Soft Top Questions

May 10, 2004 4 Replies

I'm the proud new owner of a '99 TJ. Unfortunately I haven't done much actual off-road/'real' Jeeping yet, but I do have some questions about just taking care of my Jeep in general.



First, is it safe to take a Jeep through a car wash with the soft top on? Or should I just expect to always do a hose job?



Second, when putting the top down will I do more damage to it by folding it neatly (since, like tents, I would assume repeated folding of the same area might weaken the material) or would it be worse to just push it down and let it rest 'as it falls'?;



Third, should I use any kind of waterproofing on my soft top to keep it waterproof (which it is remarkably 100% right now--the dealer told me that's a problem lots of Jeeps have), or might the chemicals in the waterproofing actually make the waterproofing already on the top worse?



Thank you guys for your help. Much appreciated.



I wouldn't take mine through a car wash with the soft top. I dont think the folding matters, but do take out the back window.

I take mine through the soft-cloth car wash all the time and it is fine. I will say that my windows were slightly scratched when I got the top (it was free) so I can't comment on whether or not they would get that way by the wash.

I have taken my Jeep with soft top through a brushless car wash a few times. Seems harmless though the wash only does a marginal job. Generally I wash the top and windows as I do the rest of the car with soap and water.

There is, in general, a proper way to fold the top down. The vehicle usually comes with a VCR tape that explains the proper way. You might be able to land one at a Jeep dealership. For the most part it is common sense though there are a few areas where things are supposed to be folded one way or another to avoid tearing.

I have not put any waterproofing agents on my top and off hand I probably would not recommend it.

yeah.. I take mine through a touchless wash during the winter(no brushes or rags, just water spray ).. I wash it by hand in the summer.. I thoroughly soak the windows, then use a baby diaper soft cloth to wash only the soft windows. No scratches done by me yet.

I would watch the folding, dont let it just drop.. make sure to follow the steps outlined in your users manual.

I wouldnt think you would need to use any protectants, I wouldnt..

I saw something in the QUADRATEC cat that showed a nice storage pack with soft sleeves in it to store your windows in when not in use. Good idea I think..

dave

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