How to Remove a Jeep Soft Top

Co-authored by Hunter Rising

Last Updated: March 4, 2021 References

If you want to feel the sun or the breeze on your skin while you’re driving, take the soft top off of your jeep! Like a convertible, a soft top jeep lets you open up your vehicle so you can enjoy the weather. By simply removing the windows and folding the soft top down, you’ll be able to cruise and spend some time in the sun!

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Removing the Back Windows

1
Undo the Velcro and zippers on the side windows. Lift the edge of the soft top slightly to unlatch the Velcro on top of the window. Underneath the Velcro, you’ll find a zipper running on the 2 sides of the window. Unzip it slowly and completely.^{[1]
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2
Pull out the sail flaps on the bottom side of the windows. The bottom flaps of the windows are tucked into a shallow section of the vehicle exterior. Pull on the edges of the sail flaps gently to remove them from the sides of your vehicles.^{[2]
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- Keep your windows flat since they are plastic and could easily bend.
- Store the windows vertically behind your back seats to keep them in your vehicle and out of the way.
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3
Roll up the back window to save time. Unzip the left and right sides of the back window, leaving the top attached. Tightly wrap the window towards the interior of the vehicles until you reach the top. Snap the rolled window with elastic bands to secure it.^{[3]
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- Find elastic straps in the glove compartment of your jeep. If they are not there, you can purchase the straps through online retailers.
4
Remove the back window entirely for a clean look. Unzip the back window fully and pull up on the bottom bar. This will loosen the back window so it can be taken off of your jeep completely. Store the window in a flat area so it doesn’t get scratched or bent.^{[4]
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- Keep the rear window behind the back seats of your jeep for easy storage.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Folding Back the Soft Top

1
Undo the header latches underneath the sun visors in the front seat. Lower the sun visors and move them to the sides. You’ll see a black latch above the driver and passenger sides of the jeep. Pull the latches towards you to undo them.^{[5]
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- You can undo the latches before or after you remove the windows.
- If you only want to open the top above the front seats, undo the latches and flip the top back.
2
Pull the back corner flaps down and fold them on top. Gently tug at the bottoms of the corner flaps on the back of your vehicles to remove them from your jeep. Fold the flaps onto the roof of your soft top.^{[6]
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- The corners are secured with sail flaps, just like the side windows.
3
Press down on the latches above the front seat door jambs. Push the latches with your fingers to unlatch the soft top on your jeep. The top will start to move backwards and open up as soon as both of the latches are undone.^{[7]
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4
Release the latches on top of the jeep if it is a 4-door model. There are 2 more latches on 4-door model jeeps to hold the soft top secure. Reach the latch on the outside of the vehicle and press it down to release it.^{[8]
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- If you have a 2-door model jeep, you can skip this step.
5
Fold the top back in an accordion style and secure it with Velcro. Make sure the soft top folds in on itself. As it folds, it should resemble the letter W or an accordion. Once the top is all the way down and in line with the swing gate on the back, use Velcro straps to keep it secured.^{[9]
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Warnings

Make sure the soft top is secured so it does not come undone while you’re driving.

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Don’t keep valuables in your vehicle while the soft top is down.

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