Bestop NX Trektop for JK
Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2013 1:47 pm
After I backed into a tree while offroading, I bent the rear bow of my factory soft top. The best price I could find for a replacement was about $300. I didn't have much luck trying to bend it back into shape, the fabric remained loose, baggy and noisy after several attempts. The solution? A Bestop NX Trektop, of course.
Got the top and couldn't wait to install it. The directions said be sure temps were 70* or above, so naturally i figured 58* is close enough, right?
Step one - completely remove all factory hardware - including door surrounds. You HAVE to use the ones that come with the new top, because there's some extra hardware involved.
Step two - carefully follow instructions and install new top. This step went pretty well. I was a little confused about where to mound the spring retainer hardware to the sport cage, which is one of the first steps. I solved this by not doing it in order, but moved on with a couple more steps. Once I got about 3 more steps done, it became evident how the things were supposed to mount and where they mounted to. From there, back to following the steps in order. The low temperatures made stretching the fabric a little tough, but in the end I got everything closed up. One tip - i was wrecking my fingers trying to pull zippers by the little metal tabs, so I took pieces of parachute cord about 8" long, passed it through the hole in the end of the pulls. Now I have a nice 4" handle to grab and get a really good pull on.
Overall I like the frameless top a lot better than the factory top. I like the way it looks, with the angled back, it's much quieter on the highway, the door surrounds have a better design so that water doesn't run off the top and pour onto the seats when you open the doors like it did with the factory top. It also holds it's shape better, the side windows don't get sucked in like the factory windows do. Durability is still a question, but only time will tell. Overall I'm glad I bought it. Anybody need a spare factory soft top for a JK for parts?
Got the top and couldn't wait to install it. The directions said be sure temps were 70* or above, so naturally i figured 58* is close enough, right?
Step one - completely remove all factory hardware - including door surrounds. You HAVE to use the ones that come with the new top, because there's some extra hardware involved.
Step two - carefully follow instructions and install new top. This step went pretty well. I was a little confused about where to mound the spring retainer hardware to the sport cage, which is one of the first steps. I solved this by not doing it in order, but moved on with a couple more steps. Once I got about 3 more steps done, it became evident how the things were supposed to mount and where they mounted to. From there, back to following the steps in order. The low temperatures made stretching the fabric a little tough, but in the end I got everything closed up. One tip - i was wrecking my fingers trying to pull zippers by the little metal tabs, so I took pieces of parachute cord about 8" long, passed it through the hole in the end of the pulls. Now I have a nice 4" handle to grab and get a really good pull on.
Overall I like the frameless top a lot better than the factory top. I like the way it looks, with the angled back, it's much quieter on the highway, the door surrounds have a better design so that water doesn't run off the top and pour onto the seats when you open the doors like it did with the factory top. It also holds it's shape better, the side windows don't get sucked in like the factory windows do. Durability is still a question, but only time will tell. Overall I'm glad I bought it. Anybody need a spare factory soft top for a JK for parts?