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plexiglass soft upper windows

5K views 12 replies 6 participants last post by  chainlake 
#1 ·
Hey,

Anybody out there replace their soft upper window plastic with plexiglass?

I run soft uppers with my hard top in the winter and you can't unzip plastic windows in wisconsin winters without cracking them. I was thinking as long as you can't open the window anyway it would be nice to have one you can actualy see out of....
 
#2 ·
Nobody????

Come on, every YJ owner is a closet back-yard inventor on a budget. I know I'm not the only one with a taped crack in their window that thought about this.

Somebody had to have blazed the trail and tried it.
 
#5 ·
Thanks for the links but they all seem to be asking the same question that I have with the same results.

It's possible nobody has tried replacing the flexible plastic window with plexi or tried and failed. Just seems strange to me with all of the backyard engineering that goes into all things YJ that nobody tried it, mastered it and wrote about it.

I'm no enistine, but it looks feasable, logical, durable and budget friendly to me.
 
#7 ·
Hell I get way to much draft from the hard upper half slider doors down in Louisiana, I'd run full doors in Wiss..
 
#8 ·
If I was going to do it I would first make sure i have no DOT inspection. I am sure they will not be happy if they notice its not DOT approved. In my state we do not do vehicle inspections so i would not care about the DOT approval. I would lean toward using lexan. You may want to see what shop that deals with boat canvas repair recommends to get different ideas.

I have these on Craigslist and Ebay for reasonable prices.
 
#10 ·
I should mention that I am running TJ soft uppers on my YJ 1/2 doors so the hard top fits with my 1/2 doors. I agree, Full doors are the way to go in the winter but budget issues prevent the cash outlay at this time and I have a cracked window I need to deal with.

My thought was to retain the existing canvas, weatherseal and frame and essentually just replace the clear plastic with a cut to fit piece of Lexan or plexi a inch or so bigger than the original window. It looks like there is about a 1" pocket or track in the canvas all the way around just inside the window zipper/velcro. I think this would be enough to hold it in place and seal out the weather with some velcro on the lexan and possibly a coupple of zip ties on the bottom of the window to the wire frame.

It just seems so simple and logical to me that I fear I am missing something major if nobody is already doing it.
 
#11 ·
I hear ya on the budget, that's my my old 4.2 is still blowing oil out the dip stick, no money right now to finish the 4.6 stroker to go back in, it's same cost for a rebuild.
Some folks find the good deals, guy on just got CJ-7 full door $30 each.
I think you idea will work, but like say try to find Lexan, and do not use Rain-X on them.
 
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