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98 TJ Soft-Top Fit Question

Hello..

The last couple seasons I've taken my top down and windows off, it has gotten more and more difficult to zip the rear windows into place.. Especially around the upper-rear curve of the zipper.. Now the material & zipper both are so tight when zipped, that they are pulling each other in to a wavy pattern...

I bought new windows, and still have the same condition, so I thought maybe I need to adjust the fit of my soft-top? Is this a common thing that people have to do in order to keep a good overall fit? Or is my soft-top just shrinking due to it being a '98 ?

I thought I would just loosen all the hardware, zip everything up, and then tighten it all down again.. Any other ideas?

Thanks..

-Dave

Reply to
Dave
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I don't have a TJ, but that is what I have to do on the YJ. Zip everything up, slide the uprights into place, and tighten the spreader bars. Then, park the vehicle in the hot Colorado sun with the top up for a couple days.

Earle

Reply to
Earle Horton

I don't know about tightening everything up ...but if you run a bar of soap over the zippers every now & then, they're a lot easier to move.

Reply to
SolarRubi

Yeah, it's not that I'm just annoyed with how hard it is to zip, but I'm more worried about the severe stretching that is attempting to happen around the bends. It looks bad, and eventually will pull the seams apart I'm sure.

Reply to
Dave

I am betting it is the shrinking thing. Perhaps try zipping it before you clamp it at the windshield, doing the last tighten there instead of at the zipper.... Tomes

Reply to
Tomes

I had that problem with the factory top... had to pull down on the bows that support it, and it was still tight so I bent them a tad... I've since replaced it all though.

Troy

Reply to
Troy

You are waiting until all the windows are in place to latch down the windshield header, right? The hooks should be in the holes, but not latched down until everything is zipped up.

Reply to
Matt Macchiarolo

Yeah, I always latch it down last..

Reply to
Dave

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