Roof brace safety

[sierrablue]

So, after rolling it, two of the roof bows were bent. Body itself seems to be right; just the braces were bent. Super easy to bend back using a hammer and the flat piece on the back of the vice, not a huge issue (it was bent on the flat part on the side), but I'm wondering--are they safe to put back in? I don't have any plans to roll it again, but I didn't exactly plan to roll it the first time, and I want to make sure it's going to be safe.

Thoughts? Are they going to be strong enough, or are they compromised now and should be replaced?

[candymancan]

Tbh im shocked the whole roof didnt crush like a pancake considering my hand can push it in on these Jeeps.

If it were ny Jeep id bend it back call it a day. But i imagine the metal probably has the memory of the bend in it now.

[Yeller]

Bend it back and call it a day. The strength of them is very minimal and more for keeping the top from oil canning in the wind. I too knowing how the tops are constructed am surprise it’s not flat enough to look like a convertible. You’ve pushed me to go ahead with plans to put a roll bar hoop in my truck.

[SJTD]

I agree. But to make it most effective it should be in contact with the roof. It would have flattened since the sides deformed. Spend some time forming it to the roof then put something resilient between them that won't degrade and preload it against the roof. You don't want the possibility of vibration between the roof and the brace.

I used body adhesive which I regretted when I had to take them out. I now have creases in the roof where it deformed when I removed them. Fortunately can't be seen unless you're about 7 feet tall and looking for them. I did use it again when I put them back in.

[sierrablue]

OK, thanks guys. I was actually leaning towards getting new ones but if these ones are going to be more or less the same, no reason to spend extra money and have that gas from shipping be burned just for that.

I know all about all the noises it makes when it's not in properly lol. Before I did the headliner, the PO had the braces out but didn't put anything between them and the roof...every SINGLE little bump "bang!" That was sooooooooo irritating. I put camper/topper foam (goes under a topper between the topper and the bed) on them when I put them back in. Heck, maybe that's part of why it worked out the way it did, having that foam to absorb some of the impact, as well as already touching the roof.

If the windshield had been out of wack and/or the roof skin totally shot, we talked about welding in a full roll cage. Wouldn't have been light or pretty, but it would have been plenty strong. I think there are two reasons that it didn't collapse. Number one, the back part of the roof didn't get any weight on it--all of the weight was going through the strongest part of the roof, right over the windshield. Number two, I don't think the full 4600 lbs (with me in it) was supported by the ground/snow during the roll. Clearly it was touching the ground, but I think most of the weight was unsupported until it landed, and it landed on all four wheels.

[candymancan]

If it rolled fully luke you said. I imagine it (bounced) on the side and flipped back on the wheels as you said and didnt have much weight on the roof.

Your windshield dilema id also order a new one from safe light or something and see if it can be installed flush or not.

You can easily find the malformations with the windsheild sitting on the frame and look for the gaps where it sits. And focus on fixing those. Thats what id do anyway.

[sierrablue]

If it rolled fully luke you said. I imagine it (bounced) on the side and flipped back on the wheels as you said and didnt have much weight on the roof.

Your windshield dilema id also order a new one from safe light or something and see if it can be installed flush or not.

You can easily find the malformations with the windsheild sitting on the frame and look for the gaps where it sits. And focus on fixing those. Thats what id do anyway.

It did NOT bounce. No question there. That snow doesn't allow bouncing for one thing, and for another it would have bounced off the pass side, which has zero dents or scratches on it.

The windshield hole is square, nothing to worry about there. And I've called around and the windshield is "obsolete"--you can't just buy a new one like you can for the ZJs and XJs.

[candymancan]

Weird maybe thats why safelight fixed mine for free when my rear mirror pulled off and ripped a giant chunk of the inner glass off. They used some resin you cure with a black light. Guy did it for free too lol.

But i hear people buying glass for em all the time. You 100% positive ? Maybe its a recent thing where they stopped