Bestop Header Safari Bikini 5254435 for Jeep Wrangler TJ Unlimited

First, thank you to the two reviewers before me. I have an '06 Wrangler Unlimited, 2 door. I wasn't sure what the difficulty was that the two reviewers were talking about, with putting the Safari on, but when I got it, and tried to put it on, I did understand. Yes, it slips into some grooves in the header (buy separately) that is attached to the windshield. And yes, one side falls out when you're putting the other side in. And yes, maddening. What I finally did (no neighbors around) was use the center strap that creates a kind of pulley between the rear of the Safari and the front. In other words, I strapped down the back of the Safari first, then used the Safari center strap (which is made to hook to the windshield anyway) to hold the front in place. So, it pretty well anchored it in there for me, and then getting both sides into the grooves after that, was much easier. I'll say too that this material is top quality. Love it. And thank you to Bestop. Perhaps all the others out there are just as good, I don't know. But my Bestop Safari is terrific.

This is what I was looking for, just a simple top to keep the sun mostly off. Ya, it's difficult to install, get someone to help. Let it sit out on the hot concrete while you're getting the hardtop off, it'll make it a little easier. Once it's on leave it out to "cook" for a while, or better, take it for a day of jeeping. I did that, tightened it up several times and it now fits snugly. I does flap around a little at freeway speeds, but you've got to expect that.

So far so good. Installation wasnt terrible thanks to a few of the other reviewers that provided some helpful tips. I found that using the center strap and doing most of the install in reverse proved to be an effective method. Definitely leave the top out in the sun for a little while to let things stretch out. Only a handful of miles but it seems pretty solid.

This Bikini was a nightmare to try and install on my 06 LJ. I never once got it to fit right using the specific header I ordered from Bestop, I don't know if there are small differences in my 06 header from what everything was designed for, but I have NEVER gotten more frustrated and angry from trying to install a product, ever. This is coming from someone who fabricates their own suspension, etc. Designing a 3 and 4 link was easier than trying to install this header. In my experience and opinion Bestop has NEVER invested the time they should have in LJ products.

If you watch any of the thousands of YouTube videos on installing this top, notice that each one starts with a guy starting to put the front lip in the header slot, then immediately cuts to the lip already installed, and doesn't show either side until later in the process. That's because the lip DOES NOT stay in the slot without holding it in on each side until both sides of the top have tension on them to hold them in. Yet, according to the instructions, the first thing you do, after draping the thing over the sport bar is to, "...insert the plastic strip sewn along the front of the top into the windshield header." As if you can! As of this writing, this is only the second review. I'm sure the installation issue I'm describing is exactly what the first reviewer is talking about. It's HIGHLY frustrating, and avoidable if Bestop would only provide realistic instructions. It's as if the instructions were written by somebody that's never actually installed the top. What really happens when you, "insert the plastic strip sewn along the front of the top into the windshield header.," is that the ends just pop out since they're longer than the groove in the header, and the groove curves down on each end (side). When an end pops out, the rest of the plastic lip follows it, and the whole thing comes out of the groove. So, unless you have an extra person to stand on each side of the windshield and hold a side in the groove until the rest of the top is tightened down, you need to do what I'm about to describe. You'll NEVER get this top on by yourself if you follow Bestop's instructions. Here's how you REALLY install the top, especially if you're by yourself. In the front of each side, there is a velcro strap. According to the instructions, these straps are only used if you're using door surrounds, and are not put on until the third step of the installation. You need to use these straps to hold each side of the plastic lip in the groove. Instead of following the first part of Bestop's instructions, do this: 1. Position the tops so it's centered. 2. Start the plastic lip on one end of the groove, and anchor it there by wrapping the velcro strap around the sport bar REALLY TIGHT. 3. Insert the plastic lip in the header groove from the anchored side to the other side. 4. Hold that other end of the plastic lip in the groove until you anchor it as in step 2. At this point, you have the plastic lip in the header groove and can proceed with the rest of Bestop's instructions. After wasting a significant amount of time trying to get this thing installed, and having to figure out how to really do it on my own cost this item a star. This is easily a five star top, otherwise. The materials, and construction of this top are excellent. One thing I really like about it is that it accommodates either using the door surrounds or not. So, in nice weather, I can take off the surrounds and get even more open air, or, in more extreme weather, I can use it with the surrounds and the doors for a fairly weather tight overall effect. Once it's actually on, it's a great top. One last thing, if you're using the top with the factory door surrounds, make sure you remove the D-ring mounts for the factory top frame, on the top of each surround, first. Otherwise, they'll poke into the top pretty severely when the top is stretched over them.

Great quality and much better than the mesh version. Make sure you lay in sun to help when installing. Getting it into the header bar is very difficult and after that installation is easy.

Love the fit! I have it on my 2006 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited and it couldn't fit any better. Fells very durable and looks like it last in some ugly weather. I had the windshield channel from Bestop as well and it fit on the top of my jeep like the lid of a chapstick stick being replaced back on the tube after you just moisturised your lips.

First of all, the material seems identical to my factory diamond black top so the material quality is probably the best out there. I want to emphasize that two people are absolutely required if you want to save your samity during installation. Three would have been nice. Just wait until you have someone to help. The one thing no one mentions is this does not cinch tightly if you are rocking bare metal rollbars. My rollbar padding is removed and with the straps cinched all the way, the top was still a bit slack. I think perhaps it was made specifically for the padded rollbars. Other than that, this seems a most excellent product once its installed.