Can You Replace A Hardtop With A Soft Top On A Jeep?

There are all sorts of available tops for the Jeep Wrangler. Currently, there's the full-length soft top, a sort of half-and-half top called the Sunrider Flip Top, a full-length hardtop with removable "Freedom Panels" in the front, and a top called the Sky One-Touch Powertop, which uses a power-retracting roof. There are even a few tops called Sunbonnets that use mesh or solid material to change the amount of sunlight you let in. 

For years, Jeep has offered lots of different two and four-door configurations of the Wrangler, their ultra-capable off-road SUV, both with soft tops and hardtops. The base model Wrangler comes standard with a soft top and there are, of course, hardtops available on upper trims — but what if you want to change your top during winter? Or, what if you decide the hardtop experience is no longer for you? You're in luck.

The standard Jeep Wrangler soft top and the hardtop can be switched out — some owners even buy both tops and regularly change them based on the seasons. Hardtops for winter and soft tops for summer — sounds fun right? However, how difficult is it to switch these two tops out, and which one is right for you? Let's take a closer look.

Having personally changed out the hardtop and soft top on a Jeep, I can say that it's not very difficult, it just takes some patience — and having a second set of hands really helps. Jeep includes a tool kit with each Wrangler that has the proper attachments for removing the top as well as the doors and windshield. Removing the three-panel full-length hardtop requires removing the front panels by hand, taking out various bolts, disconnecting the rear defroster and rear windshield-wiper, then removing the big back panel. Removing the large rear hardtop panel is where you'll want that second set of hands — it's a big piece that's slightly precarious to lift, and if you drop it, you could cause some costly damage.

When switching from hardtop to soft top, there are some parts like electrical connectors and the rear washer piping that need to be disconnected. Thankfully, Jeep has built-in storage locations for the wires and piping, as well as storage slots under the trunk's floor for the bolts used to hold the top in place. Those owners mentioned earlier that buy both tops? Both can be selected in the build process of the Wrangler via the "Dual-Top Group" option for $2,495. Wrangler-owner forums are full of those who claim it takes less than an hour to swap out the tops — provided you've had a bit of practice.

Aside from being indecisive, there are a few solid reasons for switching your Jeep tops out more than once throughout the year. The soft top is nice for summer, giving you the ability to quickly fold back the front section for open-top motoring both on and off-road. However, the thinner canvas of the soft top translates to poor insulation. In tougher climates, many owners say that they swap out the soft top for the hardtop during winter to help stay warm in the cabin. Jeep also recommends that you avoid taking the soft top through automatic car washes — a real drawback for muddy Jeep owners that want a quick-and-easy rinse. 

It's also worth noting that the hardtop keeps more wind noise out, making the interior a bit more hushed on the highway — worth bearing in mind if you take a typically locally-driven vehicle on a road trip. Of course, the soft top also eliminates the ability to use the Jeep's roof racks. And a last point to remember — if you've purchased both the soft top and the hardtop, you'll need a dedicated space to store them, and the hardtop is quite large.