the bad, the ugly! C26653F6-9308-4C29-A2F0-966BDF94A335_1_201_a
Jeep Gladiator Sunrider for Hardtop Install- The good, the bad, the ugly! 2A78F6B6-34E4-4D0C-A63F-374685498653
Jeep Gladiator Sunrider for Hardtop Install- The good, the bad, the ugly! 2E497347-951D-4BF9-991F-1F75B4ED6A03
Jeep Gladiator Sunrider for Hardtop Install- The good, the bad, the ugly! 265EBCF8-B1F3-4CB6-9321-D8D16E50FE36
Jeep Gladiator Sunrider for Hardtop Install- The good, the bad, the ugly! CC5290A1-0A5C-4D81-B7A3-E68D787CDE73_1_201_a
Jeep Gladiator Sunrider for Hardtop Install- The good, the bad, the ugly! 3D840D78-50D2-4D5B-8D61-508493C2D239_1_201_a
Jeep Gladiator Sunrider for Hardtop Install- The good, the bad, the ugly! C26653F6-9308-4C29-A2F0-966BDF94A335_1_201_a
. This is where the ugly starts. I had a feeling that getting the "Z" clips installed properly was going to be major ass pain, and i was correct. While it was easier to install the side rails first and then put the top in place, there was no way to insert and rotate the "Z" clip into the hole without removing the side rail and twisting it around with the clip until it was in place correctly. I spent way more time sweating and swearing doing this step than anything else. I think the Bestop instructions would have worked better-- get the clip in place while you can rotate the side rails around to assist, then bolt it all together and put it on top as a unit. I guarantee if/when I remove it for the winter that it's coming off as an assembled unit and when I put it back on in the summer it will go on as an assembled unit. I had to unbolt the forward bolt and remove the side rails to twist them around. When I put them back on I left the front bolt loose so there was enough play to adjust everything and bolt it all down securely at the end.

5. Bolting the top to the side rails-- the short Torx bolts seem a little too short, and it was a bit difficult to get the alignment pins into the locating holes on the side rails. When I got it all lined up, I had a bit of an issue getting the first threads to bite, but finally when I did, it bolted together easily. It's a little difficult to leave these bolts loose until final alignment because they are so short. I recommend tightening them up and then loosening them enough where there is some play between the top and side rails rather than installing them loose because they are likely to fall out.

6. Adjusting the top for fit and seal-- I was really pleased with how the back corner fit into the groove and sealed on the left side. The right corner is lifted up a bit. I tried to adjust it to lay flatter (see pictures below) but it won't lay perfectly flat and fit into the groove on the side rail. I'll wait and see whether it leaks before I do anything radical. The rest of the top looks and fits great.

7. Bolting the side rails down- Installing the rear bolts with the space is a breeze. Then I bolted it all down securely.

8. Installing the rear clamp-- piece of cake, no issues. The instructions make it sound harder than it is. Once you start installing it, it naturally slides into place and the bolt holes align. At this point, you are done and it's time to test it out by closing and opening it. If's a smooth, one-hand process and the front latches work great.

Here's pictures of the finished product installed. Note the difference between the way the left back corner fits and the right. If it doesn't leak, I can live with it until I remove the top and re-install it later. If it leaks, I'll need to address it.
Sponsored

 

Rahkmalla

Well-Known Member
First Name
Jim
Joined
Oct 20, 2021
Threads
31
Messages
1,656
Reaction score
3,654
Location
NJ
Vehicle(s)
22 Gobi Manual Mojave
Build Thread
Link
Pretty much my experience down to a T minus my side rear flaps fit down in the channels quite a bit better than yours. Don't think i did anything different to get mine that way, just luck maybe?

I think i spent more time fussing with the z clips that the entire rest of the install combined. Though I did follow the included instructions, not the qtecvideo. Due to the z clips, i will definitely be storing this unit as-is so i never have to do them again.

Side note: As much as I enjoy this product, i'm not a "product sticker" kind of guy. So the first thing i did after install was peel the Bestop logos off each side. They come off easy enough and leave little to no residue behind, and definitely no holes.
 

22_Sarge_Sport

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 26, 2022
Threads
1
Messages
178
Reaction score
461
Location
Detroit, MI
Vehicle(s)
2022 Gladiator Sport S
Useful and helpful post. Thank you. My understanding is that it is less fun to have the Gladiator top all the way off than it is to have the JL top all the way off, which makes this product relatively more valuable to me. I definitely have it on my radar.

Please follow up and let us know if it leaks and if you have other issues.
 

Rahkmalla

Well-Known Member
First Name
Jim
Joined
Oct 20, 2021
Threads
31
Messages
1,656
Reaction score
3,654
Location
NJ
Vehicle(s)
22 Gobi Manual Mojave
Build Thread
Link
My understanding is that it is less fun to have the Gladiator top all the way off than it is to have the JL top all the way off
Really depends on what you mean by fun. Do you mean fun as in ease of removal? Yea the JT because of the bed is a bit more cumbersome to take off. Or do you mean fun as in driving around without a top off? Because a topless JT is a fucking blast! Having a little bit of bed in your rearview doesn't affect the joy of driving it at all.
 

MDPensFan

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2021
Threads
3
Messages
146
Reaction score
229
Location
Maryland
Vehicle(s)
2021 Gladiator JTO, 2017 Grand Cherokee
Like you, I mostly followed the video's advice of putting it all together on top of my bed cover first. I spent 10 minutes farting around with the z-clips until I saw the recommendation about using needle nose pliers and then it was a breeze.

Love my Sunrider! It makes it so much easier to just flip the top back instead of screwing around with the Freedom panels and trying to fit them properly in the bag. I might switch back to the panels for the winter but, like you said, the Sunrider is definitely coming off and going back on as one unit.
 

Sponsored

RalphTuttle

Well-Known Member
First Name
Ralph
Joined
Jan 4, 2021
Threads
3
Messages
127
Reaction score
332
Location
North Carolina
Vehicle(s)
2021 Gladiator Mojave
Occupation
Engineer
After my negative experience with Quadratec turned out positive in the end, I received my Sunrider top in good shape. I had already downloaded the printed instructions and watched a couple YouTube videos on the install. The best install video was the Quadratec video. His method and instructions were a little but different than the Bestop printed instructions. The Gladiator needed a good wash beforehand to get off some tree sap we picked up down at Tybee Island. The day after, I got with it. I'm not posting step-by-step photos, but I will post finished pictures and discuss the steps as well as minor problems I discovered along the way.

1. Removing the Freedom Tops-- Straightforward and painless. This is my second recent Jeep (third overall), and my 2018 Wrangler had the same top design. I have to give the engineers credit for an easy, painless and leak-free design that is solid and quiet when installed. I used the bed and tailgate of the truck as my work surface, and managed to get them off without damaging or scratching the black paint.

2. Storing the Freedom Tops in the bag-- The pictograms in the bag show you how to do it. I checked the Owners' Manual to make certain I was going it correctly and it was really no help. What confused me was what to do with the two rubber edge guard blocks in the pouch on the outside. The owners' manual mentions them, but never shows how or where they go. I couldn't find a picture of them installed anywhere. I finally gave up and didn't use them. Just zipped up the storage bag and put it on top of the freezer in the garage out of harm's way.

3. Cleaning the seal-- no big deal. Used Windex and then went over the area with some silicon lubricant sprayed onto a rag to keep the seals pliable.

4. Installing the side rails/"Z" clips-- This is where the video install instructions differ from the printed ones. Bestop has you insert the "Z" clips first, then attach the top to the side rails. Then you put the whole thing on the Jeep with a helper and bolt down the side rails. The video I watched has you put the side rails on with the front bolt, then install the "Z" clips, then bolt the top to the side rails. The rear bolt between the sport bar and the side rail then goes in at the end
Jeep Gladiator Sunrider for Hardtop Install- The good, the bad, the ugly! C26653F6-9308-4C29-A2F0-966BDF94A335_1_201_a
Jeep Gladiator Sunrider for Hardtop Install- The good, the bad, the ugly! C26653F6-9308-4C29-A2F0-966BDF94A335_1_201_a
Jeep Gladiator Sunrider for Hardtop Install- The good, the bad, the ugly! C26653F6-9308-4C29-A2F0-966BDF94A335_1_201_a
Jeep Gladiator Sunrider for Hardtop Install- The good, the bad, the ugly! C26653F6-9308-4C29-A2F0-966BDF94A335_1_201_a
Jeep Gladiator Sunrider for Hardtop Install- The good, the bad, the ugly! C26653F6-9308-4C29-A2F0-966BDF94A335_1_201_a
Jeep Gladiator Sunrider for Hardtop Install- The good, the bad, the ugly! C26653F6-9308-4C29-A2F0-966BDF94A335_1_201_a
Jeep Gladiator Sunrider for Hardtop Install- The good, the bad, the ugly! C26653F6-9308-4C29-A2F0-966BDF94A335_1_201_a
. This is where the ugly starts. I had a feeling that getting the "Z" clips installed properly was going to be major ass pain, and i was correct. While it was easier to install the side rails first and then put the top in place, there was no way to insert and rotate the "Z" clip into the hole without removing the side rail and twisting it around with the clip until it was in place correctly. I spent way more time sweating and swearing doing this step than anything else. I think the Bestop instructions would have worked better-- get the clip in place while you can rotate the side rails around to assist, then bolt it all together and put it on top as a unit. I guarantee if/when I remove it for the winter that it's coming off as an assembled unit and when I put it back on in the summer it will go on as an assembled unit. I had to unbolt the forward bolt and remove the side rails to twist them around. When I put them back on I left the front bolt loose so there was enough play to adjust everything and bolt it all down securely at the end.

5. Bolting the top to the side rails-- the short Torx bolts seem a little too short, and it was a bit difficult to get the alignment pins into the locating holes on the side rails. When I got it all lined up, I had a bit of an issue getting the first threads to bite, but finally when I did, it bolted together easily. It's a little difficult to leave these bolts loose until final alignment because they are so short. I recommend tightening them up and then loosening them enough where there is some play between the top and side rails rather than installing them loose because they are likely to fall out.

6. Adjusting the top for fit and seal-- I was really pleased with how the back corner fit into the groove and sealed on the left side. The right corner is lifted up a bit. I tried to adjust it to lay flatter (see pictures below) but it won't lay perfectly flat and fit into the groove on the side rail. I'll wait and see whether it leaks before I do anything radical. The rest of the top looks and fits great.

7. Bolting the side rails down- Installing the rear bolts with the space is a breeze. Then I bolted it all down securely.

8. Installing the rear clamp-- piece of cake, no issues. The instructions make it sound harder than it is. Once you start installing it, it naturally slides into place and the bolt holes align. At this point, you are done and it's time to test it out by closing and opening it. If's a smooth, one-hand process and the front latches work great.

Here's pictures of the finished product installed. Note the difference between the way the left back corner fits and the right. If it doesn't leak, I can live with it until I remove the top and re-install it later. If it leaks, I'll need to address it.
From you photo, I would have to say your clip(s) are not installed correctly. The back of the Sunrider is supposed to sit flush with the channel - with no wrinkles at all... I just went out to my garage and took this photograph of mine.

IMG_0607.jpg
 

jsalbre

Well-Known Member
First Name
Jeremy
Joined
Mar 17, 2021
Threads
10
Messages
676
Reaction score
803
Location
Idaho
Vehicle(s)
‘21 Sarge Mojave, ‘21 VW Tiguan SEL-P RLine
Build Thread
Link
Occupation
Security Engineer, First Sergeant
I have no comments on the sunrider, but the rubber corner protectors in the pocket of the freedom top bag are for the lower front corners of the hard top (what would be next to the rear seat passenger’s shoulders).
 

MattHamilton

Well-Known Member
First Name
Matt
Joined
Apr 9, 2021
Threads
17
Messages
133
Reaction score
167
Location
Hamilton, ON
Vehicle(s)
2021 Jeep Gladiator Overland
Occupation
Support Analyst
FYI - Those rubber feet are for the tips of the rest of the hard top - if you ever take it off, the feet rest on the corners to maybe keep the fibreglass from chipping?

@jsalbre - you're too quick!
 

Ogre_FL

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2020
Threads
10
Messages
435
Reaction score
758
Location
Cooks Bayou, FL
Vehicle(s)
Wranger JL 2 Door, Gladiator 80th
From you photo, I would have to say your clip(s) are not installed correctly. The back of the Sunrider is supposed to sit flush with the channel - with no wrinkles at all... I just went out to my garage and took this photograph of mine.

IMG_0607.jpg
Yup, It doesn't look right to me either.
Maybe an issue with the fabric fit to the back of the unit, but I hope he didn't break the Z-clip already.

@Bigbrownpilot any excessive noise on the road at speed from that side?
 
OP
OP
Bigbrownpilot

Bigbrownpilot

Member
First Name
David
Joined
May 30, 2021
Threads
3
Messages
16
Reaction score
16
Location
Big Canoe, GA
Vehicle(s)
2021 Jeep Gladiator Overland
Occupation
Retired pilot
Can't say, I haven't had it out on the open road yet, just around the neighborhood. I'll know better this afternoon. I suppose I can unbolt it from the rails and check what's making it stick up like that.
Sponsored

 
 



Top