Sky One touch roof removal

[bwoodbmw]

I found a 392XR that overall is pretty close to a car I would order except it has the sky one touch roof. I want the standard roof because I don't love the look of the sky roof and so I can remove it easier but how hard is it to remove that roof? Anybody have any experience with it?

 

[Gnomad]

I found a 392XR that overall is pretty close to a car I would order except it has the sky one touch roof. I want the standard roof because I don't love the look of the sky roof and so I can remove it easier but how hard is it to remove that roof? Anybody have any experience with it?

 

[Gnomad]

I was in your shoes, in the end I held out for a hardtop/softop. Looks to be fairly easy by watching the video, but I had some concerns about doing this multiple times going forward. Worried about how durable it is and possibly getting the rails out of alignment etc…

 

[deanfromoregon]

I found a 392XR that overall is pretty close to a car I would order except it has the sky one touch roof. I want the standard roof because I don't love the look of the sky roof and so I can remove it easier but how hard is it to remove that roof? Anybody have any experience with it?

If you're hydro blue, I may trade you>

 

[Gnomad]

If you're hydro blue, I may trade you>

Not sure if it will work with a hard top, but Jeeps with the sky 1 touch are missing the front two bars, by the sun visors, that a softop latches onto to close.

 

[bwoodbmw]

I was in your shoes, in the end I held out for a hardtop/softop. Looks to be fairly easy by watching the video, but I had some concerns about doing this multiple times going forward. Worried about how durable it is and possibly getting the rails out of alignment etc…

that video actually confirms my fears a bit... I think I need to hold out. Also adds some $$ that I could happily deploy elsewhere in my upcoming build.

 

[Turboencabulator]

Not sure if it will work with a hard top, but Jeeps with the sky 1 touch are missing the front two bars, by the sun visors, that a softop latches onto to close.

That is good to know, thanks. I wonder how hard it will be to buy/attach the missing bars?
I ordered the sky one touch power top with the half doors so that I can run soft top / half-doors in the summer and sky one touch power top / full-doors in the winter here in the Midwest.

The one thing my wife has pointed out (repeatedly) is how few Wranglers we pass on the road that have their top down. She felt that with the sky one touch power top we would use it a lot more than the freedom panels.
Well once my 392 shows up in the garage I plan on posting a video on the process of converting a sky one touch power top to a soft top for the summer. Until then if anyone has any tips let me know.

 

[ATX392]

I also passed on the opportunity to grab a 392XR just because it had the one touch top, sure, it makes it easy to open it, but I do not think it gets the real, topless feeling of a wrangler, is I do not feel like removing the top, I’ll just remove the freedom panels, and that takes a few mins.

 

[Lancet03]

That is good to know, thanks. I wonder how hard it will be to buy/attach the missing bars?
I ordered the sky one touch power top with the half doors so that I can run soft top / half-doors in the summer and sky one touch power top / full-doors in the winter here in the Midwest.
View attachment 2561

The one thing my wife has pointed out (repeatedly) is how few Wranglers we pass on the road that have their top down. She felt that with the sky one touch power top we would use it a lot more than the freedom panels.
Well once my 392 shows up in the garage I plan on posting a video on the process of converting a sky one touch power top to a soft top for the summer. Until then if anyone has any tips let me know.

Did you post this video? I want to do the same with mine for the summer.

 

[Sulley]

I know nothing of SOT but just to share a parallel experience, trying to adapt a Bronco from a soft top to a hard top was a miserable experience. Between manufacturing tolerances, bracket play, and other differences there are so many more variables than expected. One can make it work, but making it work WELL requires a lot of patience. Moving back and forth still requires a complete reconfiguration of brackets.

 

[SargeGreen392]

I was in the same boat, but settled for the SOT and do not regret it. I now have a Top Lift Pro unit to sell, as I no longer need it. What I found was having the Top Lift Unit in the garage, along with needing to keep space to store the top safely when removed, combined with time spent removing and replacing the top (which I optimized by having easy removal handles on the interior bolts), all added up to con’s that I didn’t realize I had until I got the SOT.

The one-touch button is great and the back window removal is easy and hassle-free - no tools needed. Besides the look, the only real downside I have experienced is the heat and noise Increase that comes with the soft top. I have a Hothead Headliner on the way, which should address both Issues to some degree. The other plus is I can go topless, and have zero concerns about weather blowing up, which happens during the summer in my area. I have been pleased with it, and that was thinking I would hate it going in.

 

[leakgator]

I was in the same boat, but settled for the SOT and do not regret it. I now have a Top Lift Pro unit to sell, as I no longer need it. What I found was having the Top Lift Unit in the garage, along with needing to keep space to store the top safely when removed, combined with time spent removing and replacing the top (which I optimized by having easy removal handles on the interior bolts), all added up to con’s that I didn’t realize I had until I got the SOT.

The one-touch button is great and the back window removal is easy and hassle-free - no tools needed. Besides the look, the only real downside I have experienced is the heat and noise Increase that comes with the soft top. I have a Hothead Headliner on the way, which should address both Issues to some degree. The other plus is I can go topless, and have zero concerns about weather blowing up, which happens during the summer in my area. I have been pleased with it, and that was thinking I would hate it going in.

So if you were ordering today and the color you wanted didn't have the SOT available, would you get another color that did offer it?

 

[Robr651]

I was in the same boat, but settled for the SOT and do not regret it. I now have a Top Lift Pro unit to sell, as I no longer need it. What I found was having the Top Lift Unit in the garage, along with needing to keep space to store the top safely when removed, combined with time spent removing and replacing the top (which I optimized by having easy removal handles on the interior bolts), all added up to con’s that I didn’t realize I had until I got the SOT.

The one-touch button is great and the back window removal is easy and hassle-free - no tools needed. Besides the look, the only real downside I have experienced is the heat and noise Increase that comes with the soft top. I have a Hothead Headliner on the way, which should address both Issues to some degree. The other plus is I can go topless, and have zero concerns about weather blowing up, which happens during the summer in my area. I have been pleased with it, and that was thinking I would hate it going in.

You’ll love the hothead SOT liner. It makes a huge difference in sound / temp insulation

 

[SargeGreen392]

So if you were ordering today and the color you wanted didn't have the SOT available, would you get another color that did offer it?

Knowing what I know now, I probably would. My thought process before was based on my own pre-conceived notion that I really needed to remove the whole top to get the experience and look I wanted. I even avoided looking at Jeeps with SOT. Now that I have the SOT, I see the benefit of it. Another plus for me is out of town/wheeling trips. If I wanted to go topless on those occasions, it was always based on weather forecasts and how much stock I placed in them, or I would have needed to add a soft top solution of some kind. Now, I can go topless on demand, with minimal time effort, no risk of weather worries, and no extra solutions needed for security of cargo. Owning one has changed my perspective 180 degrees.

 

[leakgator]

Knowing what I know now, I probably would. My thought process before was based on my own pre-conceived notion that I really needed to remove the whole top to get the experience and look I wanted. I even avoided looking at Jeeps with SOT. Now that I have the SOT, I see the benefit of it. Another plus for me is out of town/wheeling trips. If I wanted to go topless on those occasions, it was always based on weather forecasts and how much stock I placed in them, or I would have needed to add a soft top soft top solution of some kind. Now, I can go topless on demand, with minimal time effort, no risk of weather worries, and no extra solutions needed for security of cargo. Owning one has changed my perspective 180 degrees.

This is quite possibly the best explanation on the decision to go SOT or not.
Thank you so much!

Now I need to pick a color, since Anvil has not SOT option. I wish Sting Gray was still available!

 

[Calli74]

I was in the same boat, but settled for the SOT and do not regret it. I now have a Top Lift Pro unit to sell, as I no longer need it. What I found was having the Top Lift Unit in the garage, along with needing to keep space to store the top safely when removed, combined with time spent removing and replacing the top (which I optimized by having easy removal handles on the interior bolts), all added up to con’s that I didn’t realize I had until I got the SOT.

The one-touch button is great and the back window removal is easy and hassle-free - no tools needed. Besides the look, the only real downside I have experienced is the heat and noise Increase that comes with the soft top. I have a Hothead Headliner on the way, which should address both Issues to some degree. The other plus is I can go topless, and have zero concerns about weather blowing up, which happens during the summer in my area. I have been pleased with it, and that was thinking I would hate it going in.

How do you remove the back window? (Or are you talking about the rear quarter windows?)

 

[SargeGreen392]

How do you remove the back window? (Or are you talking about the rear quarter windows?)

Sorry - should have clarified — I was talking about the rear quarter windows. While having the back window remain in does not emulate the fully topless experience, I don’t think I have ever noticed, at least from the drivers seat. My rear seat passengers feel a little less wind blown in the SOT than they did fully topless.

 

[Ted392]

With my SOT and with half doors installed, there is less wind buffeting inside the cabin, even compared with full doors and windows down.

I really like my SOT. Very useful in MI weather.

 

[Dral97]

I've only driven with my SOT a few times, but I like it better for sure. I had a 2016 and only had the hard top off maybe 3 or 4 times over the course of a few years.

I do wish there was some way to get the back glass out. It would be nice if they could somehow engineer something like the 90's and early 00's 4runner where the glass could retract down into the gate.

 

[djheywood]

The back glass comes off fairly easily. just a few hinge screws and the connector. It is in the video. Seems fairly doable, just a little awkward when the last screw is coming out.

My mistake, same dude, different video. Here it is: