5 tips on how to stop your jeep hard top from leaking

Jeep owners are a unique species. Their dedication to the Jeep brand is remarkable. Through thick and thin they will stick with their Jeep and overlook any flaws that Jeeps have, even if it is a part wearing on their vehicle. The issues overlooked or ignored could be minor, or they could be quite serious.

While jeeps are high-quality and reliable vehicles, their off-roading nature may make them susceptible to leaking. Whether debris builds up in the seals or the bolts on your hardtop loosen over time, leaks can prevail and cause major damage to your wrangler. In light of this, we have devised a list of tips to help prevent or lessen the overall issues associated with leaks should they occur in your vehicle; safeguarding you from costly repairs.

Clean around all the rubber seals

For those of you who prefer to ride your Jeep wrangler with the tops off, especially when you’re on an off-road adventure, you will most likely find that debris will gradually build up and get stuck near the rubber seals of your hardtop - hindering its ability to stop water from entering the vehicle.

In order to remove the debris, take a wet rag and wipe down all the seals. This will help to remove dirt particles from the rubber seal. Additionally, it may also be useful to grab some q tips (small but soft enough to slot in the seals) which can be placed inside of the creases within the Jeep hardtop seals to remove excess dirt and grime that your rag simply cannot reach.

Check the Jeep hardtop bolts

There are two bolts located on the front of your Jeep hardtop. Overtime, these bolts may become susceptible to loosening, which may lead to a leak in your wrangler.

These can be an entry point for water to seep down into your Jeep. Take your hex wrench and tighten them up. This is a frequent solution that many Jeep owners have incorporated to provide a sufficient and quick fix for your leak. There is a bolt on each side of the jeep near the door so make sure to tighten them both.

Re-adjust and Tighten

Another useful tip is to modify how the top lays down on the seals. Ensure that none of the seals are folding outside, pushing the seal out into the seams of the top. Make sure to also place the passenger side panel down first; this is crucial to ensuring that the Jeep wrangler hardtops seal properly

Once placement looks correct, work your way around the jeep, tightening each latch in a criss-cross pattern. Afterwards, fold down the two front metal latches. Using a screw, tighten the bolts to compress the seals to its maximum capacity. This will ultimately help prevent water from entering your vehicle.

Check and Clean Door Seals

Each door seal is designed to keep water out. However, as seals wear overtime, water may find its way into the interior of your Jeep wrangler. As aforementioned, Jeep wranglers are designed for off-road experiences, so cracks and obstructions found in the seals of doors and hardtops are a common issue that arises with these vehicles. This can result in costly repairs and damages that could have been avoided had you looked out for the signs.

It is therefore advantageous to clean the seals of your Jeep wrangler doors and hardtops (or soft tops) and check for cracks on a regular basis should you go off-roading. These preventative measures can ensure the upkeep of your vehicle is maintained and safeguard you from more damaging problems should a leak occur.

Incorporate additional weather stripping

While many of the above methods are useful in reducing the likelihood of a leak in your vehicle, unfortunately your jeep wrangler may still be susceptible to some form of leaking. 

In light of this, incorporating additional weather stripping in Jeep wrangler is a great way of compressing and sealing your Jeep wrangler roof from the external elements - rain, dirt or even snow!

All you need is some simple weather stripping from the hardware store along with some scissors and glue. Simply, run the stripping along the current liner, adding the extra seal to your roof.

Install a Bulldawg Jeep Hardtop

At BullDawgMfg.com we have close to 50 years of experience working with fiberglass. That extensive experience translates into our design and manufacturing of a superior Jeep hard top. Made with the finest marine grade fiberglass, the Jeep hardtop we offer provides greater insulation and longer lasting protection than many of those built by our competitors.

We have paid close attention to the design of our Jeep tops, ensuring that they remain quick and easy to install and remove. Specifically, the Jeep hard top we manufacture does not require any drilling or cutting for installation. With no need for tools, simply follow the included step-by-step instructions to install the top within minutes.

Browse our website for a high-quality Jeep hard top at an extremely competitive price or call us (844) 803-0789 on to speak to our friendly staff today!