Post by johncub on Dec 19, 2007 11:04:05 GMT -5
So I started having some trouble with my rear window zipper. I've learned a lot about the zippers on our soft tops so I thought I'd detail my experience for anyone that might be able to use the information.
Here's what was happening to me:
Did you ever have a coat or pants that when you zipped the zipper up the teeth would come apart and then you'd be stuck with the situation that the zipper was open but the metal zipping part (the tab) was at the wrong end? Well this is what was happening, in part, to my rear window.
I'd insert the slider into the two tabs on the driver's side of the vehicle, start zipping, and in some spots the plastic teeth would separate and leave a hole that was difficult to get the zipper past again to get the window off.
I will admit in the end it aggravated me to the point that I ripped the window out, pulling the zipper tab with it. My plan was to open the tab up a hair, put it on both sets of zipper teeth, then clamp down on the tab part enough to get it to stay. Be forewarned, this DOES NOT WORK. This method ended up breaking my tab. Your mileage may vary but my jeep dealership couldn't even provide this part.
I ended up finding out that the rear window zipper is quite large, in zipper terms. I wasn't able to find anything remotely close to the right size locally so I turned to ebay where I found an exact replacement. I ordered this replacement and waited.
When the item arrived I read the instructions and read their website for any further tips and tricks. This is how it turned out for me:
I removed the end tab on the passenger side of the jeep, at the end of the zipper. This was done using a pair of needlenose pliers and a set of side cutters. Per their instructions I took a toothbrush and some dish soap and cleaned the entire zipper. I then let this dry. They provided me with zipper wax that looked like a crayon but was much softer, even in the 30-ish degree weather I was working in. I worked this crayon all over the teeth and then slid on the new zipper tab where I removed the stopper. One must make sure that the large side was on the soft-top side of the zipper and not the window side (this is one detail of zippers I never knew, they are not the same size on both sides of the zipper.) I slid this all the way to the driver's side and put a new stopper on the passenger side by crimping it lightly with the needlenose pliers and then further crimping with a set of vice grips. (This part was included in the set I purchased from ebay.)
I now threaded my rear window into the two tabs and zipped her up nice as new.
Now the side windows are a different size and only a single zipper situation but everything is very similar.
For reference the side windows should be a YKK #8C and the rear window requires a YKK #10C.
Here's what was happening to me:
Did you ever have a coat or pants that when you zipped the zipper up the teeth would come apart and then you'd be stuck with the situation that the zipper was open but the metal zipping part (the tab) was at the wrong end? Well this is what was happening, in part, to my rear window.
I'd insert the slider into the two tabs on the driver's side of the vehicle, start zipping, and in some spots the plastic teeth would separate and leave a hole that was difficult to get the zipper past again to get the window off.
I will admit in the end it aggravated me to the point that I ripped the window out, pulling the zipper tab with it. My plan was to open the tab up a hair, put it on both sets of zipper teeth, then clamp down on the tab part enough to get it to stay. Be forewarned, this DOES NOT WORK. This method ended up breaking my tab. Your mileage may vary but my jeep dealership couldn't even provide this part.
I ended up finding out that the rear window zipper is quite large, in zipper terms. I wasn't able to find anything remotely close to the right size locally so I turned to ebay where I found an exact replacement. I ordered this replacement and waited.
When the item arrived I read the instructions and read their website for any further tips and tricks. This is how it turned out for me:
I removed the end tab on the passenger side of the jeep, at the end of the zipper. This was done using a pair of needlenose pliers and a set of side cutters. Per their instructions I took a toothbrush and some dish soap and cleaned the entire zipper. I then let this dry. They provided me with zipper wax that looked like a crayon but was much softer, even in the 30-ish degree weather I was working in. I worked this crayon all over the teeth and then slid on the new zipper tab where I removed the stopper. One must make sure that the large side was on the soft-top side of the zipper and not the window side (this is one detail of zippers I never knew, they are not the same size on both sides of the zipper.) I slid this all the way to the driver's side and put a new stopper on the passenger side by crimping it lightly with the needlenose pliers and then further crimping with a set of vice grips. (This part was included in the set I purchased from ebay.)
I now threaded my rear window into the two tabs and zipped her up nice as new.
Now the side windows are a different size and only a single zipper situation but everything is very similar.
For reference the side windows should be a YKK #8C and the rear window requires a YKK #10C.
They are small enough to tuck out of sight behind the flaps so they don't "disappear" in a parking lot.
