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sore elbow

Discussion in 'Intermediate CJ-5/6/7/8' started by iowa, Jan 12, 2006.

  1. iowa

    iowa Member

    i am becoming very annoyed
    at the door latch on the new bestops.
    i bump my elbow in it many times a day.
    i'm thinking about trying to bend it
    inward to get it out of the way
    but still have s.t. to grab onto
    to open the door.
    i've thot about straightening it out
    and welding a rod that goes up also.
    does a.o. have a good soln to this problem?
    thanks
    iowa
    :)
     
    iowa, Jan 12, 2006
    #1
  2. 72 Jeep Gal

    72 Jeep Gal Just me

    Keep your elbows in. :D I had that problem when I first got my top but learned to keep my elbows tucked in. It's just instinct now.
     
    72 Jeep Gal, Jan 12, 2006
    #2
  3. Patrick

    Patrick Super Moderator Staff Member

    Yup, you'll get used to it...
     
    Patrick, Jan 12, 2006
    #3
  4. iowa

    iowa Member

    well....
    i think i'll modifiy mine anyway
    as it is not original to the jeep.
    i'll post a picture of it when i'm done.
    iowa
     
    iowa, Jan 13, 2006
    #4
  5. iowa

    iowa Member

    well....
    i would not keep my elbows in,
    nor did i get used to it,
    i wasn't about to let a serious flaw
    in the supposed state of the art
    'bestops' door latch get me down.
    soo....i did modify it
    and its great.
    4 nuts off the screws
    pop it out
    and carefully bend it so
    the mechanism is not damaged!
    and there it is.
    my elbow is fine now
    especially against a flatter surface.
    iowa
    [​IMG]
     
    iowa, Feb 6, 2006
    #5
  6. Mugzilla

    Mugzilla Member

    [​IMG]
     
    Mugzilla, Feb 6, 2006
    #6
  7. Boyink

    Boyink Super Moderator Staff Member

    Huh...and here all this time I figured it was the part that attached to the body that you were hitting with your elbow. Looks like they re-designed the latch...my S.T. wasn't like that...
     
    Boyink, Feb 6, 2006
    #7
  8. Steamer

    Steamer Thick and gritty!

    Where's my old Whitco? Geez, I can't believe anybody tolerates this crap. It's a cloth top. Get in, flip the "latch". Go. Do we need door slammers? Not me. I drive a JEEP. That's what it is. Get over it, Mr. Manufacturer. Forget where you came from?
     
    Steamer, Feb 6, 2006
    #8
  9. iowa

    iowa Member

    i would love it if the old whitco style tops came back!
    i really liked the old door handles
    and the silver snaps that showed on the outside!!
    i looked over the new 2007 jeeps
    in the most recent JP magazine.
    looks like they are trying to make them
    comfortable like a car but look like a jeep outside!
    i looked at the newer style last year
    and you can see how impressed i was
    as i went and bought this 31 year old 75 CJ!
    iowa
     
    iowa, Feb 6, 2006
    #9
  10. iowa

    iowa Member

    i received the latest flyer from 4WD
    which shows the cj6 with an old whitco- style top
    with the door handles and the silver snaps
    around the bottom of the soft top
    why do they make a top for the cj6's
    and not for the cj5?
    iowa
     
    iowa, Feb 13, 2006
    #10
  11. $ sink

    $ sink Gazillians of posts

    This is a case where a before pic would be worth a million... I do not have a top, considering buying a bestop and have no Idea what you did to the latch to make it better...
     
    $ sink, Feb 13, 2006
    #11
  12. Boyink

    Boyink Super Moderator Staff Member

    THis one?

    [​IMG]

    Just because they show a picture of it, doesn't mean they "make" it. In this case the Jeep is owned by one of their employees. Whitco tops are not available for the 6 either - it must either be the original top or an older one Jason found.

    Soft top choices for the CJ6 are way more limited than the CJ5 - either you get the Bestop Tiger top or the Specialty Tops version. The only difference with the CJ6 tops is that because these are such low-selling units, the designs have not been invested in or "improved" over the years so remain closer to the older style tops.
     
    Boyink, Feb 13, 2006
    #12
  13. sparky

    sparky Sandgroper Staff Member Founder

    I was just getting ready to say Boyink and I just had this discussion. It seems that the Tigertop for the CJ-5 and for the CJ-6 have different latch mechanisms. The CJ-6 retains the old style, which many of us seem to prefer, and the CJ-5 has the "updated" style like the Supertop that you've shown.

    The STC tops still have the lever type handles rather than the paddle handles on CJ-5s AFAIK.
     
    sparky, Feb 13, 2006
    #13
  14. Boyink

    Boyink Super Moderator Staff Member

    Given the choice I'd still prefer a Supertop for the 6. I don't like the door ST latches, but I much prefer the rails over snaps, and miss being able to completely remove the windows.

    I'm also not a big fan of the door rod arrangement on the current top - the two rods never seem to stay connected at the upper rear corner of the door and they're a pain to keep track of when the top is off.

    Someday way down the road I might look into getting a Supertop customized to fit. I've seen it done, but they didn't add any windows to the extra 20" of fabric and it looked a bit goofy.
     
    Boyink, Feb 13, 2006
    #14
  15. Jerry M

    Jerry M Jerry M

    My old door I made rod that went in a hole and held the door shut but they were just half door so you could reach over the top to open. I have a new top and have not hit my elbow yet well not to hurt .

    Jerry
     
    Jerry M, Feb 13, 2006
    #15