Misc Full Roll Cage vs. Soft top

[70Shark]

I'm sure there is no definitive answer but looking for opinion. I know the answer is try it, but I would like to be close. My '78 CJ7 came with an '80-'86 style (floor mount) full roll cage. It had a bikini top and that's it. It appears to me that they started with a stock roll cage (approximately 50" tall) and added on from there (see images). Is the '80-'86 bar higher than the stock CJ wheel housing roll bar? The entire cage is within the tub rails vertically and the front hoop is inset inward from the door piler thus the corners of the windshield are exposed for top mounting plates. The front hoop is level with the top of the windshield (determined from old pictures). the rear hoop is vertical and approximately 33" high from foot pad. From all the videos I've watched, it looks like a soft top will fit. Rear hoop is my main concern. I'm old and would like to put a top on this jeep as winters here in Minnesota can be bad. I like it but is it worth cleaning up or if I should find stock cage. Thanks.

 

[TSB8C]

My '84 has a YJ "family style" sport bar in it and the soft top fits just fine. But here's where I see you may have an issue. On the JY bar, the rear section is slanted slightly lower than the center main hoop. Thus, the soft top and frame can be folded up/down without interference. Your rear hoop is level with the center hoop rather than slightly sloping downward. Now I also added a front windshield hoop (kinda like yours, except no extension to the floor, just stops at the dash mounts) with "spreaders" between the main center hoop and windshield hoop. These "spreaders" are bent slightly to form an arch where they extend level from the center hoop forward, and then arch slightly down to the slightly lower windshield hoop. I used the original CJ bar cut up to make the windshield hoop and "spreaders". The "feet" on mine (where it mounted to the floor) were all rusted from water intrusion and sitting. Now on a YJ style bar (the family style), there is no rear hoop. The two rear sections slope down from the center hoop to the rear of the wheel wells. So my center hoop is the highest point, with the rear sections sloping downward and the front hoop being slightly lower as well. This front hoop gave me a great place to mount grab handles to aid in climbing in/out. I did have to move my visors from the windshield frame to the front hoop to still use them. No biggie.