It was the best of tops, it was the worst of tops...
I installed a Bestop Trektop NX on my '09 2dr Jeep Wrangler around ten days ago. I like the top a lot. It's easy to install, it looks great, it's a functional improvement over the factory top in that it has better zippers, tinted windows, and no frame hardware to rattle all over the place, and it looks great with the windows out.
However, not all is coming up roses in Jeep-Top-Land. When I installed the top, one of the steps is to hook some straps into the rollbar through the soundbar, then run those straps through a standard strap adjuster, then pull those straps tight. With the straps Bestop packs in for this job, this is impossible. You can see in the pic with the hook in the bottom hole that the doubled-over/sewn part of the strap runs through the first slot in the strap adjuster, but there's no possible way to get that part of the strap to make the turn through the second part of the buckle. In short, the strap can never be tightened down well, or even well enough to keep the stupid hook/clip from falling out of the rollbar hole.
Note that this is just on the 2dr Trektop NX tops. On the 4dr tops, the flap that the strap adjuster is sewn to is much shorter, so there's enough distance between the clip/hook and the adjuster for things to be cinched down. "But Josh, why do you want to get this strap tighter," you may be asking? With the windows out and door tops—or full doors—off the Jeep, the front half of the top flaps around A LOT at highway speeds. There's a bow over the front seats, with some foam to support the top...But at highway speeds the top is raised several inches off the bow sometimes, but then slaps down very hard on the bow. It is...Not optimal.
Starting on Aug 16, I started e-mailing Bestop customer support. At first, they regurgitated the directions back to me without really reading/processing my message. Then, they told me, "you're doing it wrong," when I said I read and understood the directions. I provided the same pic I posted of the original hook arrangement as I shared here to show them that I was, indeed, not doing it wrong and that it's just a terrible design. They wrote back saying I didn't have the clip locked in properly. I pointed out that it *can't* be locked in, cause there's not enough tension on the strap to keep it in place! I asked for pics of how they should look when installed properly and tensioned correctly on a 2dr, and they never bothered to respond.
Yesterday, they sent me this gem:
Josh,
I double checked the strap hook and that's in the correct place, I don't know
why the strap isn't getting tight.
Thank You
Bestop Customer Service
1.800.845.3567
I'm somewhat floored that customer service for a major aftermarket company basically responded with, "wow, that sucks."
While I was corresponding with Bestop hoping that they'd actually be useful instead of being total knobs, I was pursuing my own idea for better/proper straps. I ordered some 1" plastic swivel snap hooks (PSHS model) from Strapworks, plus picked up four feet of 1" nylon webbing from Blain's Farm & Fleet, for $0.49/foot. I had my mom cut 16" pieces out of the webbing, sew one end around the loop in the snap hook and just double over/sew the other end. I think she said the total length was 14"; I didn't bother to measure them.
With my super-spiffy custom-made straps in hand, I installed them on my Jeep. My plan was to hook in to the top hole of the rollbar, run the strap down behind the rollbar through the sound bar, and out to the strap adjuster, but after trying it that way I realized the hook was just a bit too long and the strap was pulling the hook down instead of back...So I hooked the snap hook into the top hole, wrapped it around the entire sound bar going towards the rear at the top and rolling under towards the front, and was able to reach the strap adjuster.
You can see that arrangement in the pic, where the strap actually looked like it's secured and isn't going to fall out at random times. With this arrangement, I can get the center straps cinched down pretty well. I don't expect anywhere near as much top noise with the windows out now. Why am I writing this huge post? Cause I'm pissed. I like Bestop—this is the fourth top I've owned from them—but they totally dropped the ball here, won't admit there's a problem, and can't be bothered to care when people contact them about it. Bestop could probably quite easily change the design of the 2dr Trektop NX to use the same flap size as the 4dr Trektop NX, which would make the center straps not suck by default, but I think they are too busy polishing the Bestop Trektop NX Glide design...Which I just didn't feel the need to use, so whatever.
On another note, the rear straps leave a lot to be desired too, but I haven't yet found adequate ways to make them not terrible. I'm sure I'll get to it.
Page created 2017-08-24 01:24 CDT.
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