Hey guys,

Ok, i got mine on Monday. I initially ordered this top for the dual purpose of providing shade and also acting as a wind jammer. So, yes i was much more interested in the SW1. But, i ordered it as the design was switched over to the SW2. With all that being said my write up in this product is as follows.

I took delivery on Monday. Opened it right up and got to work on it. Very….simple install. Nothing really to it. I set the top up to cover the 2 front seats only and used the remainder to act as a wind jammer. So I did the simple install over the 2 front seats then ran the remainder in between the roll bar and sound bar. By doing this i had plenty of head clearance (im 6ft) but the routing of the top over the roll bar took about 3-4 inches from the length of the top. In the end this left a pretty big gap between the bottom of the top and the floor of the Jeep. So, when configured this way the wind jammer portion really doesnt work well because of the gap. Wind just rushes in and it almost seems as if its coming in harder since now its concentrated.

So this morning to took the wind jammer portion apart to reconfigure the set up points. This time i did not run the top in between the roll bar and sound bar. This time I did the drop down before the roll bar. This gave me the extra length to close the gap between the floor and bottom of the wind jammer. This actually worked very well. BUT, by running the top downward before the roll bar took away structure from the top. So, me being 6ft the top is now hitting my head.

One note to let you guys know about the wind Jammer set up. When the remainder from the top is used as a wind jammer the wind jammer portion hugs the seats very tight. This leads to a very nasty kicking feeling from wind when you are on the highway. It almost feels like someone is constantly shoving the front seats consistently.

In all, the SW2 works for what it is. For the amount it cost it does its job. It provides the shade needed and the wind jammer portion works well for what it is. Im going to try to figure out another way to run the wind jammer portion so that it does not interfere with the seats. And yes, the gaps between the top and the roll bars are pretty big. But that doesnt interfere with its function. At highway speeds it keeps the cabin pretty calm with the wind jammer. All in all i am OK with it. I also have a full Bikini top…i hated the whole windshield liner thing….this SW2 is good because I still have full function of my soft top. Below are a few images of the SW2 on my 00 TJ white….

True to your word - the SW2 has arrived today! I am going to go take the hardtop off, grab the camera and put it on…then over the next few weeks I’ll test it out in different configurations and situations! Weeeeeeeeeee! First comment - I pulled it out of the box and it looks very well made. Stitching looks tough - and this definitely isn’t made of some mesh you would find down at the local nursery - quality material here. The black grommets look GREAT! Chris, you listen well to your customers! I do like the little added bit of marketing by sewing your name / website on there - nice touch. I’ll come back after a bit with more to report I am sure!
1. Overall Fit - Seems to fit very nicely.
3. Ease of use - I got it on in a matter of minutes. Very easy - even the first time…very intuitive…I really like the bungy ball straps.
5. Noise / Noise Reduction - I only drove a little bit, but it definitely didn’t flap or anything. I will test this further at speeds on the freeway, and in different configurations, etc.
9. Back view through the back piece - day - I only drove around for about ten minutes. At first every time you glance in the rear view mirror you think - oh yeah there is this thing there…but pretty soon I didn’t even really notice…it is kind of like having tinting on a back window or something.
11. Grab handle fit - Yes! Finally I can have a bikini type top and still have my grab handles on.
12. Looks - I have to say that I am very impressed - I was a bit skeptical about the back part and thought I would most likely only use the bikini long-term but after two minutes on the Jeep, I am hooked already on all of it.
15. Headroom fit - front - I was actually not thinking about this when I got in to drive and was a little surprised that my head touched the top just barely. I always sit straight up, I don’t recline my seat at all like most people, and am 6′ 0″. I reached up and adjusted the top a little so it would sit higher on the roll bar and it pulled it up enough so that it didn’t touch my head/hair - problem solved! This is something that people that are taller may need to consider. I will check this some more to see how much I can adjust it upwards. Also, I drive a 97 - so remember that the seats sit higher than later model year TJs (which are the ones that people put hockey pucks under the seats as lifters, so this might not even be an issue for later models or people that recline their seat even slightly).
16. Fit with rear expand-a-trunk - Fits perfectly along the top of the trunk.

Overall first impression - VERY POSITIVE! The SpiderWebShade SW2 rocks! I love how it looks and couldn’t be happier with how easy it went on and how great it looks. I’ll put it through the paces along with the other testers here and report back as I go.

Here are a couple of pictures in the driveway…I’ll get some good action shots when I get out on the trails with it in the future.

I’ve been down with a cold so today is the first chance I’ve had to do some more testing. I decided to switch the back section from a bikini top to a windjammer. Bottom line up front: The SpiderWeb Shade SW-2 top peformed VERY well as a windjammer in this configuration.

There are a couple of different ways you can do this - I decided to go the easy route and just fold it right over the sound bar and back in and down - the pictures will show what I did. It only took a few minutes to switch it and this way also keeps the speakers ‘inside’ of the cockpit. It is fairly windy today so I took a quick test drive and got some pictures. I didn’t get down to the freeway - but got up to about 50 on an already windy day - and I have to say - this thing did REALLY well as wind break. I was surprised actually.

Since I chose to roll it over the sound bar and back in and down, it doesn’t go all the way down - that small gap had some wind coming through it…but for fun I opened up my Tuffy center console lid and that blocked the gap completely! Also,there are ways to do this I am sure that make it go all the way down. The only significant wind I noticed came UNDER the seat to my feet and legs. That was kind of funny actually - you don’t normally notice that because there is so much wind up top. I’ll bet that gets blocked if I run it straight down the roll bar instead of over the sound bar…or you could stuff a towel under your seat or something if it bugs you (I liked the air on my feet actually - with no wind blowing up top - a bonus for the girl Jeepers or guys with girlfriends/wives <or guys with long hair themselves, damn hippies> that hate their hair blowing around…I keep a ball cap and scrunchy in the Jeep for my GF…but she won’t need it with this SpiderWeb Shade SW-2 configuration).

With the doors on and the windows rolled up it was pretty quiet in the cockpit and very little wind. Of course, in order for people to ride in the back, they will have to climb in over the tire…like with any windjammer - but if you have people in back, take 2 minutes to strap it back up as a back bikini top and off you go. As far as being able to see out the back, it was no problem - as you will see in one of the pictures below. Looks-wise I thought it might look funny over the roll bar and back in and down but once I got it up and stepped back to look, I was totally fine with it. Also, very little noise and there was zero flapping. I will probably drive in this configuration a LOT. Pretty impressive. Here are some pictures:

So the SW2 showed up the other day and only had 30 minutes to remove the soft top, take off the SW1 and put on the SW2 before it got dark and rainy. Since the last write up on the SW1, I have installed 1.5 aluminum blocks for seat lifters for better driving visibility. I am 5’-10” and I had enough headroom clearance since the SW1 rose up as it went over the roll bar and speaker pods on it’s way to the back seat area.

On the SW2 however the mesh top sits inside the drivers and passengers roll bar area. Now in my case since I lifted the seats, my head touches the mesh top but the shorter drivers in my family (test subject was 5’-7”) had no issues with headroom at all. There is less headroom since the top doesn’t go over the roll bar like the SW1. If your seats aren’t raised and your under 5’-10” you should not have any front seat clearance issues. I can’t tell you want the maximum height would be since I have been told that earlier model TJs seats were up higher that late model TJs/LJs and I am not over 5’-10”. If not for my seat height issue, this is a great configuration if you want just shade over the front compartment or are running it in the windjammer mode.

As for the back half of the top, I pulled it over the top of the rollbar and although not shown in the pictures, I used the same middle grommet from the front part of the top and only used one bungee ball for both pieces. I didn’t do that on the side grommets so I could adjust and move the top forward and backward as needed. As you can see from my pictures, there is one section that I needed to adjust to make it a little smoother but I didn’t find a way to connect the next set of grommets since the speaker pods were there. The top does go back further down the roll bar as you can see in the pictures. My kids were not real happy to sit for some shots but you can see where the top is relative to the placements of their heads. They are 5.6” and had no issues on the SW1 but if you are taller than that in a LJ, you might have clearance issues on the SW2. If there was a grommet between the last two grommets it might follow the contour of the roll bar to give you a little more clearance but I don’t know that for sure.

Even with the headroom issue, I reclined my seat back further and did take it for a 30-minute ride at dusk. It was just as quite and stable with the wind blowing and on the highway as was the SW1. Having tried them both, I will have to stick with the SW1 for the headroom issues that I have. However if headroom wasn’t an issue, and you have kids under 5’-6” then the SW2 as it is would be the way that I would go. If you have access to add a grommet between the second and last grommet you might be able to fit someone as taller in the back seat.

I think it’s a great product well made and thought out. We drove 100+ mile with it on and did not have issues with sunburn or having to squint our eyes like we do without the top. The wind noise wasn’t too bad either. As for Customer Service, these guys are great.

So how many have you made so far?
I have followed this thread from it’s inception, and yes I purchased the SW2 about a month ago.
Yes, it’s the same material used for “tarps” as some call it.
Yes, it has grommets.
Yes, it uses bungee balls to secure it.
So, if it’s so easy to manufacture and improve- Why the heck haven’t any of you done it?
If you don’t like the man’s product, fine, don’t purchase it. Leave it be.
I for one couldn’t be happier with mine. It does what it’s supposed to do-
Goes on easy, keeps the Texas sun from scorching me, yet still lets the breeze in. We drive Jeeps, not some fancy little sports car, so if the lines don’t match the roll bar, so what.
I have had several Jeepers ask me where I purchased this, and I gladly pointed them to the website. In my opinion, it was worth the $60 I spent.
OK- I’m done ranting.

Ordered my SW2 Thursday afternoon and received it Monday afternoon. Threw it on about ten minutes ago and it looks super cool.

I want to thank Spiderweb for making available such a great product and everyone on here for the great reviews (and pointing me to the Shade Top in the first place) that lead me to purchase this.

Whenever I’m thinking of buying something for my Jeep I always check here first.

I love these forums.

Just installed the SW2 on 04 LJ. Perfect fit and looks good (to me). I see some are waiting for the SW3, but this is the best application for the LJ. Some say the SW2 is a tarp. I agree. It is shaped like a tarp, but the materials and workmanship are top notch. Love the use of the bungee ball. I recommend this for LJ owners.

I have 2 kids who sit in the back and it provides the same amount of shade cover as my safari top.

Also, spoke to Chris and asked him some questions about the top prior to me purchasing it. He was very courteous and great to work with. Put my order in and he shipped it same day. Got it 2 days later. Cool product, wish I thought of it

Spiderweb’d in Richmond, VA…keep on Jeepin

I ordered mine (SW2) Friday afternoon - LATE (like 6:30 pm). I received it today via FedEx. Incredibly fast shipping.

Had it installed in under 15 minutes.

Very high quality fabric. Feels dense and rubberized. Fits taut over the roll bar.

Looking forward to test driving in the morning.

Thanks Chris !!! I think this is gonna work just fine!