YJ issue with hard uppers not sealing with hard top

[Guest]

I recently purchased a 1994 YJ that a guy had completed a lot of work on so I know the body has been removed prior. I am trying to get the doors to align with the top. When you shut the half door (driver side), it rubs the hard top on the right (vertical) side of the door. I can force the door shut but then the top-left (horizontal) of the upper (sliding windows) rubs the top. Once it is shut, the uppers lean out a bit causing a gap between the hardtop roof and the uppers. See pictures.

FYI - this came with a Steel Horse Hard Top (and I think the uppers are matching Steel Horse uppers) and I have read about all the negative comments so I understand that the top isn't the best. Overall, I am fine with it as long as I can get the doors to align and seal up so we don't get wet in the rain.

Steps I have taken:
1. Took top off and measured the angle of the windshield. Made slight adjustment on driver side to get to 75 1/8". Passenger side was fine. That helped close the gap between the windshield and the uppers. Fits a little better now.
2. I met a local guy who also has a YJ. We took his soft doors and put them on my jeep to see if that was better. No luck. His soft doors won't fit with my hard top.
3. We took his set of half doors and placed on my jeep. They seemed to shut a little better (maybe better alignment with the hinges???) but when we put my uppers on his half doors, the alignment at the top was still pretty off.
4. I purchased new pins for my half doors to see if that would help seal the uppers to the lowers and fit the hard top better. No luck.
5. I have played a bit with the top making some adjustments with rubber washers. Added new weather stripping/seal, inserted new "pins" in the top (back portion) that sits on the back of jeep frame. That didn't do much for us.

I am looking for ideas to fix this. I am considering:
1. Buying a soft top with soft uppers and moving on?
2. Trying to find full doors and seeing if that helps?
3. Buying a YJ factory top and doors (if I can find them used)
4. Buying new hinges and seeing if that helps?
5. My preferred option is to see if I can get this current setup to work "good enough." I am wondering if I need to try new hinges.

Any ideas or feedback is much appreciated. THANK YOU!
Any ideas of anyone local in KC who works on Jeeps related to these types of issues? Chux Trux?

[Guest]

FYI - called Chux Trux. They stated they don't do "this type of work." Any other ideas of a shop in KC that may be able to work on this issue?

[mujeeper]

I'm not too far off from you. I have a 95 that didn't come with a hard top. A good 12 years ago, I bought a used hard top & steel horse fiberglass uppers to go with my factory half steel doors. I must have been lucky because everything worked & sealed up good. I say good & not great, because they are bolted on fiberglass uppers, not full steel doors, so you don't get the rigidity of steel doors & thus may get leakage on the highway or when it's really windy. However, that's the fault of the uppers, not the top.

All that being said, my top was from another jeep, bought the fiberglass uppers way back when so not sure if any of those 2 variables play into why it worked for me & not you. I do use weatherstripping on my hardtop to best seal it up, so a slight offest on placement, maybe.

Additionally, my Jeep has since then, become a non daily driver & my hard top is up for sale (see parts for sale thread).

http://www.kcjeepclub.org/forum/show...gears-for-sale

I'd be willing to show you how mine fits, but don't have my hardtop on currently. If you're interested in buying the top, I'd be willing to help you dry fit it if you can swing by sometime. Tops only for sale since I don't drive as much in the winter & softtop meets my needs (which I already had). That & I'd be too afraid of damaging the top if I went offroad with it (ie: overhanging branches).

[spunebil]

loosen mounting bolts to hard top, there should be a wee bit of play in the bolt holes. try moving top around, adjust hinges, whatever to get everything aligned ! .... if that don't work, deep six hardtop and get a bestop super top ! :)
that's a soft top btw ;)

[Guest]

We believe the issue is that the top is likely a TJ Top with TJ uppers on YJ lowers. Planning to buy a soft top and put this on Craigslist. I ended up meeting with the guys at www.stomperoffroad.com in Olathe, KS. Great guys who are willing to help solve Jeep problems.