Soft tops - difference between a 2a and a 3a top

[welndmn]

Anyone know the difference between the 2a and the 3a soft top?
It looks like the 3a windshield is 2.5" inches taller then the 2a, so I assume the 3a top will be a little longer up front, right? Or is the hardware just different?

I have a 2a with a 3a windshield and looking at a used soft tops I see loads of 2a tops come up, but never any 3a tops. I want to see what it takes to slap a 2a top on mine, that's basically a 3a.

[y2grey]

the windshield height is the difference. I have like new m38 3a top (replaced 1 snap) on my MB with 3a windshield. I am going to switch to an MB windshilield so I'll be looking for a 2a-MB top.

[welndmn]

Yeah, I know it's about 2 or 2.5 inches at the windshield, I just want to know if you can stretch the top, or move the wind shield riser to fit the 2a top on the 3a windshield.

[Mrfreeze5]

Originally Posted by welndmn

Yeah, I know it's about 2 or 2.5 inches at the windshield, I just want to know if you can stretch the top, or move the wind shield riser to fit the 2a top on the 3a windshield.

I doubt you could stretch it that much. I just bought a new Tigertop for my GPW last week and have been looking over it getting ready to install it. The GPW/MB has a 1" shorter windshield than a 2A, so I have to use a riser bracket to make up the 1" difference. I highly doubt you could make up 2.5". I have a M38 windshield frame on hand as well, and there is a considerable difference between it and my GPW frame. The MB/GPW/2A uses a different part # than the CJ3s for a reason.

[y2grey]

With the riser you can get the MB-GPW to the 2A height and if you live well the 2A to the 3A-M38 height but I agree the 2.5 between the MB-GPW and 3A-M38 is not going to happen.

[Mrfreeze5]

Originally Posted by y2grey

With the riser you can get the MB-GPW to the 2A height and if you live well the 2A to the 3A-M38 height but I agree the 2.5 between the MB-GPW and 3A-M38 is not going to happen.

Iirc, the 3A/M38 is 2.5" taller than the 2A. It would be 3.5" taller than a GPW/MB frame. My point was that 1" is too much to try and stretch it for these, so any more wouldn't work for sure. I can take some measurements to verify later. If the weather cooperates, I will be installing my top tmrw and can give some more input on the matter.

Oh, and the 3A/M38 has a different shape on the top, it has rounded corners, so you would have to deal with that too. You could possibly Fab some sort of riser, but IMO it would look goofy.

[Jeepdude_Jay]

The width of the windshield frame is different between a 2A and 3A also.