Hi I have been looking at a sunrider top and found a used one for a few hundred bucks with the hardware. Are they worth it? He says it was only used a few months. If you have any input on this it would be appreciated. Thanks.
I have the Sunrider feature on my NX. To me, it's a must have for a soft top. Easy flip back and open air , waaaaaay less (like none) hassle, especially for short trips like the commute to work and back.
The Sunrider feature itself is great. I also have it on my Trektop NX that's on my personal Jeep. I really like it because if the weather's questionable, you an have open driving them be nice and dry in a matter of minutes. I actually have flipped mine back at stoplights sometimes. (You get some pretty funny looks)
The Sunrider top itself is a good top. I had one on my YJ and it was great. the only thing was that the PO didn't include all the hardware, and I had to use zip ties to hold the top shut. 1 quick call to Bestop and they had the hardware out to me in a few days. So as long as it has all the hardware you need to use it, I recommend it 100%
I have the Sunrider and love it. I've replaced a few parts over the years, but on my '98 TJ it's great. I like to run it like a safari top with the Sunrider part open, but taking it all the way down only takes a few minutes if I want that. That price seems awesome! Good luck! Post pics if you get it.
My 97 came with the factory soft top (pre-sailcloth). When it was time for a replacement I first tried the sunrider. I'd owned 2 cars with targa type tops with removable hardtop portions, liked them and it sounded like a good idea for a soft top. In reality it was nice when driving around town, in changing weather conditions, or on trails. But once you get above in town speeds, the noise from the flip portion being open and the parachute created by the rear portion of the top (which has more slack in it when the front was open) was irritating to the point that I sold the top 3 months later. I tried a bikini top with duster for a while before finally buying a new top in sail cloth material (luckily I still had my factory bows). I think overall the factory setup with the sailcloth is by far the best top option. Tight and quiet when up, quick window removal for bikini top option, and once your good at it, the top can be raised or lowered in 2-3 minutes. In the summer I run a set of bestop mesh windows for airflow that keeps the pooch inside. It seems that everyone keeps trying to "reinvent the wheel" when Jeep actually got it right from the start.
Get some more info or verify exactly what top it is. There are several "sunriders"
Bestop Sunrider - Is based on the Bestop Supertop frame. It is different from the factory frame and a PITA to use
Factory Sunrider - Optional on 05+ TJ. Factory frame with the sunrider opening
Bestop Supertop NX - Newer from Bestop, it has a factory style frame with front opening. (I forget what exactly they call it). It actually opens a bit wider that the factory sunrider. Note the Trektop NX has the same front type opening)
I recently got the Bestop Supertop NX and have really enjoyed the sunrider feature, not that we have many days in Seattle to enjoy them. There is actually very little noise/flapping at highway speeds. I think the Supertop/Trektop NX actually have a slightly smaller depth in the sunrider opening, compared to the Bestop Sunrider.
If you don;t have a soft top on the Jeep now, you'll want to make sure that all of the hardware is included. Depending on the type of top there could be some components that the person selling it may have forgotten to take off their Jeep.
Check for things like all of the bows and bolt and nuts for them to attach to the Jeep. The door surrounds, header/tailgate bars and the brackets that attach to the roll bar that the top mounts too.
I love mine. Just got the Trektop NX. Its nice to have on iffy days. I can flip the top off/half windows off and drive without having to be worried about getting stuck in the rain.
Also on the days I don't feel like taking the whole top off and putting it back on (lazy I know ) its a nice feature.
I too have a sunrider (modifed my stock frame) and I second the above posts that it is a great function to be able to easily open the front without dealing with the entire top. I've seen posts from people that have the NX or the factory sunrider and say they never use it. I don't get it why you would not.
To the OP, I forgot there is one other "sunrider" type top. Pavement Ends (Bestop company) has what they call a Flip Top.
Unless the top is a NX, factory, or does not have all the parts, it probably is not worth it. Door surrounds alone will cost 100 or so used and the factory sunrider have holdownd for the frame. You can't find those seperate.
Ok here is my update. I'm still a little skiddish about a 2 year old soft top. I looked at the pavement ends flip top that's not that much more than the used sunrider. Does the flip top also fold all the way down without much of a hassle? Anybody have some input on the pavement ends top. It would only be used a few months when it's actually not crappy up here.
Do a search. There are a few posts on the Pavement Ends flip top. Skiddish on a 2 year old top? There should be nothing wrong with a 2 year old top. Top should last 7 to 10 years. Did you find out exactly what top the "sunrider" you were lookit is?
From what I see reading the instructions, the top does not fold down. For full open air, you have to remove the fabric from the frame (and recommendation is to remove the frame also) http://www.pavement-ends.com/images/stories/installs/44527.pdf I believethe Bestop Sunrider is the same.
Well it's been a while since I started this but I found an almost new sunrider in black denim for 200 bucks. Hopefully this weekend I can get installed. It's supposed to be around 90 so hopefully it won't fight me too much.
How does the factory Sunrider compare to other tops? Is it worth all the money?
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