How Much Do Jeep Hard Tops Weigh?

There is a lot of debate out in the world about Jeep hard tops. Trying to find an exact weight for these hard tops is a difficult process and will depend on the year and make of your vehicle. Jeeps are known for their ability to shift and change as the user needs to make changes. You will often see a Jeep owner driving down the highway with the doors off, and you may notice that they have a soft top or a hard top (meaning the material is soft or hard) on the top of the vehicle. How Much Do Jeep Hard Tops Weigh? Jeep hardtops can weigh anywhere from 80 to 140 pounds and will change depending on the various Jeep Wrangler models that are out there. In general, you could estimate an average weight of 100 pounds for a hardtop but it all depends on the model of Jeep you have. This will vary depending on what model you have and whether you have extra panels or windows still attached in the hard top. If you want to know how heavy a jeep unlimited hardtop is, that definitely weighs in at 100 pounds without including the freedom tops. Every time you have a varying weight aspect, you will add a bit to the weight for these different items. Hard Top Overview When adding a hard top to a Jeep, there are a few things that vehicle owners want to accomplish. For one, they are probably looking for a more durable option for their Jeep. Hard tops are often more popular in the North or other climates where cold weather is seen frequently because they are going to provide insulation for the passengers in your Jeep. Whether it is the cold or the snow, hard tops are going to give you protection from the elements that you really don’t receive when you’re driving with a soft top. The hard top is obviously more rigid than the soft top models, and that means that they are going to be stronger and hold up better over time than a soft top. Hard tops are a better choice if you are planning on owning your Jeep for a long time or you don’t want to deal with a replacement due to natural wear and tear on a soft top. There are a variety of hard top models that will change how you are able to deal with them when modifying your Jeep. Hard tops are available as a 1-piece model or a 2-piece model. Generally, you’re going to need a 2nd person to help you with a hard top whether you are putting it on or taking it off because of the bulky size as well as the weight involved. Even if you have a hard top that is towards the lighter side, the size makes it hard to handle. They’re also a lot harder to store than soft tops because of their bulky size and you are unable to fold them. Hard Top Compared to Soft Top With a hard top model, you get a lot of benefits that are unavailable to you if you decide to go with a soft top. You will get a more durable top to the Jeep as well as an insulated ride. That can be a lot more comfortable for your passengers. On the topic of comfort, you’ll also reduce the wind flapping and making a lot of noise when driving. Hard tops are much easier to clean and therefore offer some convenience. What isn’t convenient is the fact that they are heavier and you can’t simply remove them easily on the go. If you’re storing your hard top to your Jeep, it may take up a lot of space so you’ll have to plan for that accordingly as well. Soft tops are definitely the easier model to switch out, and you can even store them inside of the Jeep itself if necessary. They are harder to clean and will cause hotter temperatures on warmer days and colder temperatures during the Winter which is basically the exact opposite of what you want. Can You Put a Hard Top On a Soft Top Jeep? Some Jeep owners mistakenly think that because they bought a soft top Jeep model, they are doomed to only have the soft top on their vehicle for years to come. This is not the case. You can put a hard top on any Jeep that you own, however the hard top needs to be made specifically for your year Jeep as well as your model. This is because that the Jeep models vary in size which is true even for different years of the same models. You would need to remove the soft top to fit the hard top on to your Jeep correctly. While it may seem that your hard top can go on seamlessly, you will probably be damaging the old soft top which is not something that you want to do. The good news is that you do have flexibility so if you think that you want to switch out between the two versions, you will be able to although you will have to install them and un-install them. Removing a Wrangler Hard Top On a Jeep Wrangler, you are going to have to release the freedom panels in the front half of the hard top. From there, you will need to remove the bolts and you will be good to take the panels off and store them wherever you need to. After the panels are off, you’ll need to remove the Torx bolts as well as the additional bolts if you have the four door model. You’ll then need to remove the defroster harness and washer tubing. After all of these connections have been taken care of, you’ll be good to remove the hard top itself. If you’re not familiar with how much a Jeep hardtop Wrangler weighs, it will probably require two people due to the weight and the bulky size of the piece. There are solutions that you can think up where only one person is required, however that takes a bit more work. Storing a Jeep Hard Top The Jeep hard top is a pretty bulky piece of equipment that is not easy to store. It’s shape is not regular and it doesn’t fit in most places very easily. The best solution is to use a carrier dolly. You can secure the hardtop with straps onto the carrier dolly. Unfortunately, it doesn’t really free up any space that the hardtop takes up, but it should be easier to move around with it and get the hardtop out of your way. It’s one of the disadvantages when selecting the hard top as an option is that storage is going to be rather inconvenient. Be prepared for that when it comes to storing your heavy and bulky hard top. Switching From Hard Top to Soft Top If you are experiencing a change in the weather, you’re probably going to want to switch from your hard top to the soft top that is lighter and more bearable in the Summer months. Removing your hard top is much easier if you have a T40 torx bit. You can probably handle this job alone if you have a hoist and a storage dolly, however if not you are probably going to need a 2nd person to help you out due to the heavy weight of the hard top. Positioning the soft top should be a bit easier, although you will need to be sure that you have the frame, cloth cover, and soft windows all in the correct spot. Taking the soft top on and off should be much easier than the hard top due to the light nature of the material. You can even change the soft top on the fly if you are out and about and need to take it on or off. Cleaning Your Hard Top One of the benefits of selecting a hard top for your Jeep vehicle is cleaning it. Cleaning a hard top is very easy because you can clean it as you are cleaning the rest of your vehicle. Jeep owners have a lot of pride in their vehicle, so even though they get dirty on the trail, you can bet that they are going to clean it pretty quickly. Again, the hard top should be able to deal with whatever you use to clean the rest of your Jeep vehicle although you may want to watch out if you are using harsh cleaners. Jeep hard tops can weigh anywhere from 80 to 140 pounds, and will change depending on the various Jeep Wrangler models that are out there. A hardtop 2000 Jeep Wrangler will not have the same specifications as a 2020 model, however removing the hard tops remains fairly doable, especially if you have two people available. These hard tops are not quite as flexible as the soft tops are, but you can keep them well cleaned and well maintained with a bit of practice. Using a hard top is a great way to insulate yourself and keep your Jeep durable for years to come.