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Soft top life?

Howdy all, I've got a '95 YJ with the original factory top...9 years and 180,000 miles My wife's got a '94 YJ that has a Steelhorse replacement top on it(was that way when we bought it) at 10 years and 170,000 miles.

My top is still in fairly good shape, just a couple of the snaps busted above the doors. The stupid Steelhorse top on my wife's jeep is shit and, since I ordered the Besttop Replace-a-Top yesterday, is headed for the shitcan(It'd already be there if'n it'd quit raining).

I didn't buy the cheapo, and I didn't buy the sailcloth, high dollar jobbie, but from what I can tell, the mid-priced Besttop brand replace-a-top is equivalent to the original factory top.

Anyway, I was wondering what the average life you guys are getting out of the factory top is? I realize theres a lot of different factors that effect top life, but I'm just sorta taking a very unscientific poll here.

-- Old Crow '82 Shovelhead FLT 92" 'Pearl' '95 Jeep YJ Rio Grande ASE Certified Master Auto Tech + L1 TOMKAT, BS#133, SENS, MAMBM, DOF#51

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Old Crow
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I still have the original 86 Witco soft top on my CJ7. I have changed some snaps and have had friends crack a couple windows by being 'helpful' in the winter, but it is still hanging in there.

It is time to refresh it or replace it though. It has served it life out well.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Old Crow wrote:

Reply to
Mike Romain

I just replaced my '99 soft top, but that was because it had developed a tear at 110,000 miles. I had some issues with stitching that popped in a couple of places, but aside from that, it was sound. It does wear well, and the tear that developed was my own fault. I personally just put on the Sailcloth RAT from Bestop, and the difference in noise reduction between it and the '99 factory top is INCREDIBLE.

Tirya

Reply to
Tirya

My own experience has been that in Connecticut (hot, humid summers and wet, sandy, salty winters), ungaraged, Besttop is good for about 7 years before you start replacing snaps and about 9 years before the windows go and the thread rots. I'm on my third Besttop and I think that that's not a bad life span for the abuse it takes. The cost works out to about two cups of coffee a month.

Reply to
Lee Ayrton

Reply to
twaldron

GARAGE? Heh, too many Harleys in there to get a Jeep in there too

Carport? Well, Lynn's goes in there when rain is in the forcast...otherwise she'd have wet seats in the morning, and you know how women are about stuff like that.

Wash 'em? Yeah, all the time. I don't like to leave my vehicles dirty. That is not to say that I don't get them dirty...I just don't like to leave 'em that way for more than a day or so.

I guess we'll find out. I knew her's would be needing a top when we bought it, so it's not like it was a surprise or anything.

-- Old Crow '82 Shovelhead FLT 92" 'Pearl' '95 Jeep YJ Rio Grande ASE Certified Master Auto Tech + L1 TOMKAT, BS#133, SENS, MAMBM, DOF#51

Reply to
Old Crow

Reply to
twaldron

I've never owned a new jeep with a soft top, but my 85 cj7 has had the same bestop for 5 years now and it's like new. Course it's only been on the jeep for about 2 months total. I know that steelhorse "anything" is crap....

Reply to
HomeBrewer

I like the way that Steelhorse top fits(but nothing else about it)...it's nice and tight over the bows, however, I think that the tightness is probably the cause of the blown apart zipper on the back window, and the separation at the seams that is occuring. I knew it was a cheapo top when I bought the jeep, but couldn't pass on the deal just because of that...even with the cost of the new top added in, the price I paid was 'way under bluebook. I figure my '95 has 9 years on the top and aside from a couple of snaps and one side window zipper, it's in good shape. If I can get that out of the Besttop replacement top, I'll be happy.

-- Old Crow '82 Shovelhead FLT 92" 'Pearl' '95 Jeep YJ Rio Grande ASE Certified Master Auto Tech + L1 TOMKAT, BS#133, SENS, MAMBM, DOF#51

Reply to
Old Crow

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