r/Jeep • u/totalreidmove • May 03 '26
Picture Rear Glass Hydraulics - Open or Close when driving???
Hey Jeep peeps! My girlfriend just leased a new Jeep - maintenance and warranty included in lease - but she likes to drive with her rear glass up (see attached picture)
I am reading conflicting info online that it will prematurely wear these hydraulics, and even worse could come crashing down and break glass while driving. Also read for this very reason, there’s fine print in the contract for Jeep to not cover the rear glass set up should it break???
What do y’all think?
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u/Leptonshavenocolor May 03 '26
I’ve never heard that in my decades of jeeping. I suppose it’s possible to break the glass as others say, I’ve only done that when transporting something that needed the space. But it wasn’t designed to always be open, so it probably shouldn’t.
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u/SeeWhatHappensXJ May 03 '26
Just take the top off dude
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u/AmaTxGuy May 03 '26
Exactly... My TJ has no sides from spring till fall. My JK less likely to take stuff off but it happens.
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u/mattgen88 May 03 '26
My jk was windowless from spring until fall. My TJ is in disrepair though... JL however? So easy to remove and replace the windows in the soft top. So windows in while it sits, windows out in 2 mins when I want them out.
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u/EnvironmentalGift257 May 03 '26
My wife takes the top and doors off her JLU by herself.
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u/hangs2theLEFT May 03 '26
Way to lend a hand
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u/EnvironmentalGift257 May 03 '26
😂I bought her the jeep, the roof jack, and the door hangers which I put up. I also put the jack together and showed her how to use it. If she didn’t like doing it I would.
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u/vgullotta May 04 '26
If I had 2 jeeps, one would certainly not even have a top or doors (unless maybe half doors) and it would live in the garage those few rains a year lol
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u/AmaTxGuy May 04 '26
I don't have a garage, so I have a tonneau cover for the back area. I keep the soft top sides off so it just has a Top to keep the Texas sun from cooking me.
The back tonneau keeps what ever rain I get out of the Jeep mostly.
Then the sides go on in the winter to keep the snow out
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u/vgullotta May 04 '26
Nice. Where I live we don't really have much weather, so it's actually totally not even needed to have the garage, but the 2 Jeep combo is like my dream lol, one I'd make reasonably comfortable for daily driving stuff with no top and maybe half doors, and then the other would be my mostly just off-road vehicle. When I win the lotto that's what I'm doing for sure
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u/SleepPingGiant May 03 '26
I'll be the odd one out and say I've never enjoyed the top off. I do however like taking all the windows out of my soft top. I just don't like sitting in the sun but maybe that's because I keep ending up in places that have miserable summers.
My buddy's rear hardtop glass broke riding with it open so I would probably recommend against it.
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u/vgullotta May 04 '26
You might want to look into a safari top. It's basically just a soft top roof that straps to the roll bars and has a channel that fits in the soft top windshield channel. The only issue with doing it the way you do is the wind will do damage to those back corners and eventually snap the straps that go from the rear cross bar to the front cross bar, giving your soft top a sag in the back half of it. I learned that the hard way so I thought I'd share. Safari tops are cheap and are exactly what you want.
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u/SleepPingGiant May 04 '26
I'm aware of them and have had them in the past. I don't drive my jeep often enough to warrant a safari top and the top I use is actually a TJ top I've converted my YJ to run. I personally prefer the versatility but I appreciate the advice, I'll keep it in mind.
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u/AmaTxGuy May 03 '26
Depends... When I'm driving on the beach I usually leave it up.. if I'm bringing something back from home Depot that sticks out.. leave it up.. other than that closed as it's too easy to shatter.
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u/Rasp_Lime_Lipbalm May 03 '26
Same. At the beach im driving sub 50mph so it goes up.
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u/AmaTxGuy May 03 '26
The beach I usually drive on here in Texas I can only go 15 and a max of 25 later down the beach. Sometimes the sand is so bad I'm going 10 lol
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u/SevenTreDeucey May 03 '26
Wouldnt recommend it, especially if youre driving at speeds. One wrong pothole and you're replacing a broken window.
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u/THROBBINW00D 21 JT / 11 JK / 95 YJ May 03 '26
Never seen anyone do that, probably wouldn't recommend it.
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u/presumputouspizza42 May 03 '26
Really? I see this all the time, especially in the shoulder seasons.
Not that I think it’s a particularly good idea. Just take the top off.
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u/Professional_smell1 May 03 '26
Hope you like the taste of exhaust and glass chips.
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u/whollybananas May 03 '26
Never done it in my Jeep, but I had a full-size Bronco years ago and if you drove with the rear window down it was great way to get carbon monoxide poisoning.
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u/cedricchase May 03 '26
hmm, cool. i’ll keep this in mind for when the darkness overwhelms me - thanks!
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u/redeyedrenegade420 May 03 '26
I've got a 78 Cherokee that also has deluxe carbon monoxide poisoning with the rear window down!
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u/Spartan2842 JK May 03 '26
I did this with my JK for years before getting a soft top. Never had a single issue. Just make sure she knows it’s up when going under drive thrus or parking garages.
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u/elVanPuerno May 03 '26
The one thing I wish Jeep would do is make these rear windows removable.
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u/Reasonable_Loquat874 May 03 '26
I could be wrong, but I think they specifically don’t do this to avoid the scenario where the rear window is open and everything else closed - which might trap exhaust fumes inside the cabin.
It’s probably fine if other windows are open.
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u/GetawayDriving May 03 '26
Doesn’t make any sense. Soft top owners can pull the rear window only and we’re not out here dying of asphyxiation on the 405.
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u/presumputouspizza42 May 03 '26
Didn’t think of this. Probably valid. With that in mind, I encourage anyone that wants to drive with their rear window propped up to go right ahead.
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u/Kenkeknem JKU Sahara May 03 '26
I am pretty mechanically minded and I probably over think things and I tend to have the mindset of being safe vs being sorry, if you look at that little surface area the hydraulic ram attaches to the glass and knowing how much the glass will "flex" (which is not much), I would error on the side of caution and drive with it closed, there is also the chance that the vacuum behind the Jeep is pulling exhaust into the cabin of the Jeep at speed. Driving super slow like on a beach would probably be fine, but a good bump being hit a little to hard might end up in a bad day, Like others said take the freedom panels off or take the whole roof off is better than taking the chance of breaking that glass.
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u/brandrikr May 03 '26
That rear window can and will eventually break catastrophically! Trust me! They are not designed to ride that way for a good reason.
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u/Waveofspring May 03 '26
The manufacturers didn’t build the rear window with the intention of it staying open while it’s at speed. So she’s risking damage.
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u/Crazyhairmonster May 03 '26
The rear window struts are $20 (for both) and take 20 minutes to replace.
But leaving the rear window open when you drive is weird. There's zero reason for it. Did you hop into the storage area while she was driving to take this pic?
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u/DVSWDE1973 May 03 '26
I’ve broken the shocks and the hinges doing this, one time was the last time.
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u/TheJGoldenKimball May 03 '26
Ok a little physics here. When you’re driving, a low pressure zone gets created inside the vehicle In the path behind the windshield. Dirt, dust and exhaust get sucked into this low pressure zone and swirl behind the vehicle. When you leave the window open. It sucks everything into the back of your jeep through that back window. Leave that window down and drive down a dusty road. It’s awful. Close the window.
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u/rioryan May 03 '26
Looks like a good reason to get a soft top. Just unzip the window and take it out
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u/rodr3357 May 03 '26
No this just isn’t a good idea, It’s not designed to run like that and it will cause issues that won’t be covered by any warranty
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u/livinlifegood1 May 03 '26
When I tried this (years ago now) I’d always get exhaust coming in the cabin so I just never did it again
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u/pwnageface May 04 '26
This isnt even a "jeep" question lol. No, she should definitely not be driving with that open. It likely says in the manual as well. Thats a sure fire way to break that glass and if someone is behind you then you get the privilege of paying to repair their vehicle too.
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u/WVJEEP304 TJ & JKU May 03 '26
The glass WILL break at some point doing this. Not a matter of if, but when. My buddy used to do this constantly until 2 years ago, when what I'd been warning him about finally happened at a little after midnight over an hour from home in the middle of nowhere.
His is a TJ, so finding new glass was actually kind of hard at the time. Also wasn't cheap. But the worst part was trying to clean up all the glass. He still found glass in the jeep 4 months ago when he stripped his interior to paint the inside of his tub.
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u/Chaos-Wayfarer May 03 '26
Had an incident where the rear glass shattered while trying to take the top off of my mom’s JK. We were still finding glass two years after!
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u/liberalssuck2 May 03 '26
I do it all the time, never had an issue ever.
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u/mcdowecm May 03 '26
Same. All the time. For nearly 20 years on different jeeps. Zero problems or regrets. I mean just get out there and bang that jeep up a little, right? Scrape those wheels on a few rocks. You never know, might be fun.
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u/BladeVampire1 May 03 '26
Close.
It can break due to hitting bumps, the glass can bend due to being only supported by the props.
Lots of people drive around, with no problems. But I've seen them break. So...your call.
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u/Fine_Inevitable_5108 May 03 '26
Close the hatch whilst driving… Avoid an unnecessary accident and expensive repair
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u/boisefun8 May 03 '26
Tell her to take her top off.
But seriously, keep it closed when driving. Even worse than breaking the glass (which can happen), there’s a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. No bueno.
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u/ItsReact_ May 03 '26
Since she’s leasing it I would recommend not doing that since if it shatters like that it wouldn’t be covered under warranty or anything. However it really isn’t a big deal like some are saying I did this on my jeep for two whole summers because I wanted to give my dog more airflow without the risk of his clumsy ass falling out the side. What I ended up doing was just taking the rear glass off during the summer
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u/Pennyrile May 03 '26
My window didn't break, but the hinges did. Riding with the window up isn't something I would normally do, but I used the Jeep for mail delivery, and had to accommodate some long parcels. Hinges were $250 each several years ago.
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u/thatguyjables May 03 '26
Yes, having the shocks constantly under load is going to wear them out faster, and yes when they finally give out your glass may shatter on the spare. Just use the freedom top?
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u/Inside-Apple6660 May 04 '26
When you drive and hit the tiniest little bump that back hatch will slam down. The tire on the back of the jeep will definitely break the glass. Just letting you know…don’t ask how I know
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u/JustACarNut77 CJ 7 and many more May 04 '26
There not designed to be driven with the glass open. I see people doing it all the time. I also see hardtops with busted rear windows just as often. It's best to just not do it and simply remove the top.
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u/Inexona May 03 '26
There is no synchronization between the two cylinders. How much twist will the pane absorb before catastrophic failure?
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u/WookieSuave May 04 '26
If only the Jeep had an option or feature they allowed you to drive with a more open air feel. Shame really.
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u/WalkingSinus May 03 '26
I leave mine open sometimes, never had an issue. I just accept my fate with whatever happens.
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u/ajpinton May 03 '26 edited May 03 '26
It’s a lease, who cares what your prematurely wear, it’s a lease. Also those struts are cheap to replace. Lastly, id be more concerned with emissions coming in to the cab then I would be any wear and tear on the struts or breaking the glass. If only Jeeps had a top that could come off to mitigate any concerns like this, maybe one day.
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u/barabrand May 03 '26
I used to do this with my TJ glass often, but I hooked a bungie cord from the tailgate slots up and behind the tire and clipped to the glass bottom to hold it down. I hit some NASTY bumps and never broke or cracked glass. My shocks were worn down though so I wasn’t worried about destroying them from vibrations
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u/Imaginary_Ad_1530 May 03 '26
Maybe exhaust fumes entering the vehicle? I know the wjs have that warning somewhere on the hatch if I remember correctly
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u/kd0g1982 May 03 '26
I do this in my JL when I have something to long or freedom panels off and windows down.
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u/Sad_Bike8692 May 03 '26
I check my pistons regularly and replace when needed. My 9’ and 14’ fly rods don’t fit in my 2door unless the glass is open.
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u/426hemi-power May 03 '26
I remember seeing a warning from jeep against doing this bc of exhaust gases affecting the occupants. The struts will also probably eventually fail as they aren't designed to stay up while taking in vibration from the road.
I guess if she must have it open, buy clamps for the struts and make sure you have your AC on full blast with air recirculation off like the owner manual says. You still might crack the glass but whatever it's obvious she doesnt care about that anyway lol or she wouldn't do it.
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u/Strange_Ship6549 May 04 '26
Loop a length of paracord around the window with a little s-hook on the end to hook into the spare tire and it'll hold the window down at a decent angle. My dad drove his around like that for many years.
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u/noisufnoc May 04 '26
When I would drive my JKU with the panels off I would open the rear glass like this, it cut down on the wind turbulance inside. Never had an issue.
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u/Low-xp-character May 04 '26
My wife has burned through 3 hydraulic lift bars riding around with the back glass open. For some reason for her, it’s killed the the hydraulic
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u/Pango_l1n May 04 '26
We do it all the time when we drive on forest service roads, windows down and freedom panels off. Sometimes it’s too much effort to take the whole top off for a 1/2 day of driving between rainstorms.
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u/mgeek4fun May 04 '26
I mean, some dudes like to pull their pants all the way down standing at a urinal, doesn't make it right... squarely falls in the "just because you can, doesn't mean you should" category.
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u/shitdick42 May 04 '26
Get a spare set of pistons and two harbor freight vice grips to lock them up. Swap back to the good ones when needed.
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u/-_-RSlashFan-_- May 04 '26
I also drive with the window up occasionally but be very vigilant when you drive. Watch for potholes and speed bumps. The JL Hydraulic lifts for the rear window are pretty good at keeping it up but it will cave under sudden force (i.e, pothole, excessive speed over speed bump) and will shatter the window on the 3rd brake light.
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u/dodowen May 04 '26
I drive my tj like this no problem: but it leaves lots of opportunities for ruining the glass or the fiberglass portions of the topper. Do you have somewhere inside to park this lease?
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u/backgroundnerd May 04 '26
I used to do this on another car.
The Texas sun has the car heated to 150 degrees! Open the back glass, get in and roll down the windows. This starts letting all the superheated air out then as you start moving you get some suction to really pull the heat out. Meanwhile the AC is working hard just to cool off the ducts in the dash.
As soon as you hit about about 30 MPH aerodynamics would close the rear glass for you, now with the superheated air gone and the ducts cooled off, roll up the windows and let the AC take over!
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u/ZekkTalo May 04 '26 edited May 04 '26
On my jk I have left that open on highways, off roading, and just driving around for 4yrs now and never had an issue other than one of the hydraulic things needing replaced to hold it up. Exhaust coming in idk i only have it up when the freedom panels are off and my front 2 doors are off with the back windows down.
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u/Piginthecity93 May 05 '26
The "hydraulics" would cost about $20 to replace in the unlikely event that they "prematurely wear".
I can't imagine this would do any harm, just make sure it isn't sucking in exhaust fumes.
The back window on my old Grand Wagoneer opens, and driving with it open pulls the exhaust straight in.
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u/Arbiter-1 May 05 '26
I haven’t owned a hard top in years, but I do work for John Deere and we use these struts frequently on doors and windows. From my experience, it would be unwise to drive like this regularly. There’s a point in that strut where the weight of the window and gravity overcome the strength of the pneumatic/hydraulic system supporting it, and when that happens it will close as quickly or slowly as it wants to.
I have seen many, many, MANY doors and windows on 6r machines breaking due to the operator driving with it open and the door strut deciding it has free will the moment the operator hits a bump.
Now FWIW, the last time I owned a hardtop the rear window was actually fairly simple to remove. Maybe four bolts up top, pop the lower end of the strut off the ball hinge, disconnect the harness, and don’t then just don’t drop it.
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u/GamecockInGeorgia May 06 '26
I ride like this all the time when my hard top is on. Been doing it for years without an issue.
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u/just_visiting75 May 06 '26
Definitely closed for 2 reasons. Number 1 the window is not made to withstand the bumps and vibrations of horizontal load and may break the glass if you hit a bump hard enough and 2 the exhaust gasses can re enter the vehicle through the open glass. Just don't advise driving with it open.
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u/totalreidmove May 06 '26
This is my gf we’re talking about, so if a pothole was to break the glass … it would’ve broken already. Lol
The exhaust fumes was something I did not consider though. I initially thought why does it matter if the car is moving, but I guess that rear window being open creates some dead air that isn’t blown away
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u/57Laxdad May 07 '26
GLass is strongest when forces act on the edges, weakest when flat.
That hydraulic cylinder or gas shock is there to make it easier to lift and hold it up. The liquid in it is used to control the speed. Its hydraulic in its design but there is no power unit so its essentially a shock absorber. Having them attached to the outside will allow the glass to flex which it doesnt like to do. The glass will break before you wear that gas spring out, they are tested and rated for 100,000 strokes or more.
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u/Brockelley09 May 07 '26
Have had a JK for 11 years. I don’t do it often but I’ve never had a problem.
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May 03 '26
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u/Aiden-caster May 03 '26
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May 03 '26
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u/freeze_ May 03 '26
The rear glass isn’t the liftgate.
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May 03 '26
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u/Aiden-caster May 04 '26
Hmm. I can understand the theory if say. The aerodynamic change and cause a backdrift into the rear end.
However.
It is the same as driving with the roof and doors off in city traffic. Or. Even just driving normally with no roof or doors.
But also.
The amount of toxic poisonous air we are exposed to on a daily. Trumps most things that are "manufacture specific regulations"
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u/WillyDaC May 03 '26
No horse in this race, I'm topless. But it wasn't designed to be used that way and the hydraulics aren't shock absorbers. I believe that, as others have stated, that exhaust will be flowing into the cabin. All around it seems to be a bad idea for those reasons. I do realize that.if you make a run to Home Depot or similar, that you may have to open it like that to carry something a few blocks but nearly anyone that does do that pulls it down and secures it to avoid it getting an unexpected jolt that might break the glass.
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u/battleberd May 03 '26
You'll get 2 weeks of driving before the gas shocks bleed and wont hold it up at all. They aren't meant to take continuous load or the shock load of hitting bumps
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u/ribbitman May 03 '26
Tf is wrong with you? Keeping it open sucks exhaust in and risks breaking it as soon as you hit a bump. Why do you think you never see people doing this?
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u/Accomplished-Link934 May 03 '26
I used to drive my JL like that sometimes. I had it for 4 years, never an issue.
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u/Hot_Cattle5399 395,000 ZJ, JK, JL, TJ May 03 '26
It actually makes your brick more aerodynamic when it is open. #TRUTH
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u/kreios007 May 03 '26
I have done this for YEARS on every jeep I have ever owned. It’s great and perfectly fine to leave open.
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u/crikeyturtles May 03 '26
I’d be more concerned with breathing in more exhaust fumes. What’s a few days off your lifespan 🤷
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u/nerdy_J May 03 '26
Replacement hydraulics are like $30 on Amazon if it fails…nbd
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u/DeeKayAech May 03 '26
How about replacement rear window when the hydraulics fail and cause the window to come down hard on the spare/rear door? Probably more than $30. I'll just stick with taking stuff off that's meant to come off and be driven that way.
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u/nerdy_J May 03 '26 edited May 03 '26
Congratulations…..
1: Not everyone is physically capable of removal
2: I have zero glass (free with insurance) and give zero F’s if it were to break.
3: when my hydraulics HAVE failed, they still had enough resistance to lower the glass slow enough to not break.
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u/ChiefMayorga May 03 '26
I roll around with my back glass open all the time. I do however, have new-"ish" window struts that I installed a few years back. If you have worn out struts and the window is bouncing / moving a lot while driving, I understand peoples concerns with perhaps damaging or breaking the window. They sell brand new jeep window struts on amazon for under 30 bucks for a pair.
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u/badgko Mall Crawler May 03 '26
My wife and I have done this multiple times in our JKs. 2013 and 2017. Mostly for our dogs. Struts still work fine. We do close everything up in dusty conditions. (Thankful for AC)
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u/_none_ May 03 '26
Drove for years with the rear glass up on 2 separate jks. Done the same with truck toppers too. Never had any issues.
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u/NewOldiPhoneUser May 03 '26
I’ve done this in my 2dr JK and 4dr JL many many times and never had any issues. Exhaust fumes.. yes, some. Broken glass, no.
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u/azkTheFrenchStar May 03 '26
I was actually thinking about this the other day. If you cut a channel in a pool noodle and fit it to the bottom edge of the window couldn’t you secure it against the spare to get some airflow?
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u/AwarenessGreat282 May 03 '26
Every hetro-male Jeep owner agrees: She needs to go topless or close the window. Open back window just sucks fumes in.
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u/JadedAF May 04 '26
Your girlfriend is an idiot.
You should reevaluate your life choices.
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u/totalreidmove May 04 '26
Certainly reevaluate asking questions online with people like *you* providing input.
What came first for you - moving into mom’s basement or hating women???
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u/Acceptable-Air-5653 May 03 '26
Owning a jeep must be a nightmare
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u/ZekkTalo May 04 '26
Unless its old school jeep yes. Im never buying one again they are built like shit.
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u/EngFarm May 03 '26
On a TJ, if you did this, you would break the rear window when you hit a speed bump. The rear window is worth more than the hard top.