2005 soft top opening after long storage

[ARB57]

Any advice on precautions I should take on raising the soft top after 7 years of having the hard top on? Thanks

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[TNtbird]

Mine was stored for years with the top down and the hard top attached. When I finally raised the top, I didn't do anything special. There were some wrinkles, so I parked the car in the sunshine to let the top stretch. I recommend inspecting the top where it meets the rear glass for any signs of separation. Mine had separated at the lower corners.

 

[Randy M]

When you leave the soft top down that long (7 yrs) you stand a good chance of having serious creases forming where the folds occur. This will ultimately break down the fabric at those folds. I would follow the suggestion above about slowly letting the cloth stretch before clamping it down to the windshield.

It might be a good idea to start removing the HT every Summer to allow the ST fabric to stretch/stabilize.

I rarely use my HT any more, preferring to keep the ST up and the fabric looking taut and in like new condition. But then again, I do not drive my '02 in inclement weather.