Hard top install questions

[thescot]

My 83 came with the factory hard top which I might throw on for winter. Ive never had a CJ with a hard top and want to ask the following.
1. Will it fit over the old soft top snaps attached to the lower sides of the tub. I will also remove the newer Bestop rails attached to the top of the tub and windshield attachment rail.
2. The windsheild seal? I have a new one and I assume it gets stuck down to the top of the frame forward of the raised lip?
Thats all I believe, any tips for the eventual install?
Thank You

 

[thescot]

Anybody :dunno:

 

[Petescj]

The snaps wont be any problem. The top itself only sits on top of the rail portion on the top of the tub. The windshield seal tucks into the hardtop itself. There should be an edge where the top screws or bolts to the frame. Then there will be the gap that the windshield frame itself goes into. Right in front of that is a channel where the seal gets tucked in. Your seal should be long enough to stick out of that channel enough to seal around the corner of the widshield frame on each side.

This photo leaves alot to be desired but the seal is in that black area on top of that rusty metal strip that goes over the outside edge of your windshield frame:

 

[wm69]

Yep, you gotta remove soft top rails and windshield channel, but snaps are not in the way at all. Top sits down where rails are currently bolted, 8 bolts go in to hold the back down, and the front has a strip that sits on the inside of the windshield frame and attaches with sheetmetal screws.