Side Curtain Issue

[mbenoit]

I put my side curtains in for the first time last weekend and noticed the tops tend to flop around a little bit and not fit into the door opening in the hard top. Has anybody encountered this problem? (apologies if this has been addressed before). I was thinking I would fashion a couple of little clips to hold them in place but I am hoping someone else has a better fix.

[JeepSnake]

Side curtains - certainly they were originally devised as a torture device to punish owners of English roadsters and old Jeeps. :)

I haven't had my hardtop on in a while, and then didn't have the sidecurtains in place. But, here's an idea to help stop the flopping - rather than clips of some sort, how about some Velcro strips on the side curtain and the hardtop? (Imagine Velcro where the weatherstipping is.) You wouldn't want a lot, maybe just a few little strips at the point where the most movement is. That would hold things together whilst going down the road, yet still allow you to easily open the doors.

Hope this helps!

[Naumoff]

I wouldn't use Velcro. Tried it on my soft top side curtains and it worked OK but the adhesive to attach it get all gooey. Unless you use a weatherstrip adhesive. Don't get the self sticking ones. I just stapled the Velcro on the soft top. I was going to sew it on if I liked the way it worked.

My side curtains pop out of from the slots of material at highway speeds. Will have to figure something else out this winter.

[rdorman]

Are you ferrules loose? Not personally having checked out a hardtop on a Unique, I am just speculating. Ferrule nuts and appropriate weatherstripping in the top. My ferrules are not exactly in a line either, it adds a very small amount of 'twisting' to the side curtain which makes them fit nice and tight and they don't move around at all. I put a plastic washer or o-ring under them before I install them and a little weather strip (D shaped, hollow) along the bottom where it meets the body makes them much more air and water tight. Besides, you don't see it anyways!

[mbenoit]

Nope, ferrules are in tight - installed with a small dab of clear silicone. About the only way I could see doing what you are saying would be to bend the pins on the side curtain, but that would be pretty difficult to do without screwing up the window frame. I'll have to take another look at 'em. I wonder if the pins can be taken out without having to completely dismantle the whole frame...

[richardu]

I installed my side curtains for the first time about a month ago. I have a soft top. Initially, the pins in the bottom of the curtains lined up with the ferrules pretty well, but when I put the curtains in the ferrules, the front edge of the curtains closest to the winshield would stick out when you closed the door. I simply bent each curtain pin to get the angle I needed so when you close the door the lead edge fits just inside the edge of the winshield. I bent each pin carefully in a vice. I used foam window insultation between the bottom of the curtain and the door. The curtains are not air tight, but works good enough with the heater going. I commuted to work one day last week with temps below freezing. I was toasty warm for my 50 minute drive.

Regarding the fit between the top of the curtain and the top, I find that with a tight fit of the curtain pins in the ferrules, you can pry an opening between the bottom of the curtain and the door (foam insulation helps maintain the space) to tighten any gap you have bewteen the top of the curtain and the soft top. That keeps air from coming through between the top of the curtain and the soft top.

DU