Mesh Top On Jeep Wrangler | How To Install And Remove Mesh Top On Jeep Wrangler

Mesh tops are just like bikini tops, but they are made of perforated materials. They serve the same purpose as bikini tops, but these allow in some air in the cabin of the wrangler.

Mesh tops are also similar in structure, but mesh tops are in two pieces instead of one. So in this article, we’ll see how to remove and install mesh top on jeep wrangler.

Mesh tops are lighter and less complicated to install than bikini tops. You can have the soft top or the hard top on for most mesh tops while still installing the mesh top. This is why most wrangler owners prefer having a mesh top over a bikini top during the summer.

But you should understand that mesh tops only offer shade and cannot protect against weather elements such as rain or light hails. To ensure that you are always covered, do not remove the factory top of your wrangler completely.  

You can have the top folded at the back for soft top wranglers since it is easy to reinstall it when the weather suddenly changes. You can also remove the soft top but keep it in your wrangler and ensure you tie it down properly to protect it from damages.

The side windows should be stored in the trunk and tied down to prevent them from moving around. Failure to which they will break. For hard top wranglers, you can only store the freedom panels in your wrangler.

The rear panel is too large to fit anywhere in your wrangler, so if you want to install a mesh top for the front and rear seats, you will have to leave the rear panel at home. But most hard top wrangler owners don’t remove the rear panel when installing mesh tops.

They only remove the freedom panels then install the mesh top where the freedom panels were. When buying a mesh top, you have to consider several factors before deciding on the mesh top you will buy.  

Factors to consider when buying a mesh top

• Material and Type of Mesh 

There are different materials used to make mesh tops, all different in strength and durability. You can feel the texture of the fabric to determine the quality of the mesh. There are some mesh tops made of cotton, and others are made of strong fiber.

Some manufacturers make their mesh tops with quality plastic-like material. But you have to keep in mind that the better the material, the higher the price. The better the material, the longer your mesh top will last.  

The type of mesh also matters. Some mesh patterns are weaker than others. For mesh tops, you will most likely find honeycomb meshes, grill meshes, and spiderweb meshes. Depending on the mesh you see, there might be others, but you are supposed to look for the spacing between the mesh strands.

If the mesh strands are sparsely spaced, that mesh top will even let it have some sunlight which you don’t want. Congested meshes with tiny spaces between the strands provide good shade. They also last longer than meshes, with large spaces between the strands. 

If the material and the type of mesh are poor, the mesh will only last for a short while. When installing it, you’ll need to stretch the mesh, so you have to buy a mesh that will withstand constant stretching.  

• Price  

You are only buying a mesh top to protect the cabin and its occupants from excess sunlight during the summer. You do not need to go overboard, especially when it comes to the price. Unless the mesh top comes with extra features and you feel you need them.

But expensive products, some with after-sale services which low-priced products don’t have. A seller might provide insurance for the mesh top or a return policy that allows you to return the product if it’s faulty.

If a seller does not have such services and discovers that the product you bought is defective, you have to buy a new one. The price of used mesh tops is lower than the price of new ones.

This is a good thing, especially if you find an excellent-rated product but used only for a short while. However, you have to be careful as some of these mesh tops have been stored away for a while or used longer than the seller states. You might buy something old, and it will rip sooner than you expected.  

• Size and Fitment 

When it comes to this, you have to consider the mode of your wrangler, production year, and how you will install the mesh top. But with mesh tops, most fit in almost all wranglers, especially if they have a good stretch length.

Always check the stretch limit when buying the mesh top and check if they are specifically compatible will some wranglers. If the mesh top is a universal fit, it will be indicated on the packaging. But keep in mind that mesh tops for 2-door wranglers cannot fit on 4-door wranglers and vice versa. 

If you have a hard top wrangler, you can buy a mesh top in two parts, one for the front and one for the rear. You can remove the freedom panels and install the front mesh top if you want to remove the rear hard top panel.

You can also remove the back panel and install the rear mesh top. There are also mesh tops that cover the entire top. You can have the full mesh top or the split mesh top for convenience. 

For soft top wranglers, you should use the entire mesh top. Rolling the soft top halfway and driving with it that way puts it at risk. The soft top must either be fully installed or removed from the top.

For both the soft top and hard top wranglers, you can have the mesh top and the factory top, provided that you do not strap the mesh top on the attaching points of the factory tops.  

• Personal Preference 

You want a specific design in a mesh top that you believe is best suited for you. You may pick a mesh top that matches the stitching color of your wrangler’s seats or matches something else on your wrangler.

When buying online, you never know what to expect as the seller might deliver something different from what you ordered. Suppose you are the kind of person who hates disappointments. You are very specific on the design, color, and fitment. In that case, you have to personally visit the store or a seller.

How to install Mesh Top on Jeep wrangler?

Different mesh tops come with varying structures of installation. If you want a mesh top that allows you to have it on and have the factory top on, you have to consider the installation structures.

There are mesh tops that come with bungee cords that you tie to the roll bar, and others have clips installed on the rollbar. If the mesh top has clips for installation, you cannot have the factory top installed together with the mesh top.  

• Spread the mesh top on the roof of your wrangler to ensure it fits perfectly. If it leaves a space between the roll bars and the edges, this space will be covered when the mesh top stretches when attached to the roll bars.  
• Identify the installation points on the net. If there are clips to be installed, install them on the roll bars, specifically at matching points of the mesh top. Then hook on the mesh top on the clips on the roll bars. Ensure you don’t miss a clip that will lead to the mesh top blowing around when driving. 
• Mesh tops with bungee cords are much easier to install. You have to insert the bungee cords through holes on the mesh top and then around the roll bar. 
• Lastly, check if the mesh top has any attaching points that attach to the windshield bar. Some use the sun visor clips, and others use the same anchor points that the freedom panels and the soft top use for installation. But you can still use the factory top if you attach the mesh top to the anchor points.  

To remove the mesh top, just unclip it from the clips on the roll bar, then remove the pins if they interfere with the installation of the factory top.

Then store the clips in a container or a bag to prevent them from getting lost.  When installing the factory top, you can choose to keep the mesh top on the wrangler for the mesh tops with bungee cords.  

Conclusion

Mesh tops are ideal for the summer or when you just want to drive topless with some shade in the cabin. If you have a soft top wrangler, do not entirely remove the soft top just in case the weather changes and starts raining.

For hard top wranglers, you can install a trek top for the rear, cover the trunk, and install a mesh top for the other part of the top. After you remove the lid, fold it neatly, then store it properly.

Failure to which it will get creases which weaken it. Some manufacturers sell their mesh tops with storage bags for the mesh top and installation equipment. Mesh tops only protect against sunlight, so you have to always be prepared, especially if there is a sign that it will rain.