Armadillo Designs Aluminum Hardtop

[zyglyrox]

Can’t wait to see some of the 2dr hardtops getting out in the wild.

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[Chritaka]

Armadillo Designs Hardtop installed… Love it..! I did a shop tour also and will upload more pics in the Armadillo thread. And… the M2M attic shelf worked, with some tweaks and adjustment to the rear door corner gasket that seals against the rail. They had to use a credit card to finesse more gasket out in that corner to close a small gap, due to the M2M shelf brackets that mount to the top of rollbar and sandwiches between it and the top, before tightening it all up. I lost about 1” of storage due to the top being roughly ~1” shorter in the rear than the soft top… I’m going to see about modifying and drilling a lower hole for the shelf pin to sit 1-1.5” lower. It’ll have a slight tilt then, but give back some room. There is also a top brace that runs right across the top of where the shelf sits, so it also blocks some of the storage room… The storage in the gulls really makes up for any storage loss, and then some for sure. Noise level drastically decreased…it’s as quite as my old JGC.

I’m happy with how it came out. They use a welded shim back for the mount to the rollbar so if they removed 1-2 shims and used a rubber isolator to make up they height, that would give options for other accessories that mount there.. As is they also had to add extra shims to the side rail mount to help compensate for the M2M bracket. Sam was there and I talked to him about it, he thought it was a good idea..so maybe they’ll incorporate…

Shop tour pics. They’ve really come a long way and are continually working to optimize process, from now having dedicated blenders, vs the welders doing it all, to their jigs, to the 40 parts per batch process to streamline production, to their <8ft shipping container size (the awkward tilt of the top). It was great meeting Fabian, Sam and Andrew (install lead). A great bunch and they really worked to make that attic shelf work! They even test fitted the Braptor inside molle panels ( they have cutouts for the brace)to see if they’d work with the attic shelf, which are super close to working. I’ll need to make a very minor cut to them and told Fabian and Sam I’d share pics of the mod once done.

There was one issue, and just my luck, they installed the wrong color liner..apparently their first time.. However, they quickly stripped it and installed the right one without hesitation or question. It was cool hanging out with them and discussing their process and the chaos of trying to make it to support so many different aftermarket parts. They’re some genuine guys really trying to put out a great product…

M8 M2M bolts replaced with the M8 studs:

I missed getting a pic of the other tops ready to go and in final assembly just on the other side of the Bronco, during install. They had at least a handful I that phase…

 

[EasternSierra]

I'm curious how well the hatches keep out dust on really dusty trails. Some dust is always going to get in unless it's wet outside, but it can be a matter of a little bit vs. a thick coat on your gear depending on how well the hatches seal.

Any field reports?

 

[ObsidianTheBronco]

I'm curious how well the hatches keep out dust on really dusty trails. Some dust is always going to get in unless it's wet outside, but it can be a matter of a little bit vs. a thick coat on your gear depending on how well the hatches seal.

Any field reports?

I personally have +10,000 miles with the top through various on and off road conditions. The roof latches work great and the seals are heavy duty. Almost nothing gets in, and we don’t have any leaks to report.

The gullwing latches are a bit finicky and let some dust in that way. Not a significant amount to make the car dirty by any meanings.

The seals on the tailgate are better than factory hardtop imo. Coming back from sand hollow and the amount of residual does that made it to the back is much less significant than last year.

Hope this helps, if you have any more question just holler!

 

[EasternSierra]

I personally have +10,000 miles with the top through various on and off road conditions. The roof latches work great and the seals are heavy duty. Almost nothing gets in, and we don’t have any leaks to report.

The gullwing latches are a bit finicky and let some dust in that way. Not a significant amount to make the car dirty by any meanings.

The seals on the tailgate are better than factory hardtop imo. Coming back from sand hollow and the amount of residual does that made it to the back is much less significant than last year.

Hope this helps, if you have any more question just holler!

Thanks for the info, and also for the leak report - that's something I forgot to ask about.

I spent decades dealing with dust coming in through the tailgates (and rear hatches of camper shells) on my pickup trucks. With some finagling I could keep the dust down to a fairly modest amount in most circumstances. Rain was another matter entirely.

 

[ObsidianTheBronco]

Thanks for the info, and also for the leak report - that's something I forgot to ask about.

I spent decades dealing with dust coming in through the tailgates (and rear hatches of camper shells) on my pickup trucks. With some finagling I could keep the dust down to a fairly modest amount in most circumstances. Rain was another matter entirely.

I agree with the dust! The top has been 100% leak proof with regards to liquids. My only complaint is the lack of rain guards. In the rain the top drains water on to the door sill if the windows are down or if you open the door. Otherwise, this top has been a dream to own!

 

[Ninjak]

S. FL report. 1# question i get asked is "IS it HOT?" Nope is the answer. Actually during the cooler days here, it has been cooler in the Bronco.

Leak rain report, 100% good. No leaks no drips. As Obsidian said, its just the rain. When it rains, and stops, the rain settles and when you open the door, it will rain down on you. I just use a little wipe, and that problem is gone.

Wind noise level low. All I get now is some tire noise and low wind whistle. nothing compared to when I had the soft top.

This top was worth the wait and I am very happy I decided to take the plunge so long ago. Lots of compliments. Even non-Bronco people go, "dam...thats nice!" I do get the "is that the new Jeep "comments from time to time.....I just point to the BRONCO script on the side.

 

[SierraBronco]

I went out and saw the hardtops at KOH again. Mainly Raptor Roaches. It still looks as good as ever and I got some nice drone shots of them! It was observed the front seam on the top directs water right into the front windows like my soft top does the sealant on the top also looked pretty cooked. It was dried out and peeling but also looks really easy to replace if it ever leaks.

I loved it!

That seam directing water right into the door and where your face goes when entering/exiting is no joke. That and the keys being directional are my only criticisms so far

 

[WILDcardOD]

S. FL report. 1# question i get asked is "IS it HOT?" Nope is the answer. Actually during the cooler days here, it has been cooler in the Bronco.

Leak rain report, 100% good. No leaks no drips. As Obsidian said, its just the rain. When it rains, and stops, the rain settles and when you open the door, it will rain down on you. I just use a little wipe, and that problem is gone.

Wind noise level low. All I get now is some tire noise and low wind whistle. nothing compared to when I had the soft top.

This top was worth the wait and I am very happy I decided to take the plunge so long ago. Lots of compliments. Even non-Bronco people go, "dam...thats nice!" I do get the "is that the new Jeep "comments from time to time.....I just point to the BRONCO script on the side.

Heck in winter in Michigan having only had mine for a week, it honestly feels like it maintains internal temp better than my OEM hardtop.

 

[Splint3r]

Shop tour pics.

Great snapshot of the operation @Chritaka. If they are listening, many thanks to the Armadillo team for allowing the share.

Four observations:
1. It is obvious work is being undertaken to fulfill orders and the amount of WIP looks a little out of balance with the backorder quantity.
2. Despite their go team culture, Armadillo is not imune to the, "wait a sec while I check my IG."
**Seriously people, put down your phone while you are taking somone else's money.
3. Automated processes generally do not need to be supervised. Some exceptions may apply.
4. The shop is neat, clean and organized.

One suggestion: might be time to look toward automating at least some of the welding.

 

[Chritaka]

Great snapshot of the operation @Chritaka. If they are listening, many thanks to the Armadillo team for allowing the share.

Four observations:
1. It is obvious work is being undertaken to fulfill orders and the amount of WIP looks a little out of balance with the backorder quantity.
2. Despite their go team culture, Armadillo is not imune to the, "wait a sec while I check my IG."
**Seriously people, put down your phone while you are taking somone else's money.
3. Automated processes generally do not need to be supervised. Some exceptions may apply.
4. The shop is neat, clean and organized.

One suggestion: might be time to look toward automating at least some of the welding.

I’m not trying to defend, but my 2 cents per my experience there…

They did have at least 7-10 tops behind the bronco install area that were in final assembly, which I missed taking that pic. There have been other pics of that shared online though. Fabian mentioned they were working to add more automation, like the big device they now have to lift the huge aluminum sheets, which took a few guys to do, and run the through the laser. They now have 2 laser welders/areas, and hired separate blenders. One other issue they mentioned was the downtime they would have with the actual laser going out and the frequency of that, so they keep those in stock and learned how to swap them themselves. He was talking about bringing in more laser welders/blenders/welders as well. They are definitely trying to reinvest to increase production.

As far as the media and events, I thought this too some and these events take $$$ where they could invest in equipment. Fabian is more of the face and marketing. I did get the impression that the production crew was always heads down, often put in extended hours and did their best to innovate and get creative with optimizing productivity. Fabian mentioned bringing in additional designers as well to help with accessories, while Sam focused on core components and compatibility…he was pulled in too many directions. Fabian reiterated many times how much they’ve learned, how they’ve adapted, and plans to increase productivity.

Fabian and Sam did throw in a hand here and there with assembly/install. They were both there 90-95% of the time of the install. Sam was on point and directed the team on how to go about test fitting the interior molle’s (I mentioned their shape would interfere with the M2M bracket) and he suggested using the BRaptor molle’s (just a small notch I’ll need to make) as well as the top with the M2M attic shelf/brackets (they’ve had several ask about fitment, which I also relayed) and make sure it would all work.

I hear what you’re saying though, given the number of orders they have to fulfill, the size of their facility/setup/employees appear a bit lacking in capacity. As you automate and streamline, you can lose some of this personal touch and customer experience…it can be a fine line. I hope they continue to automate and streamline productivity and find that balance. I enjoyed chatting with them about the top, my build, all my mods (which it was cool how much they appreciated I had done all the mods myself), ideas for accessories, their challenges, and compatibility, etc…

I will say Fabian gave me an install date roughly 1 month out and they met that date, so that’s something…

 

[DUSTYcazOREGON]

Can’t wait to see some of the 2dr hardtops getting out in the wild.

Mine is in production....I of course will post photos upon receipt and install.

 

[Chritaka]

I’m still able to store some recovery gear and the Armadillo Designs panel storage bags in the M2M attic tray.. This is still at shipped locking pin height, I haven’t modified yet…

Top view of L-tracks and SiriusXM antenna relocation. I will either do the TrailRax or a half rack at rear. I talked to Sam and Fabian about having a low, form fitting rear half rack, similar to TOR’s… So this may be a future accessory….

 

[Ninjak]

@Chritaka : Did they do the XM mod for you, or did you do it yourself?

 

[Chritaka]

@Chritaka : Did they do the XM mod for you, or did you do it yourself?

They did it for me at the time of install, no additional charge. They also had the L-tracks pre-installed.

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