Yj fiberglass top mods

[redrussell]

I traded to a fiberglass top of a yj and am curious if I can do stuff to it. I want to try and put one of the pop up skylight windows or whatever you want to call them in the top, is that possible and has anyone done it? The top is in really good shape so I don't want to try and "learn" on this top.

Another mod I was wondering is if I could build an internal frame and then cut small holes in the top and run tabs out the top to attach a small rack to? Mainly I would mount 4 lights on the front of the rack and have it wired into the top so I just unplug the wiring pigtail when I remove the top but I would want to keep things like 100-200lbs so possibly make the frame out of aluminum to keep the weight down and also save on corrosion. Any experience with stuff like this?

 

[H-K]

This is something I'm also interested in. I'm a fiberglass noob. My top doesn't clear my cage and I need to clearance it about .75 inches and am debating whether to cut recesses in the top or cut/re-weld my powder-coated cage (and rattle can the repair areas). Your idea of attaching mounts for a strong rack is something I've also considered. I thought about fabricating brackets that attach the hardtop to the cage at four points (something easily-detachable) with a provision on the exterior of the hardtop to bolt on a rack. This way the cage acts as the support for the weight instead of the top itself.

 

[redrussell]

The rack for me would me just for stuff like my highlift, shovel, axe and various things like that. I was thinking of tieing it to my cage as well and then running something like eye tabs up through rubber gromets in the top and having it being held on with sleeved bolts, so the bolts threads aren't getting crusded and eventually cause some rattle, that way I can pull off the hard top and lift it off over the slightly protruding tabs(Maybe an inch). Then once the top is removed I can replace the rack and even put a bikini top on. I'm wonderin though, would the top/body flex differently from the cage where I would have to worry about contact and possible cracking? I will sit down and draw out some Ideas but Im still wanting to put the little pop up window above the front seats. Should i try and trade this top for a metal CJ top? I have a CJ-7 anyways but I was trying to keep it lighter up top since I planned to put a rack on and probably going to have to put this top on and take it off myself so a metal top adds to the He-man amount needed.

 

[H-K]

I also wanted the solution to allow the rack to be used with and without the hardtop. To deal with flex, I pictured using a mini version of body-mount pucks/bolts, but maybe something with more flex -- softer rubber pucks.

 

[MikeGyver]

Not everything HAS to be messed with lol

 

[redrussell]

Ok as for the feet from Thule I looked at stuff like that but how strong are those? Since my top is fiberglass what sort of load would that handle. Again I'm not planning to load it down but I worry.

 

[Kevin B.]

Ok as for the feet from Thule I looked at stuff like that but how strong are those? Since my top is fiberglass what sort of load would that handle. Again I'm not planning to load it down but I worry.

I have a set of Thule guttermounts, and it's not the strength of the towers you need to worry about. I bolted a rack to the crossbars and loaded it up with a spare tire and 10 gallons of gas and a couple bags of gear and went and rallied through the desert for a couple days. The Thule mounts were strong enough to rip the drip gutter off the side of the 4Runner. I wouldn't trust a heavy load on your fiberglass, it's likely to rip the artificial gutter rail right out.

 

[Bart]

Unless you tied your cage into your frame, the body and cage will definitely be flexing. I think going through the fiberglass top is a bad idea. I also think putting a sunroof in one will be a continual battle on leaks, as UT410 stated.