Bestop 5241111 Sun Bikini Extended Mesh Top for 18-23 Jeep Wrangler JL Unlimited

I used to have a Bestop mesh Sun Top on my 2009 Jeep Wrangler JK. It worked great for the airflow when the top was off and to keep from getting sunburned. So when I got a 2019 Wrangler JL 4-door Bestop was the first place I went for a new Safari Style Sun Bikini Top. I was especially attracted to this because you can put a soft or hard top back on without having to remove it, and that it was designed so you can also remove or replace the Freedom Top pieces. I am very happy with what I got and would recommend it to others. It seems very well made, although it was odd to see so many loose thread ends that I had to trim. There are a few things the purchaser should know before installing.

The most important is that the instruction illustrations of the rear “sport bar down-tube” are INCORRECT on pages 6, 9, and 11. Based on Bestop’s other instructions for different model Jeeps I think these might represent Wranglers before and including 2018. If you go by these drawings and remove the bottom torx screws and replace with snap stud screws the installation will be wrong. You can force the Sun Top on if you do this, but it will not be in the correct position and will pull the front of the top to the rear. You must remove and replace the screw that is higher / second from the bottom.

When installing make sure the front of the Sun Top is as far forward as possible. When attaching the straps in the order shown on Section 6, page 11, make sure straps 1 and 2 are straight and perpendicular to the door frame. I would recommend tightening 5 and 6 next, as their angle is designed to keep the top pulled forward. If you tighten 3 and 4 instead it will tend to pull the top backwards and you will have to keep going back and forth to get the right tension.

The instructions don’t tell you how to put the Tail Clips on the straps. The double clip side should go on the tight underneath strap, and the single clip side should hold the loose free end of the strap. I highly recommend putting the Tail Clips on the straps BEFORE you thread the straps through the buckles on the top. MUCH easier this way.

My hard top went on very nicely over the Sun Top. It is important to detach the magnets on the front of the Sun Top and then flip the front of the Sun Top back over the top surface of the rest of the Sun Top before putting on the hard top (and I assume soft top). Also, the rear inside handles on the Freedom Top rotate onto clips that are on the sports bar frame, not the rear ceiling piece. So the zipper on the Sun Top cannot be closed.

Keeps the UV Ray's out

Top itself is great - provides complete coverage from cage to cage and installs easily. Giving this 3 stars for two reasons: the snap stud screws that it comes with are poor quality - the snap section itself pulls away from the stud, so I had to find higher quality studs and discard the 10 provided. I was surprised a company like BestTop uses such low quality snaps. Next, there is a zipper access on top of the soundbar, which provides easy access to install the freedom panels if ever needed too. The zipper end is hard plastic - easy to grab and use, but when driving it bounces against the sound bar and makes a constant annoying noise. To stop this, I put a piece of foam over the zipper end and used some electrical tap to secure it, for a now it works - I will be trying to see if I can find a way to double side Velcro it so that there is no movement.

Very happy with the top - blocks sun amazingly and provides the breeze, just disappointed in the quality of snaps and zipper end, which are easily solved for.