Jeep TJ Hardtop and Jeep Doors FAQ

We have assembled a listing of questions we are asked about the most. If you have a question not covered please contact us by phone toll free at 1-800-784-6478, or email, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Jeep Wrangler Hard Tops

• What separates the Bull Dawg Top from the other tops I’m looking at?
• What are the different models of Wranglers that Jeep has come out with over time, both 2-door and 4-door?
• What models of hardtops and upper doors do we currently manufacture? What years do they all cover?
• How much does your hardtop cost and how much is shipping?
• How do your hardtops attach to the vehicle?
• Is it hard to install the top? Can I do it myself?
• How does the hardtop seal itself against the jeep body? Are there any gaskets I need to install and can they be replaced if necessary?
• What accessories do you offer for the hardtops and how much does each cost?
• How do the hardtops come packaged?
• What is our company policy and procedures for filling a hardtop or upper door order and what can the customer expect once the order is placed?
• What is our warranty policy for the hardtops and upper doors?
• What is the company policy regarding product returns for reasons other than material or workmanship defects or fit problems?
• What manufacturing techniques make your hardtop unique and better than that of your competition?
• Explain the differences between the two roof racks you offer.
• How is the inside of your hardtop finished out? How does this compare with a carpeted headliner, I'm worried about climate control and noise dampening?
• What adjustments can be made to my Jeep Wrangler if the hardtop doesn't seem to fit right?
• I'm thinking about getting a defroster rear window. Talk to me about how easy it is to install. Does it hook right into my factory wiring harness?
• Explain to me in detail the characteristics of the sunroof and benefits it provides?
• Do you ever offer any discounts on the hardtops and what are they?
• I see you offer your TJ hardtop with side opening windows. Talk to me about this feature and why it may be beneficial to me.
• I have a factory hardtop and broke my rear window glass. Will your rear window fit?
• How much do they hardtops weigh?
• Does the rear window lock?
• How do I take protect and maintain my hardtop or upper doors once I by it?
• I'm thinking of buying the "primered" top and having my local paint shop custom paint it. What do I need to know to make this decision? Do you all offer custom colors? How would we go about doing this?
• What colors do you offer your product in? What color would you recommend on my Jeep?
• I see you offer a dome light for the Jeeptops. How much are they and tell me about them.
• There are two pairs of gaskets or foam pieces that the customer is required to install on their Jeep before placing the Top on the vehicle. What are they, where do they go?
• Explain the process of closing the tailgate and rear window on the TJ top. Why is this necessary?
• Will my soft upper doors fit with your hardtop?

Jeep Wrangler Upper Doors

• How much do your upper doors cost?
• What year models do your upper doors fit?
• Are the upper doors hard to install? Explain to me the installation process of the upper doors.
• Talk to me about the sliding windows you use on your upper doors in detail.
• What are the benefits that I can expect out of your doors versus my soft upper doors?
• I have heard the YJ upper doors will work on my CJ Jeep. Is that true?
• What is the difference between the standard installation kit and the deluxe kit? What are the prices differences between the two? What does each come with?
• What are the differences between the std. installation kit for the TJ doors versus the YJ doors?
• Explain to me why I need to go on the website and look at the pdf file product update before purchasing a set of the YJ upper doors. Why may my hardtop not be compatible with the YJ upper doors?
• What brands of hardtops are your upper doors compatible with?
• Will your upper doors fit both my hardtop and soft top?
• Explain to me why the threaded inserts are so important and how do I install them?
• Talk to me about the different gaskets on the upper doors and the purposes of each.

 1. What separates the Bull Dawg Top from the other tops that I am thinking about buying?

Quality & Consistency: All of our hardtops are constructed using only the latest composite technology and techniques. There are four sets of structural composite reinforcements built into all our hardtops along the roof. These separations of various composite core materials provide for an extremely stiff and strong roof top. These are just a few of the characteristics that allow us to produce the only Jeep hardtop on the market with absolutely no roof-flexing or sagging over time, thus helping to eliminate annoying wind noise and leaking, even at high speeds. 

We also offer several unique options such as a sunroof, six different roof racks, defroster, uppers doors (TJ & LJ models only), side opening windows (Discovery windows), sliding windows and many different interior color options that allow you to customize your hardtop to your exact specifications. 

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 2. What are the different models of Wranglers that Jeep has come out with over time, both 2-door and 4-door?

The 1987 to 1995 year model Wranglers are called "YJ's", while the 1997 to 2006 year models are called "TJ's". There were no Jeep Wranglers made in 1996. In 2007 Chrysler Corp. came out with yet another version of the Wrangler and called it the JK which was last produced in 2018. Normally, when Chrysler comes out with a model change it remains in effect for around 10 years.

In addition to the standard Wranglers, in 2004 they also began to produce another version of the Wrangler called the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited or sometimes referred to as the "LJ" line-up. It has a longer wheelbase and an extended body compared to that of previous wranglers. We currently do manufacture a LJ hardtop. **Notice that there is an overlapping of years from 2004 to 2007 where they offered both the standard Wrangler and also the slightly elongated version of the Wrangler. Because the Unlimited model only lasted three years, many hardtop manufacturers chose not to make this particular model hardtop**

In 2007 Chrysler once again came out with it's newest versions of Wranglers dubbed the "JK's". They began offering the JK models in both a 4-door and a 2-door option. Our one piece JK model (2-door option only) is by far the best fitting, strongest and most reliable JK sold today.

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 3. What models of hardtops and upper doors do we currently manufacture? What years do they all cover??

We currently manufacture a hardtop and upper doors for the TJ's (1997-2006) and LJ's (2004-2006) and a hardtop only for the 2-door JK's (2007-2018). We also manufacture the upper doors for the YJ's (1986-1995) and will soon have  YJ hardtop above and beyond the quality and craftmanship of others. 

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 4. How much does your hardtop cost and how much is shipping??

Our standard TJ hardtop without any of the accessories starts out at $2199.99. Our standard LJ hardtop that includes the "hybrid windows" starts out at  $2699.00. Our JK hardtop without any of the accessories starts out at $2299.00. Shipping charges are determined by using flat shipping rates for each state. There are six shipping zones nationwide that we use to determine shipping costs. We have a shipping map and graph that you can use as quick guide when determining or quoting shipping costs. Zones 5 and 6 require a quick phone call to our facility so that one of our customer service reps can give you a quote. 

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 5. How do your hardtops attach to the vehicle?

Our hardtops are held in place along the windshield by using two (2) adjustable camlocks which pull and hold the hardtop down onto the existing windshield gasket. **Note: There is a place for an additional third camlock in the center of the hardtop should one be needed.** Although we do not install this third camlock during the manufacturing process we can send one out to the customer.

There are also three (3) knobs, washers and bolts that secure the hardtop to each side of the Jeep tub. Pre-drilled holes line up with the factory holes in the tub of the Jeep. Total installation time usually takes 30 minutes.

Thoroughly reading and understanding the installation instructions before-hand is extremely helpful.


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 6. Is it hard to install the top? Can I do it myself?

Taking off the existing soft top is actually more time consuming and difficult than installing the hardtop itself. Once the soft top and related hardware is removed, use two people(one on each side of the hardtop) to lift the hardtop and place it onto the vehicle body. The total weight of a hardtop is normally around 125 lbs. No tools are required.

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 7. How does the hardtop seal itself against the jeep body? Are there any gaskets I need to install and can they be replaced if necessary?

There are pre-installed gaskets on the hardtop that provide both a seal and cushion between the tub of the Jeep and the hardtop. The windshield gasket already on your Jeep provides the seal along the front edge of the hardtop and windshield frame. There are also two small self-sticking gaskets that get installed on the top corners of each of the plastic door pillars.

These fill a small gap between the hardtop and the upper corners of the windshield frame. In addition to these there are also two pieces of self-sticking gaskets that are positioned along the rear of the Jeep tub. All of these gaskets are included in the installation kit that comes along with your Jeep Top.

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 8. What accessories do you offer for the hardtops and how much does each cost?

Sunroof: $500.00
Standard Low Profile Roof Rack (75lb capacity): $300.00
Heavy Duty Thule Style Rack (180lb capacity): $425.00
Defroster (comes with it's own wiring harness): $350.00
Side Opening Windows (lockable): $400.00 or Sliding Side Windows: $250.00
Upper Door Set: $799.00 (eligible for a $100.00 discount when purchased with a hardtop)

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 9.How do the hardtops come packaged?

The hardtops come securely fastened down to a pallet and are inside of a very durable triple cell cardboard box. They are shipped via freight company directly to either your home address or a business address. The total weight of the shipment is generally around 300lbs, the majority of which is product packaging.

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 10. What is our company policy and procedures for filling a hardtop or upper door order and what can the customer expect once the order is placed?

Our company policy is to ship out hardtops and/or upper doors in a timely manner. In the event a hardtop will take longer to ship, the customer will be notified either by phone or email of the expected ship date. Once shipped, the customer will receive via email a shipping confirmation containing the shippers name, contact information and tracking number. It is highly recommended that the customer then contact the shipper to line-up a time to deliver the hardtop to it's final destination. By doing so, the customer will be given a time window to have the necessary people on standby to receive the order.

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 11. What is our warranty policy for the hardtops and upper doors?

Bull Dawg Manufacturing (BDM) warrants its products to be free from defects in material and workmanship, for one year, provided there has been normal use and proper maintenance. This warranty applies to the original purchaser only. All remedies under this warranty are limited to the repair or replacement of any item or items found by BDM to be defective within the time period specified. Any shipping charges or freight charges under this warranty shall be the responsibility of the purchaser. Damage to our products caused by accidents, fire, vandalism, negligence, misuse, Acts of God, or by defective parts not manufactured by us, is not covered under warranty. (The warranty is stated on the website).

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 12. What is the company policy regarding product returns for reasons other than material or workmanship defects or fit problems?

All returned items will be subject to a 20% restocking fee. Upon the event that a hardtop is refused by the buyer, for any reason other than shipping damage, the buyer will assume responsibility for all financial costs associated with the shipping of the hardtop.

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 13. What manufacturing techniques make your hardtop unique and better than that of your competition?

Strength and rigidity of our hardtops are achieved by using special Klegecell foam strips extending from side to side covered by fiberglass. In between these Klegecell pieces we lay composite Coremat which is also incased in glass. The separation of the two layers of glass are what allows us to keep the overall weight of the top at a minimum but also achieve the highest level of strength possible. None of the other manufacturers go to such lengths in reinforcing their tops, thus resulting in "roof sagging" and undesirable flexing of the roof tops.

Our tops are coated with a marine grade Polyester gelcoat. The color is not just surface deep. Therefore, if you do scratch your top it will not penetrate completely through the painted surface protecting the fiberglass material underneath.

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 14. Explain the differences between the two roof racks you offer.

The standard roof rack was chosen because of it's "low-profile" or "sporty look". It is fully adjustable and can handle weights up to 75 lbs. The aluminum cross-bars and and mounting bars are powder coated in a durable black paint.

The Heavy Duty roof rack is made of ¼" aluminum tubing which is powder coated black. It is also fully adjustable but is significantly longer than that of the standard rack. The overall width of the load bars can also be determined by the end user. It is similar in design to that of a Thule roof rack and can handle weights up 180 lbs.

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 15. How is the inside of your hardtop finished out? How does this compare with a carpeted headliner, I'm worried about climate control and noise dampening?

The interior of our Jeep Tops are finished out using a special process whereby a special gelcoat is applied to the service resulting in very cosmetically appealing "webbed" type appearance. It not only looks good but is extremely durable as well. If need be, the interior can also be easily cleaned using any standard soap or detergent. And If you're worried about sound dampening or climate control properties don't be.....this new process has actually resulted in a much quieter and more comfortable ride than other headliners currently being used for Jeep Wrangler hardtops.

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 16. What adjustments can be made to my Jeep Wrangler if the hardtop doesn't seem to fit right?

Make sure all the hardware brackets associated with the soft top have been removed. Insure that the windshield frame is adjusted to the correct angle. You can determine this angle by taking the measurement from the lip of the windshield frame to the rear of the tube as talked about in the instruction manual. Insure that the measurement is the same from driverside to passengerside. If the top needs to be raised slightly because one or both of the doors are rubbing the top when closing the doors, then spacers can be placed between the hardtop and tub. Loosen the six bolts holding the hardtop down to the tub. Pick up slightly on the hardtop and slide the necessary spacers under the hardtop "rail". Tighten the bolts back down and check the fit of the doors.

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 17. I'm thinking about getting a defroster rear window. Talk to me about how easy it is to install. Does it hook right into my factory wiring harness?

The defroster window comes with its own wiring harness that needs to be run from the dashboard console to the rear window. It does not use the factory wiring harness should your Jeep already have one. Although it does come complete with very good instructions and easy to follow pictures, it does require a certain amount of mechanical ability and time to properly install it. If you are not a mechanically inclined person, the installation of the defroster is best left up to a auto body shop capable of doing so.

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 18. Explain to me in detail the characteristics of the sunroof and benefits it provides?

Other than making the overall appearance of your jeep look really cool, the sunroof also has many practical benefits. It allows the natural light from the sun to illuminate the interior compartment of the vehicle. The sunroof can be opened to many different heights depending upon the amount of fresh air you are wanting to enter the vehicle, thus offering an alternative from having to open up the side windows. The sunroof glass can also be completely removed quickly and easily if one desires. And it provides a higher resale value down the road.

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 19. Do you ever offer any discounts on the hardtops and what are they?

Because the demand for the tops is so high, it is generally not necessary for us to offer discounts, especially during peak season times. However, there is a $100.00 discount given for purchasing a hardtop and upper door combination package.

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 20. I see you offer your TJ hardtop with side opening windows. Talk to me about this feature and why it may be beneficial to me.

The regular TJ top can also come with side opening windows. We call this top the "Discovery Model". Other than the side opening windows, it is no different than that of the TJ top. The side opening windows are removable windows and have hinges along the top of the windows and gas struts to hold them up when in the open position. They are appealing to some because it offers quick access to the rear of the vehicle and is easier to load objects into the back of the top and remove them.

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 21. I have a factory hardtop and broke my rear window glass. Will your rear window fit?

Every manufacturer has their own back hatches and they are not interchangeable. Even if they look this same, they are not.

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 22. How much do they hardtops weigh?

A typical hardtop by itself weighs around 125 lbs. A hardtop with all it's packaging (including pallet) weighs 302 lbs. With a set of upper doors the shipment weighs 352 lbs.

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 23. Does the rear window lock?

The rear window does lock. It has two locking knobs, one on each side of the bottom of the hatch. Both use the same key.

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 24. How do I take protect and maintain my hardtop or upper doors once I by it?

The hardtops and upper doors are painted using a marine grade polyester gel-coat. Gelcoat can fade and change color over time if not protected from the sun's harmful UV rays. Wash your Jeep Top as you normally would using any typical car washing detergent. Once dry, you can coat your top and doors using Bull Dawg UV sealer glaze with a soft cotton cloth. Use the product sparingly. A little bit goes a long ways and more is not necessarily better.

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 25. I'm thinking of buying the "primered" top and having my local paint shop custom paint it. What do I need to know to make this decision? Do you all offer custom colors? How would we go about doing this?

If you want your hardtop color to be an exact color match to either that of your vehicle body or some other color then they should have their local body shop paint the hardtop. Because we mix our colors by hand we cannot guarantee an exact color match. We can get close, but not exact. The body shop has the ability to take a paint color code and reproduce it or at least match colors much closer than us. The hardtop or doors will come sprayed with an acrylic primer ready to sand and prep for painting. The windows, gaskets, sunroof and roof rack will not come installed, although they will be prepped and ready to install.

If you would like for us to paint your top with a custom color gelcoat then we can do that. I usually recommend that you go to your local Home Depot or Lowes and get a color chip from the paint department and send it to us in advance. The upcharge for a custom color is $150.00. The turn around time is 3-5 days once we receive the color chip.

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 26. What colors do you offer your product in? What color would you recommend on my Jeep?

We offer the hardtops and upper doors in Black, White, Spice, Dark Khaki and unpainted in the primer state. Most of the tops and doors we sell are in the Black color. Black goes with almost everything. However, there are a couple colors that the Jeeps came in, like "Green", that the Spice color looks very good with.

***Note: The factory hardtops came in both a Spice and Tan color. Although they are not the same color, they are in the same color family. Spice is the more prevalent color found on Jeeps.***

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 27. I see you offer a dome light for the Jeep tops. How much are they and tell me about them.

The dome lights are battery operated ("C" batteries) and come standard with every top. Because the majority of Jeeps have a dome light already located on the roll bar above the driver's head, we normally place the dome light towards the rear of the vehicle. It serves as more of a trunk light than it does a dome light for the front area.

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 28. There are two pairs of gaskets or foam pieces that the customer is required to install on their Jeep before placing the Top on the vehicle. What are they, where do they go?

There are two gaskets that come in the installation kit that the customer needs to install before placing their new hardtop onto the vehicle. One of these gaskets goes between the edge of the drip rail molding and where it makes contact with the windshield frame on each side of the vehicle. You simply peel off the backing paper and stick it onto the surface. The other pair of gaskets go along either side of the Jeep tub and are used primarily to cover up small holes that are left when removing the soft top brackets. They are also just "peel and stick" gaskets.

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 29. Explain the process of closing the tailgate and rear window on the TJ top. Why is this necessary?

Our Jeep Tops have a rubber "flap" attached to the bottom of the window that is meant to lay over the tailgate thus keeping water from entering the vehicle. This rubber flap can be pinched between the window and tailgate if you're not careful. Also, the tailgate of most Jeeps has the spare tire mounted on them which sticks up and in the way of the rear window. Because of this, it is impossible to just open and close the rear window without first having to open the tailgate. When closing the rear window and tailgate it is best to do so in unison and then check to make sure the flap is lying correctly over the outside of the tailgate and not being pinched.

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 30. Will my soft upper doors fit with your hardtop?

Although we have never endorsed the use or fit of soft upper doors with our hardtop, the majority of them will fit and work just fine with our hardtop door opening, however there are certain models which are slightly too large. Unfortunately, there are a large number soft upper door models available in the marketplace and there is no easily identifiable way for us to tell you if your model of soft uppers will fit or not.

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 31. How much do your upper doors cost?

Upper doors retail for $799..00 on the website. When purchased with a hardtop there is a hundred dollar discount. Sometimes we list the doors on Ebay for $750.00.

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 32. What year models do your upper doors fit?

We sell both the YJ (1986 to 1995) and TJ (1997 to 2006). You can visually tell the doors apart by looking at the glass in each. If the forward most lower corner of the glass is pointed, then it is a TJ. If it is rounded then it is a YJ.

The TJ doors will work with a factory hardtop, a Bestop hardtop and our hardtop. They will also work with a factory soft top or the Bestop soft top. The YJ doors will work only with a factory hardtop.

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 33. Are the upper doors hard to install? Explain to me the installation process of the upper doors.

No, they are not. It should only take 5 to 10 minutes to install the doors after the initial installation process. First, simply pull up and remove the soft upper doors. Then, remove the lower door plastic factory inserts by prying them up with a flat head screw driver(3 per side). You will then replace them with the threaded inserts contained in the installation kit. It helps if you will twist the threaded inserts while pushing them down and locking them into place. Now simply install the correct bolts and washers and tighten down the doors.

Note: It is possible to get the threaded inserts installed backwards so make sure they sit flush with the door panel once pushed down into place. It should also be noted that the threaded plastic inserts that came with your hard upper half doors will only work with the hard upper doors. If you are going to switch back over to the soft upper doors then you must replace the threaded inserts with the original factory ones.

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 34. Talk to me about the sliding windows you use on your upper doors in detail.

The sliding windows that come with your upper door set have a lock that engages when the window is slid shut. It cannot be opened from the outside of the vehicle. Thus, making it theft deterrent.

The back half of the window slides from the rear forward. The front part of the window is stationary.

If your window seems hard to open and close try using a little Teflon lube spray in the window tracks and this will help to lessen the friction.

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 35. What are the benefits that I can expect out of your doors versus my soft upper doors?

By converting your soft uppers to a set of hard uppers you can expect to benefit in a number of ways. The seal between the doors and the hardtop will be a much tighter and secure seal thus resulting in much less wind noise and water leakage problems.

Because the hard upper door sliders use DOT tempered and tinted safety glass instead of plastic, you will have a clearer view looking out the windows and they will not deteriorate over time.

The hard upper doors are designed to work for as long as you own your vehicle as opposed to the soft uppers that deteriorate and break over time.

No more hassles trying to open your window using a zipper which will ultimately break over time. The slider window also eliminates the need to lay the the soft window in your lap when unzipping it as well.

Because of the better fit of the upper doors you have better climate control so overall comfort is improved.

The hard upper doors offer a much better theft deterrent alternative to the soft uppers. They are bolted down to the lowers and have a locking window.

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 36. I have heard the YJ upper doors will work on my CJ Jeep. Is that true?

No. There are slight differences between the two that make compatibility an issue. The CJ Jeeps are the predecessors to the YJ's

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 37. Do the upper doors come with an installation kit?

A standard installation kit comes (free) with the set of doors. 

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 38. What are the differences between the std. installation kits for the TJ doors versus the YJ doors?

The biggest difference between the TJ and YJ door installation kits are that the TJ doors have rubber washers that sit between them and the lower metal doors that serve as a spacer while the YJ's do not.

Another difference is that there is a rubber gasket that is included with the YJ doors that goes along the "A-Pillar" of the windshield frame. We include this gasket because the YJ Jeeps don't have much of a lip coming off the windshield frame for the doors to close up against. This gasket actually increases the amount of this lip.

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 39. Explain to me why I need to go on the website and look at the pdf file product update before purchasing a set of the YJ upper doors. Why may my hardtop not be compatible with the YJ upper doors?

The YJ model Jeep Wrangler Falls between the years 1986-1995. During this time Chrysler Corp. chose to import a Hardtop from a different manufacturer whose door opening did not match up with the OEM hard door. It required its own door shape and design.

The online PDF shows a Jeep YJ with a hardtop along with two measurements for the customer to take. If the customers measurements are equal to or greater than the dimensions shown in the PDF then they do not have one of these "odd-ball" tops and our doors will work with them.

***Note: There actually are very few of these "odd-ball" tops out there, but it is worth it to rule out the customer who may before sending out a set of doors to a customer who does.***

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 40. What brands of hardtops are your upper doors compatible with?

Our upper hard doors will only work with the factory hardtops, Bestop hardtops or the BullDawg hardtops. This makes up about 99% of the hardtops for the YJ and TJ market.

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 41. Will your upper doors fit both my hardtop and soft top?

The TJ and YJ  upper doors will work with either a hard top or a soft top as long as they are the factory or the Bestop brands. 

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 42. Explain to me why the threaded inserts are so important and how do I install them?

The threaded inserts allow you to tighten the hard upper doors down to the lower metal doors, thus eliminating any "play" or "slop" between the two doors. This means they fit better. They also provide a greater theft deterrent product than the soft uppers.

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 43. Talk to me about the different gaskets on the upper doors and the purposes of each.

There are two gaskets used on the upper doors, a perimeter gasket and a lower bottom seal gasket. The perimeter gasket is the main gasket seal for the doors. It extends all the way around the outer edge of the upper hard door and makes contact with either the top door opening on the hardtop or soft top. It is the main seal against the elements. The bottom gasket sits between the upper door and the lower door and mainly serves to help the doors fit better, not necessarily preventing water from entering.

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