Soft top question...

Since I am still new to the Jeep scene, maybe I am missing something. As you can see from the two pics I have up with the jeep with its top on, the back is loose. After looking around at some other pics, I have seen that most have the middle "bow" at an angle, whereas mine is straight up and down and tied into the door latches. Do I need to have that middle bow at an angle to the front so that it pushes the back bow further back and up? Looking at the seams of the top, this would appear to be the case...anyone have the measurements for where the middle bow should be?

TIA

Malachai

 

Sorry bout that, forgot the link...

best shot of it


Malachai

EDIT: I will try to get some better pics of it when I get home from work today, but right now, you can almost see that the middle bow is at a 90 degree angle to the jeep and the bow that comes off of it is not pushing the top up high enough

 

Is that an older Supertop? The newer style instructions are on the website: http://www.bestop.com/installation_guides/51595.pdf
Posted the way mine mounts below, sans roll bar, but mine appears to have slightly different doors than yours.
Check out the door button mod: http://www.earlycj5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=47973

 

Not sure how old the top is, but it would appear yours has the channels that the top slides into, while mine snaps into place all around the jeep.

I will be leaving workin the next hour or so, so should be able to snap some interior pics in the next 90 minutes!

 

Okay, disregard then, pic was just too small to tell. Sounds like you've got a Tigertop: http://www.bestop.com/installation_guides/51405.pdf

 

Looks like I do have a tigertop going off of the directions...I did get some interior pics though...

I think it is the second one that I attempted to trace the seam in the top with red, horribly badly, but I tried!

 

First I'd open the Tiger top instructions, get my tape measure, and compare the locations of the bows and such with the locations given in the instructions.

 

The middle and rear bow look identical to mine, the one above the doors looks different.
Posted via Mobile Device

 

If I remember correctly, the two rear bows for the Tigertop were attached at the tub mounted bracket, and didn't allow for adjustment. The Supertop rear most bow mounts to the center of the forward bow and allows some adjustability... Additionally, there were metal rods that connected/ supported the door installation for the Tigerertop (forward rods hooked to an eye bolt thru the windshiled frame, vertical rods slid into holes in the tub lip).

 

Going off your pictures and my memory, it looks like your bows are mounted to the tub too far forward. I agree that you need to check out the Bestop site and download the instructions for the Tigertop to double check the mounting positions.

Also, depending on how old your top is, how much exposure it's had to the weather, and the current temperature, you may never get it to fit "just right". After some neglect, I've had my tops shrink in some places, which made it impossible to get all the adjustment out in others, which left it with a saggy fit. But if it's a fairly new top and in decent shape, that's probably not the case.

 

Looked through the tigertop install instructions and did some measurements, and that bow is off by about 6 inches forward. Going to have to wait til spring in order to do anything, with the whole shrinkage stuff, so I am going to have to put up with it for a few months.

Thanks everyone for your help again!