Reviews for Bestop 79841-17 Twill Replace-a-top Soft Top with Tinted Windows without Doors in Black for 97-06 Jeep Wrangler TJ
Excellent top. Quality, workmanship and fit were perfect. Installed product looks better than factory new. Any Jeep rag top is somewhat of a "pain" to install. This top was not too bad, my 18 year old and her boyfriend had it on in an hour or less before I could even get home. Very pleased with the top and Quadratec. Would definitely recommend this to anyone as a great replacement top. Do however get the specific care products for the top and windows as the twill requires special stuff versus a regular top. Well worth it to protect the investment!! S.Scott
The fit on a 2000 tj with original OEM hardware was extremely tight. So tight that the sides of the windshield clamp bar are being pulled away from the header seal. I will eventually buy a new header seal to reduce the wind noise through the seal. Also the top comes with plastic rear corner stiffeners and I am not able to install them because the rear support interferes.
After a month of use, I am happy with the final product. Although I have more wind noise from the header seal the overall wind noise has been greatly reduced. It used to be so bad that at 65mph I couldn’t hear the radio and now I only have to turn the radio up 3/4 volume.
I recently purchased this top for my '01 TJ after having a bad experience with the Smitty Built hard top, which I had to return after professional installation on account of terrible fitment and multiple workmanship issues. I should mention that I did not purchase that top or install service from Quadratec. Along with the Bestop Twill Replace-a-top, I purchased the Bestop twill protectant, a pair of #2 to #3 bow tension straps, tailgate bar and -last, but not least- a new Jeep baseball cap. This top came reasonably well packed, though there were minor identical blemishes about the size of a dime on both of the quarter panel windows which looked like they were the result of pressure or rub during shipping. My previous top was a Rampage sailcloth and I was very satisfied with it throughout it's 10-year lifespan. This top is much more substantial and has a more finished interior appearance. Road noise does seem to be reduced somewhat It's a much tighter fit on my OEM frame, which I refurbished with a pair of new tension straps from the #2 to #3 bows, also purchased from Quadratec. The top itself is much quieter on the highway due to the tighter fit, heavier weight and the rigid sail panel inserts, which keep the whole rear area more stable; no more flapping and slapping back there and the tight fabric fit along with the new tension straps keep the frame from shaking and rattling. With the exception of the very minor blemishes on the quarter panel windows, the windows overall are clearer than my old ones were when new and the tint is comparable. The YKK zippers have much finer teeth than the Rampage zippers; we'll see over time whether that's good or bad. My biggest concern when I purchased this top was all the horror stories about installing it that I had read in other reviews. Though the fabric fit was very tight, I had no major problems installing the top by myself in my garage at about 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Working at a leisurely pace, it took about an hour and a half including the removal of my old top and the replacement of the tension straps. The only tool required was a Phillips screwdriver. My Quadratec order arrived within a week of purchase. Everything I ordered was present and the products were all exactly as described on the website. I can be a bit of a finicky customer and have high standards when it comes to products and services- that goes double when it comes to my Jeep. That being said; I'm pleased with my Bestop purchase and with my Quadratec experience.
This top is very nice quality and looks fantastic. On the downside, it was very difficult to stretch and fit on the frame. The header attachment did not line up so had to drill and bore holes. Took about 3 hours of pulling and stretching. Temperature was 90 degrees so that was not the issue. Best advice is to install a little bit at a time and let the material stretch over the frame little by little. Again, it looks fantastic!