How to Remove the Hardtop and Install a Soft Top | 2018 Jeep Wrangler JL

Edmunds takes you inside our garage for a closer look at our 2018 Jeep Wrangler and the dual-top option we bought. Director of Vehicle Testing Dan Edmunds works his way through the process of removing the hardtop and installing the premium soft top with nothing but the Jeep's own tool kit and no instructions.

Q: What is the 2018 Jeep Wrangler dual-top option?
A: All Jeep Wranglers can be bought with either a bolt-on hardtop or a convertible soft top. The dual-top option – available only on four-door Wranglers – gives you both. The hardtop comes pre-installed and the premium soft top and its mounting hardware come in a big cardboard box in the cargo area.

Q: How much does the 2018 Jeep Wrangler dual-top option cost?
A: The dual-top option costs $2,195, and you get a black three-piece hardtop and a premium black sunrider soft top. If you don't want the dual-top option, the black hardtop costs $1,095 on its own and a body-color one costs $2,095.

Q: How long does it take to change from one 2018 Jeep Wrangler top to the other?
A: We'd never done it before, and our kit was missing the instructions. We had to figure it out as we went along, so it took about an hour. Now that we've done it, we expect it to take 30 minutes or less next time.

Q: What tools are needed to change the top on a 2018 Jeep Wrangler?
A: The only tools you need are contained in the small tool kit that comes with each new 2018 Jeep Wrangler. The process involves just two of them: the T40 and T50 Torx bits. Wait, there's one more: You need a friend to help lift off the hardtop and do the final positioning of the soft top.

Q: Will this video help me even if I only want a 2018 Jeep Wrangler with the hardtop?
A: Yes. Many people who buy their Wrangler with the hardtop will want to remove it at some point. The first half of this video details that process because that's the first step in making the swap.

Read more about the Jeep Wrangler here:

[houdini]

Converting my 2021 rubicon from hard top to soft top was so simple! The process took about just over an hour, with help from my friend who also never changed one before. A couple of YouTube vids and a monkee can do this! Such well planning by jeep for this conversion!

[Saudiprint]

Nicely described and illustrated. Back in 2008 I received my JK with soft and hard top both factory installed. With my new JL i needed your video so I can install the soft top. Thanks all the way from Saudi 👍

[mobamba]

Great video. People don’t realize how much of a hassle it is to do this. Not to mention you need like a full garage floor to store the hard top if you take it off. I’m not a wrangler guy, but would love an off-road suv

[sinepari]

Freedom tops and trail doors gives you 90% of this freedom and so much easier to deal with in inclement weather.

[eminem]

Btw instructions for soft top install are on owners manual

[gerrywillsie]

Thank you for taking the time to make this video. Just bought my 1st Jeep and had no idea and frustration set in when I saw no instruction.

[skorpsaiyan]

Yay that is good to know. I want to get a hardtop, but problem is going on a trip would be hard to store the hardtop at a condo, so would love to change to a softop during those times.

[ibrahimalzhrani]

Please we want to see a video like this but on a Ford Bronco 2021 that will be AWESOME!!!

[inkstick]

Need a video of removing the soft top and reinstalling the hard top. How much needs to be removed when reinstalling the hard top on a 2 dr JL Wrangler.

[DrJamez]

The first time you try to close the front hinges is extremely difficult - It has to stretch

[jerryrodriguez]

Great job explaining and all the details. Thank you

[CraneGuru]

Sweet video
Can you provide a link to where you purchased that kit ?

[ReasonablySkeptic]

It's so easy a nascar pit crew could do it in 45 min.

[christianwolfe]

Thanks for the video! Do you have to remove the plastic brackets that you installed above the doors when you want to re-install the hard top?

[collegewolf]

Please tell me what brand softly you installed in the video

[JoseMartinez-bgdn]

good job explaining things, We Appreciated

[thomasramos]

Do you have to take all that off when you put hard top back on?

[velazquezjaime]

Cool, tks for share sir. Enjoy that awesome jeep!

[pepper]

Very informative video - thanks for sharing - working with the top in the ☀️ helps

[wildwoody]

looks like to put the hard back on for winter you have to take all that stuff off before yoy put the hard top back on is that right ? that is a ot of work