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Hard top attachment

sfeather11

sfeather11

Basic User
City
Landenberg
State
PA
Hey all, question about the hard top. How was the stock half hardtop supposed to attach to the windshield frame? When I bought mine, it was simply screwed through a strip that was riveted to the top and into the sheetmetal of the frame. There were about 8 screws acoross the top. Puh-lease tell me this wasn't stock! I can already feel these stripping out on the new windshield frame I'm putting in... If this was, has anyone tried anything different?
 
sfeather11 said:
Hey all, question about the hard top. How was the stock half hardtop supposed to attach to the windshield frame? When I bought mine, it was simply screwed through a strip that was riveted to the top and into the sheetmetal of the frame. There were about 8 screws acoross the top. Puh-lease tell me this wasn't stock! I can already feel these stripping out on the new windshield frame I'm putting in... If this was, has anyone tried anything different?
Click to expand...

Yep, that's the way they came from the factory. Must have been the same guys who decided to use a plastic valve cover and the BBD carb. There's a kit you can buy that uses a couple of latches that you rivet in place (quick kit or something like that) and there was a guy on ebay that sold threaded inserts that rivet into place and then you use regular bolts instead of sheet metal screws.
 
Once upon a time I had the hard top and tried a few things (screws, quick release latches) and after having the screws strip out and the quck release vibrate loose I found the best thing.
I bought 6 Footman loops at a hardware store, some nylon strap with metal adjustment gripers. (the kind of buckles found on back packs and other items, only made of metal) I put one footman loop on the top and one under it on the windshield frame. One set at the end by the driver, one set in the middle and one set at the end near the passenger.
These worked really well, don't "jingle" when driving and give enough to not rip off when the top flexes indepently from the frame.

oh and is fairly inexpensive :p

Good luck!

mark
 
Hard Top

Big Mark,

do you have or can you take some pictures of your hard top latches? Sounds enteresting.

Thanks SC
 
Sweet, I like the ideas. I think I saw a picture of the new full hardtop that looks like it latches to the one footman loop above the rear view mirror, but that sounds a bit weak. I did like the ease of the TJ I had a few years ago too. I perish the thought of drilling & screwing repeatedly... Thanks!
 
Cam-Over Roof latches from Matt.......

Hey SF,

I ordered those Hardtop Cam-over latches from Matt and they are nice pieces. The attachment below is a link to what they look like. I have not installed them yet but they do look like they will do the job. Check it out....

Tiny

Hardtop Cam-Over Latches
 
What is the link for purchasing the latches? Thanks. By the way, nice job on carpeting the inside of the hardtop.
 
Raven said:
Big Mark,

do you have or can you take some pictures of your hard top latches? Sounds enteresting.

Thanks SC
Click to expand...

Sorry No pictures, the only top I have now is made of Aluminum attached to my cage :D

It's been a while since I had the top.

BTW the pictures of the quick release latches are what I used and caused the rattling.

It might just have been my bad experience and for the record I didn't have them attached to the top of the top like in the photos, rather I attached them to the top above the windshield.
 
Tiny, thanks for the pic, that's exactly what I'd like to get. How did you order and from Matt who? Donaghy? (I'm still relatively new...)
 
Yep... Matt Donaghy da' man!!

SF,

If you email info@cj-8.com , Matt will respond and hook you up with the cam-over latches. That pic is from the details on the hardtops he sells. You'll need to ask about getting a correctly sized footman loop for eack latch. They don't come with those.

Tiny
 
I took mine through the Rubicon with Mats hardtop and the attaching hardware shown. I loosened it up just a little for some flex and it did absolutely great! No rattle and no coming loose. These latches will do the job.
 
Hard Top attachment

Bugman do you have any pictures you can post?

Thanks SC
 
That looks like a decent solution to the stripped out holes problem. The only question I have about it is, when you attach the latch to the roof, are you having to drill a hole so that a bolt is now poking up through the roof?
 
Hard top reinforcing kit

quadratec offers a hardtop reinforcing kit for jeep cj7 i assume it will work on the cj8 also looks like a good deal to me
Product: # 13022 101
 
I have a few questions regarding hardtop latches ? I know, I know

Where can I buy them or is there a website From whom can order them from?( other then Matt D./ he doesn't reply)

How do you attach the latches on the hardtop? Do you drill a hole through the roof?( not worry about the hook side of the latch) Is there a gap between the outside layer roof and the inside layer of the roof where you can drill through? I ask because don't want to drill screws through the entire hardtop from bottom to top with screws sticking out the top?
 
I'm no help...but I asked Matt too...no luck. I will follow this thread closely.
 
Your telling me no one here in this forum uses the hook type latches to hold the 1/2 hardtop down on the windshield frame or on the bulkhead? Everyone uses the screw on plate right???? Whatever happen to this forum ???
 
Srambler83 said:
Your telling me no one here in this forum uses the hook type latches to hold the 1/2 hardtop down on the windshield frame or on the bulkhead? Everyone uses the screw on plate right???? Whatever happen to this forum ???
Click to expand...

I use the original type attachment....it works.:thumbsup: 4 bolts in the back and 5 screws in the front.
 
My top came from Matt and was carpeted when I got it. I assume that the screw part of the latch was fiber glassed in which is easy to do and very sturdy. The metal top I now have is latched with marine screw latches, three across the top to the windshield and the regular four bolts on each side in the back. If I could get pics up here I would but that's a challenge I have yet to overcome.
 
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