Soft Top Twist Knobs

ReneeWin

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Joined
May 18, 2022
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10
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Eastern NC
Quick question I swapped the front brackets and knobs from my soft top and a bikini top that I wasn't real fond of. One of my knobs was just spinning it wouldn't come off so I could clamp it. Anyways I feel like the ones I swapped was put on upside down. Is this correct or upside-down?
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What brand is that. Could we get a picture from a distance of the whole jeep. It's not a stock soft top connection type.
 
I'm currently out of town at the moment but when I get back I will take picture. But, just looking at it from the outside, the knobs push up on the cover.
 
Something just odd about those. You're right that you probably don't want the knob pushing up on the fabric, but at the same time, that is much better than the screw pushing up on it. How is the latch released? my from the hip idea is that a regular bolt is supposed to go there. The head would sit below the rest of the rail in the depression. Unless you are required to turn that knob to remove the top.

If you remember the brand of top, and latch, we can figure this out. probably.
 
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Something just odd about those. You're right that you probably don't want the knob pushing up on the fabric, but at the same time, that is much better than the screw pushing up on it. How is the latch released? my from the hip idea is that a regular bolt is supposed to go there. The head would sit below the rest of the rail in the depression. Unless you are required to turn that knob to remove the top.

If you remember the brand of top, and latch, we can figure this out. probably.
I believe it's a bestop brand. The original twist knobs were stripped so we took these knobs and mount thing off a bikini top. The latch on the Jeep it's self is just a U like latch. I have a few more pictures.
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I'm still unsure of the angle you are taking those pictures from. Give us some wide view stuff.
Here are pictures from the driver side door of my vehicle. This a standard top with the premium factory fabric off a 2013. The fabric is the only difference from standard OEM tops. Only mention this, because of the inside of your top is white, which is normal for the standard OEM fabric. It's hard to tell in your pictures, but it doesn't look like an OEM frame.

All JK soft tops that I have seen are smooth back from the front. My TJ in the background there has a different profile.

Regardless, those knobs would almost certainly be on the bottom. If the screws go up into the fabric, either grind them shorter, or find a different solution
Part of the point of the standard latches is that they provide a camming action that is used to tighten the top just a bit more. I would 100% not use those knobs, or anything else that pokes itself into the material.

As a side note, they did change the soft tops a bit in 2010 when they moved to the cable tensioning system. This maters for fabric replacement, and some components, but not the latches.

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Yeah. Those knobs certainly should be on the underside, though it looks like they wouldn't actually fit.
That tops looks really loose by the way. I don't have any experience with the aftermarket tops like that one, but I'm certain that you aren't going to want those knobs like that. What did the original brackets look like?