1st gen hardtop- on or off?

Would you consider taking the hardtop off your first gen 4runner

  • YES!!!!

    Votes: 77 93.9%
  • no

    Votes: 5 6.1%

  • Total voters
    82

Krashmytoy

New member
Ive heard that it takes about 3 hours to take the hard top off my '88. has anyone had theirs off.... is it worth it..... i plan on taking mine off this summer just to see
 
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You should get a soft top for it. My friend has one on his and loves it. You can roll up the sides and back and it almost becomes a bikini top. His 4Runner is more of a rock crawler, but he leaves it on all year.
 
3 Hours, Holy S***

If it takes you 3 hours to take your top off of your 4Runner you would have had alot to drink and shouldn`t be driving anyways. It took me a half an hour to take my top off the first time, with a power screwdriver. It now takes about 7 minutes to take off. Have the rear glass down BEFORE removing all the bolts. One of the bolts pushes down on a switch so that the window can`t be operated. You will need a friend to help you remove the top, it weighs about 175 pounds. Make sure you read the owners manual on how to install it since there is a little bit of a trick to it. It takes about 15 minutes to install, 45min the first time. If the top has never been off it will be really stuck to the body. It`s great having the top off, but watch the weather report. I`ve had the top off my truck for 3 weeks straight once.:cool:
 
Re: 3 Hours, Holy S***

aj884runner said:
If it takes you 3 hours to take your top off of your 4Runner you would have had alot to drink and shouldn`t be driving anyways.
Like i said.... i was told that it took three hours and three people.... if it only take a half hour that is way better.... im still trying to find a soft top for it though cuz i think that would just rock
 
QUESTION: i've only had my 1st gen for about 3 weeks now and since i live in michigan it's still been too cold to remove the top. i definitely plan on doing it as soon as you southerners will be nice enough to send warm weather this way. here's my question: i read the owners manual completely through about how to remove and replace the top and the order you have to do everything in and whatnot. IF i do everything the way they say to do it EXACTLY, will i ever have problems with leaking? i've read a few people saying that they wouldn't remove it because of leaking problems and so never actually tried it.
 
if its anything like taking the topper off my pickup...( and i hope not) theres not much you can do to stop the leaks... i even tried resealing it.... however, if youve read my earlier posts, im in the process of trying to find a decent price on soft tops. cheapest ive found was like 500 bones...if i find one i will let you know i think that would be better to have on all year anyway considering my heater could cook stuff in the truck
 
ayoung101 said:
and can someone post some pics of 1st gens without the top?
I just joined today and, haven't figured out how to post anything yet, but when I do I'll post a picture of my 85 runner, topless, with it's 35's about 6 feet off the ground.
 
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Leaking Cover Top

I`ve had my top off many times, probably about a hundred, and I always put it back on as per the manual. I wash the truck with an expensive high pressure washer, (Its got a heater that can turn the water to steam!) and I`ve never had a leak. I`ll take a picture off it in the next month with the top on and off. My truck is still stock.
 
thought about taking mine off on friday.... glad i didnt cuz it rained like a son of a bit.... i mean gun, here on saturday
 
oh yeah, it took me and ONE other guy about 20 minutes to get it off. it'll be less time for following removals, i think. also, it's NOWHERE NEAR 300 lbs. i'd say 150, ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM. the 2 of us barely strained to lift it over our heads and walked it over the back end of the truck. it's cake! do it if you havne't done it before!
 
i had an 88 (sold :( )and had a soft top, best investment for this. the hard top i could get off by myself in 5-10 mins (i did it alot), i would stand in the back of the bed and lift it on my back by myself and walk it off lol not too smart but it works. i loved it so much im gettin another one. if anyone knows of any near pa let me know

added note- i never had any leaking problem with the top at all, and im in pa and it rains alot here.
 
I bought my 4Runner about 2 months ago, and the first thing that I did was pull the top off. I didnt do anything special when I took it off, and I haven't had any problems. I did it myself when I first took it off. It boiled down to do myself or don't do it, so I pulled it down myself. It took me about 10 minutes and was 12 bolts, four trim pieces and it came right off.
 

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The roof on the 4 Runner was designed to come off, so there isnt really any problems with it. The first thing that I did when I bought mine was take the roof off. It is 12 bolts, 6 screws and 4 trim pieces. It comes off in about 10 minutes. It doesnt always take two people to take the roof off, I have done it myself in a pinch, but it definately takes 2 to put it on. My top doesnt leak at all, and I have had it off numerous times. If you want to get a lot of looks, take the doors off too. That takes about 10 minutes as well. Same deal, 1 person off, two people on. Here is my 1986 the day I bought it.
 

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it doesn't take me any time to take my top off cuz i take it off every time i go to corolla which is a beach in north carolina


I have a 1986 4runner
 

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