http://www.jkowners.com/forum/write-up-dept-library/40455-hard-top-repair.html
http://www.jkowners.com/forum/jk-general-discussion/43392-q-how-repair-hard-top-dings-scratches.html

5My hardtop repair and paint - Jeep Wrangler Forum
Sucks about your cracked top. I think jscherb on expeditionportal uses fibreglass for his projects. Unless he just makes moulds and re-does from scratch and not repairs.

 

i wish OP wasn't in Wyoming; I have a pristine '11 Unlimited freedom top for sale for $1000 at present, heh. Drive to Nashville much? :jeep2:

 

Damn!!!! $1000 for a hard? That's a steal a should sell quickly at that price.

Op, If you want to make the drive to Colorado I would be happy to fix it for you for nothing. Ive done a ton of composite work and your crack shouldn't take much material.

The resin they use in these isn't great so your repair resin needs to be epoxy. A good quality generic epoxy would be west system and that could be available from west marine . Com. I would fix that by lightly scoring the onside of the crack into a "V" and cut some 4oz s glass onto three patches getting slightly bigger with each patch, about a half inch.Scuff the area to be patched with 80 grit, wipe with alcohol(NOT acetone or mek) paint some resin on there with a brush and stick your smallest patch on. Dry. Poke at it with the brush and when it starts to turn clear put the next piece of cloth on and do the same and so on. Use the resin sparingly, only enough to get it clear.
This could be done with the top right side up but flipped over is better and for a really smooth surface after your last patch you can hot coat or paint some resin over it and that will stop the edges from curling up a millimeter or so. Its possible that with paint it won't even be noticed. I wouldn't do anything to the outside except maybe draw a sharpie down the crack to hide the white.

 

Its been about a month and I just wanted to post an update about this. I ended up going to my buddy's and we fixed the crack. We only addressed the crack from the outside but I'm pretty sure it'll be ok. After sanding the paint off, we found the very end of the crack and drilled a small hole to stop it from spreading. Then I took a carbide bit in a dremel to open the crack up to a groove to apply the epoxy into. I probably didn't open it wide enough but as long as it holds up, I'll be happy with the repair. I used 3M Rigid Parts Repair Tube Kit part # 05883 for the repair and painted it with Dupli-Color's aerosol truck bed liner. The bed liner is a pretty close match to the factory hardtop paint but if the light hits it just right you can see a difference. Also unless you're right up on the Jeep looking for it, you can't really see the repair. In these photos, the dirt makes it pretty obvious though.

https://postimage.io/app.php
https://postimage.io/app.php
https://postimage.io/app.php
https://postimage.io/app.php
https://postimage.io/app.php

 

FYI, if done that repair on the right side twice. Without some kind of reinforcement the crack will reappear next time I remove the top. Next time I install it I'm going to try using a fiberglass patch.


Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App

 

Have you tried JB Weld plastic epoxy? That's what I used to fill cracks after bumping a tree. Easy to work with, sand, and paint. Mine isn't in the same area as yours, so I don't know if it'll work better for your situation.

Mopar sells hardtop paint that matches perfectly. I picked it up from Quadratec if I recall.

 

there is this solution.
I'd imagine you guys that've repaired your tops or are searching for solutions to the SMC repairable options probably have seen it but with the fibreglass reinforcement, it would be the way I would go if my freedom top weren't stored away wrapped in tarps & from use were to be cracked or something
:jeep2:

<edit: oh, if anyone is interrested that is looking thru this in future, I have found that for the older, non-body-paint matched tops with the flat black ,matte finish like OPs that - it's odd but it works - that High-Temp Rustomleum paint we all use for Grills or our engines or axle housings? it is nearly a perfect match once it dries for the Freedom Top flat black.

this stuff --->

I have touched-up spots with a small brush or sponge on my top when I used it with this stuff and it is a good match, fwiw.