Chapstick Rocks!

[nwoods]

I've got a fairly new Jeep (2005 LJ) with the factory soft top, yet the back window is very difficult to zip in/out all the way. At the recent 4Wheelparts show in Ontario (hey Barney!), I chatted up the BestTop guy who gave me the hot tip of "waxing" the zipper with Chapstick. Says it does not attract dirt like WD-40 and similar products, and won't stain the top.

Sounded good so I tried it. What had previously resisted all 300 pounds of my weight tugging on the darn thing now glides smoothly into place. Zipper is fixed. Total cost: 99 cents!

[dirtman13]

That's a good tip Nathan. I use a dry Teflon spray and it works great.

[sarah]

You have windows!? hehe

That's a great tip. Thanks for sharing.

[Lawrence]

A bar of soap works well too, and your fingers will thank you if you hook one of these on the pull. ;D

[Kodiak Spirit]

yeah, I allways used Ivory.. its a nice bar o' soap to shoot at as well

[Jerry Bransford]

Candle wax works well too.

[hillbillybob]

x 2 candle wax

Candle wax works well too.

I carry a smaal block of candle wax, it works wonders on those zippers.

[Materdaddy]

That's a good tip Nathan. I use a dry Teflon spray and it works great.

I use teflon spray too. Works great, but it a bit more than 99 cents!

[Daniel Hoppe Jr]

REI outdoors sells "zipper lube". It's like chapstick. It's for backpacks,sleepingbags,ect.

[nwoods]

REI outdoors sells "zipper lube". It's like chapstick. It's for backpacks,sleepingbags,ect.

Oh man! I wish I read this 30 minutes ago. I was just there during lunch today.

[Daniel Hoppe Jr]

sorry, well it's 5:52am here that makes it 30am there, gotta go to work. Fun fun till someone loses a wheel.

[sarah]

:hijack:

C'mon you guys! Don't you know about REI?

STAY AWAY!!

They support organizations that are trying to KILL our sport. I admit stopping in once a while to look, and then buying from the internet or another store.

[nwoods]

:hijack:

C'mon you guys! Don't you know about REI?

STAY AWAY!!

They support organizations that are trying to KILL our sport. I admit stopping in once a while to look, and then buying from the internet or another store.

I totally agree. As an REI shareholder and member, I write to them several times a year about the stupidity of supporting the Sierra Club, an organization that actively is trying to diminish outdoor use. If that is not a self-defeating purpose for an outdoor gear company, I don't know what is!

I also hate that they are wasting money on Al Gore and buying carbon offsets. I am all for sustainability, recycling, reducing waste and landfill mass, etc..., but carbon offsets are such a waste of money in a global sense, it's completely infuriating. REI has changed radically in teh past few years, and has become "radical" themselves. They've lost focus on their core business model, and now try to be like every other company out there. It's very disappointing.

Sadly, for some items, there are few alternatives, like 8 gallon Rubbermaid Action Packers. The only other place I could find them was Amazon, and they were out of stock.

[Daniel Hoppe Jr]

I found that the "Zip stick" is not avalable any more, but there are other alternatives, BIO GREEN,and Phil Tenacious oil. Both cost around $7.00. thay don't collect dust, and thay wont degrade the nylon zippers like wax and oils.