Share Your Hard Top Removal Tips and Tricks

[Elegance]

Hi y'all. I recently purchased a 2023 4d Badlands with a hard top, and I'm loving every second of it. One of my favorite things about the vehicle is how easy the front row hard top panels are to remove. I take them off almost every day to enjoy the wind and sun on the way home from work. I managed to get the center roof panel off once, but I needed my boyfriend's assistance. I've really been wanting to go fully topless by removing the rear panel. Two issues with this - I have no garage to install a hoist system nor a place to store a lift, and I'm a pretty small individual.

I've heard the horror stories about the weight, awkward removal process, and hazardous sharp edges. I've also watched a few "how to" videos, but they always make it look simple by employing 2 tall muscled dudes to demonstrate. For context, the rear panel is more than half my body weight.

What is your method of choice to remove the top with 2 people? After removing hardware and detaching wires, it really as simple as one of us on each side lifting it off, or is there more strategy involved? Where do you safely store your rear panel without a garage/shed? Any tips and tricks y'all can provide are very much appreciated, even if I'm making this out to be a bigger deal in my own mind than it is in reality.

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[RoLyMa27]

This is how my wife and I remove the hardtop. It just so happens that our back porch is the right height to pull this off. She's 5'2" ish. I'm 5"8". We bought 2 Werner painting platforms. My wife uses gloves. We raise her side a little and place a towel under the top so she can get her hands under and grip it. Raise the glass and then close the tailgate. Hold the top closer to the rear and slowly move it to the back. We have 4 pieces of 4x4 wooden blocks to put the top on, being careful not to put the top down on the pins. Start to finish it takes us about 20 minutes. We store the top on the back porch.

 

[kodiakisland]

It's pretty simple. Not sure what the horror stories are. I have no problem getting my wife to help me remove or replace the two door hardtop, and it's the heavier one. I just set the top on the garage floor and don't worry about it.

 

[Featherless]

In all seriousness tho, I have no solutions as I’ve never taken the back part of the roof off

 

[BigFootie]

Kris, first, get yourself some of the knobs that replace the screws that hold the top down. Then like @kodiakisland says, it’s not too difficult with two people. Ours is a bit heavier since it’s a modtop but it can be helped by removing the gunners hatch and the side windows but I prefer to do it as is. Currently we set it on the floor on too 4x4’s.

 

[SpringTXOR]

Roll n Jack is my way to do it!

 

[talbot]

ill add to be careful with the clamshell to not break off a guide pin
also, dont over torque the clam when re-installing, its fairly easy to crack the bottom rail of the clamshell

 

[Rydfree]

Buy something like a Roll'N Jack and rent a storage space.

 

[Shane78]

These Rockworx screws and Toplift pro. Have 2 door top off by myself in under 5 minutes.
https://www.rockworkx.com/collectio...rd-bolts-ten-piece-set?variant=41804570656964

 

[VailDan]

Yes - I have a 23 BL 2D and use toplift pro. I do not have soft top and take it off/on a couple of times each month. Takes about 5 minutes. The one thing I made a mistake with is topliftpro will not work if you have the Bronco “trunk” cover. I bought the Ford enclosed lid in rear so I can lock up stuff when I go in somewhere, etc. as my top is off all the time. Go to Home Depot, liquor store, or whatever and need to go in somewhere else, etc you can simply open rear door and through it in and it is locked when the rare door is closed and locked. Just keep in mind that if you topliftpro, the rear lid enclosure blocks it from getting in and removing top on 2D, and becomes not worth using it much

 

[C6ZZGT]

Hi y'all. I recently purchased a 2023 4d Badlands with a hard top, and I'm loving every second of it. One of my favorite things about the vehicle is how easy the front row hard top panels are to remove. I take them off almost every day to enjoy the wind and sun on the way home from work. I managed to get the center roof panel off once, but I needed my boyfriend's assistance. I've really been wanting to go fully topless by removing the rear panel. Two issues with this - I have no garage to install a hoist system nor a place to store a lift, and I'm a pretty small individual.

I've heard the horror stories about the weight, awkward removal process, and hazardous sharp edges. I've also watched a few "how to" videos, but they always make it look simple by employing 2 tall muscled dudes to demonstrate. For context, the rear panel is more than half my body weight.

What is your method of choice to remove the top with 2 people? After removing hardware and detaching wires, it really as simple as one of us on each side lifting it off, or is there more strategy involved? Where do you safely store your rear panel without a garage/shed? Any tips and tricks y'all can provide are very much appreciated, even if I'm making this out to be a bigger deal in my own mind than it is in reality.

Short girl issues are real, my wife is one. Just be careful and take your time .Couple of 2x4s on the ground will be good as long as you clear the locating pins. Saw horses might be easier to set down/lift up from though.

 

[amazingjason]

I have a 2 door heritage edition (Sasquatch) so the rear section is quite high and heavy. My son is six feet tall and about 180 lbs and I‘m six feet tall and about 200 lbs. It is heavy and awkward for us to lift off but doable. My wife is about 5’ 8” and extremely fit but I wouldn’t ask her to lift it off with me.

We got a hoist with an electric winch (hoist a top), and it is much easier to get off and it stores up and out of the way.

So, if a hoist isn’t an option, I suggest getting a couple of relatively strong men.

Jason

 

[GroovyGeek]

Don't do it. The novelty will wear out quickly. The design is not conducive to sunshades that stay in place when you put the hard top back on, a la SpiderwebShade in JeepLand. When you put it back on it will be noisier and rattle more than when it came out of the factory.

Yes, I know I am getting flamed for this, but it is my opinion

Frankly, the lack of foresight to enable sunshades that stay in place under the hard top so you can take off the panels and not fry in the sun is pretty surprising. There probably aren't Jeeps on the roads where the top or the panels are off without a Spiderwebshade or a DirtyDog or some such.

 

[kodiakisland]

I have a 2 door heritage edition (Sasquatch) so the rear section is quite high and heavy. My son is six feet tall and about 180 lbs and I‘m six feet tall and about 200 lbs. It is heavy and awkward for us to lift off but doable. My wife is about 5’ 8” and extremely fit but I wouldn’t ask her to lift it off with me.

We got a hoist with an electric winch (hoist a top), and it is much easier to get off and it stores up and out of the way.

So, if a hoist isn’t an option, I suggest getting a couple of relatively strong men.

Jason

The heritage edition must be considerably heavier than the standard top then as the standard 2 door top is not that difficult for anyone without a disability.

 

[indio22]

First thing I did was remove the guide pins - hold the plastic part with a pliers and unscrew using a philips screw driver. Then you don't have to worry about breaking the pins. And it's easier to re-install the top, because you don't have to line up the pins or have them crack/scratch the body. Instead set the top down on the body and then re-position as needed.

When removing the top, I open the tailgate to the first "partial open" position, and open the hardtop back window. Then my son and I take a side, lift and walk the top backwards off the Bronco, and then set it in the yard. Honestly I'm not sure my wife would be able to do that, it requires some arm and upper body strength to avoid a possible mistake.

Don't forget to disconnect the electric and window washer cables - I've failed to remember that a few times.

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