Rtaylor
05-09-2007, 10:08 AM
When we were at Tellico last month we managed to destroy the soft-top on my Jeep on Peckerwood. It took some time, but I finally got the new top installed last night. I put a YJ top and hardware on my CJ-7.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/pa19f17efc750da68c0f68184cbf61c8e/e9e1b173.jpg
Why would I put a YJ top onto a CJ-7? Simple. There are a lot of used YJ tops out there for less than $150 and not very many CJ-7 tops out there for that kind of money. I got a two month old YJ top and and frame for $100, and all new mounting hardware for $125 shipped to my door. $225 for a brand new top seems like a pretty good deal to me...
The other cool thing about the YJ set-up is that the front of the top folds back to make a convertible. My wife and kids like it a lot.
It took me about two hours to do everything from replacing the CJ-7 hardware with YJ hardware, to installing the new top. I could have done it faster, but I did not have any directions for the top or hardware. I wasn't sure how much extra work would be required to do the swap, but it was very straightforward:
Remove CJ rails from tub (Do not remove corner pieces, they are needed for the YJ top. Found this out by trial and error).
Install YJ rails using existing holes but use the CJ-7 corners (no drilling required).
Install top frame onto rails sliding from the back to the front.
Attach top to frame.
Install door frame tube monts onto windshield frame.
Attach top onto frame with front snaps, and then fit top to rails.
Pull top down tight to the windshield frame and mark the location for the latches.
Drill holes into window frame and screw the latches to frame and then secure top down.
Install the YJ rear window bar into the CJ-7 corner receptacles.
Done! :smokin:
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid225/pa19f17efc750da68c0f68184cbf61c8e/e9e1b173.jpg
Why would I put a YJ top onto a CJ-7? Simple. There are a lot of used YJ tops out there for less than $150 and not very many CJ-7 tops out there for that kind of money. I got a two month old YJ top and and frame for $100, and all new mounting hardware for $125 shipped to my door. $225 for a brand new top seems like a pretty good deal to me...
The other cool thing about the YJ set-up is that the front of the top folds back to make a convertible. My wife and kids like it a lot.
It took me about two hours to do everything from replacing the CJ-7 hardware with YJ hardware, to installing the new top. I could have done it faster, but I did not have any directions for the top or hardware. I wasn't sure how much extra work would be required to do the swap, but it was very straightforward:
Remove CJ rails from tub (Do not remove corner pieces, they are needed for the YJ top. Found this out by trial and error).
Install YJ rails using existing holes but use the CJ-7 corners (no drilling required).
Install top frame onto rails sliding from the back to the front.
Attach top to frame.
Install door frame tube monts onto windshield frame.
Attach top onto frame with front snaps, and then fit top to rails.
Pull top down tight to the windshield frame and mark the location for the latches.
Drill holes into window frame and screw the latches to frame and then secure top down.
Install the YJ rear window bar into the CJ-7 corner receptacles.
Done! :smokin: