jc99
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #1
I have a Sunrider for hardtop and it was not fitting correctly on my 2021 Jeep Gladiator Rubicon. I contacted Bestop but was told it was fine and that they had done extensive testing and there was no issue with how it was fitting in the pictures below. I highly disagree with their statement and made some changes to the rails to adjust the fit which seem to have worked out so far.
Pre fixes:
Front tip of the Bestop rail pinching the rubber header seal against the steel windshield frame.
Muck flap pushed down significantly and not sitting flush on the rail.
Post Fixes:
What I did to make them fit better:
1) On the u-clamp that goes through the roll bar on each side I ground off a bit of the plastic insert so the rail could move towards the outside of the vehicle slightly. 1-2mm. This reduced the pressure on the newer header seal which must stick out more to the sides of the vehicle compared to the older ones.
2) Took off about 1/4" or so off the front inside tip of the rail so it would not be pinching the header seal hard into the metal frame behind it. I also rounded all the sharp edges so there is less chance of damage to the windshield header rubber seal. I might have taken a bit more after taking this picture.
3) Significantly beveled the underside of the front inside bottom edge so the muck flap would not get pressed down so far causing it to interfere with the door. Not the best photo as it doesn't show how much I actually took off very well but it gives the general idea. Once I did this the muck flap was able to sit flush with the door rail.
I also fitted with all bolts not tight even the ones that hold the u brackets to the rails. Once everything was together and I had made the adjustments (grinding/sanding) I tightened everything up.
Used dielectric grease where the rails pressed against the factory seals rubber header and door pillar seals to make sure there are no leaks.
Hope this helps someone else having issues!
Pre fixes:
Front tip of the Bestop rail pinching the rubber header seal against the steel windshield frame.
Muck flap pushed down significantly and not sitting flush on the rail.
Post Fixes:
What I did to make them fit better:
1) On the u-clamp that goes through the roll bar on each side I ground off a bit of the plastic insert so the rail could move towards the outside of the vehicle slightly. 1-2mm. This reduced the pressure on the newer header seal which must stick out more to the sides of the vehicle compared to the older ones.
2) Took off about 1/4" or so off the front inside tip of the rail so it would not be pinching the header seal hard into the metal frame behind it. I also rounded all the sharp edges so there is less chance of damage to the windshield header rubber seal. I might have taken a bit more after taking this picture.
3) Significantly beveled the underside of the front inside bottom edge so the muck flap would not get pressed down so far causing it to interfere with the door. Not the best photo as it doesn't show how much I actually took off very well but it gives the general idea. Once I did this the muck flap was able to sit flush with the door rail.
I also fitted with all bolts not tight even the ones that hold the u brackets to the rails. Once everything was together and I had made the adjustments (grinding/sanding) I tightened everything up.
Used dielectric grease where the rails pressed against the factory seals rubber header and door pillar seals to make sure there are no leaks.
Hope this helps someone else having issues!
Sponsored
