How to Patch Your Convertible Top

February 25, 2013

      I recently purchased a Jeep Wrangler soft top off a 2004 model pretty cheap that had a little mishap along the way, the previous owners grand kids where firing off bottle rockets and one just happened to shoot side ways and burnt a small hole in between the front seats. Convertible tops are more vulnerable than their metal counterparts and are more likely to suffer rips and tears. So what is a person to do when this happens, patch it. There are several ways that one can go about patching the damaged area on his or her top. I chose a way to fix this top and as I share it with you today, maybe I can provide you with a method to repair your top.

      There are a couple things that you will need before you can begin to patch your convertible top. First you will need contact adhesive, which I found I found in a local department stores' craft center, I would highly recommend buying uv resistant instead of regular, which should not yellow over time sitting in the sun. The next couple of things you should get are, vinyl top material, which one should be able to find at an upholstery shop, uv resistant outdoor thread, and iron on tent patches.

      First I want to advise before you begin to repair the damaged area on your convertible top, make sure that the temperature outside is seventy degrees are higher, if you are working on your convertible in the winter time, make sure to work on the damaged area in a warm garage.

      First you want to prep the area, what I done with my top was to cut the burnt damaged areas, making a smooth edge that would lay flat.

      Second, you will want to take your iron on tent repair patch and place it on the underside of the convertible top. This will act as a holder for the next step which is applying contact adhesive. Then you will want to take your contact adhesive and begin to fill in the damaged area, depending on how large the damaged area is. Then allow your contact adhesive to dry for at least twenty four hours.

      Once your contact adhesive has dried, proceed next to applying contact adhesive to the back side of your repair patch. Once applied, press the repair patch down over the damaged area, then allow to dry for at least twenty four hours.

      Next prepare your needle and thread and begin to sew around the outer edge of your repair patch. Once the patch is sewn, take contact adhesive and apply around the outer edge of the repair patch, and smooth the bead of adhesive down with your finger, this bead of adhesive will prevent water from finding its way underneath the repair patch. Once applied, once again, let the adhesive dry for at least twenty fours hours.

      The steps I provided above are how I went about repairing the damaged area on the Jeep soft top that I purchased. Maybe the steps I provided can help you to come up with your own way of repairing your own convertible top. Thanks for reading guys.