Share Your Hard Top Removal Tips and Tricks

[j_marinelli]

This is more for storage after you get the top off.

Lange makes a cart that I think you can squeeze through the door so if you don't have a garage you can will it into the place (assuming you don't live on a second or higher floor lol)

https://langeoriginals.com/products/ford-bronco-total-top-cart

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[Broncob Lindenmuth]

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.

I feel ya for real. Especially because I remove & attach all 4 of the hardtop pieces by myself. The struggle is definitely real. I put the back part on a card table:

 

[Onestepmore]

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.

I got the Harbor Freight winch and straps to make this lift...it's pretty cheap and easy to install and you can see it has a control for operation. I'm 69 and this takes 10 minutes to hook up the straps and stays in the ceiling...just a thought

 

[RocketHurricane]

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

When you are removing the rear top section do you leave the hatch in place or take it out first? I haven’t tried removing the rear section yet but have been pondering the trade off of removing the hatch first to reduce its weight vs the extra time/hassle of removing and storing the hatch.

 

[Figmo]

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.

I don’t think this is true of all of them. I bought the cheapest sunshade I could find on Amazon last year and it stays in place under the hard top. I just have to unclip the front edge and fold it back when running the hard top. If I want to remove the gunners hatch I can. And if I wan the sunshade back just unfold it and reclip the front edge.

NOTE: I have a 2 door. 4 doors are probably different

 

[CrystalRedTintCoat]

Hi. There are Couple products like this on the market. You just need a place to let the hardtop perch until you return.
https://topliftpros.com/pages/bronco
https://topliftpros.com/pages/bronco

 

[ldcobb2]

I installed eye bolts into the joists in my garage. Then I use two 2” clamping straps and slowly lift the top so it’s as high up as possible. Then I’m able to park under it.

Here’s the link - it’s made for jeep but works perfect for the Bronco clamshell.

https://www.extremeterrain.com/black-canyon-jeep-wrangler-manual-hard-top-hoist-j132285-jl.html

 

[Mjasi3]

I use a rollin jack. Very easy. I do it alone. I have the front 2 supports 1 slot higher than the back and it comes off level and easy.

RollnJack Hard Top Removal Lift... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BP5KDHG?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

 

[Felix808]

Roll n Jack is my way to do it!

Likewise

 

[MileHighCitizen]

I use a rollin jack. Very easy. I do it alone. I have the front 2 supports 1 slot higher than the back and it comes off level and easy.

RollnJack Hard Top Removal Lift... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BP5KDHG?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

How do you get around the rear crossbar (where the speakers attach) with the arms sticking up?

 

[Saltwater Junkie]

Before we got our Top lift Pro, we set 2 inexpensive foldable saw hoses with 2 -4x4s behind the Bronco. My wife is also vertically challenged but she is able to help me fit top straight up and walk the top 5' back and set it on (remember the pins) the saw horses. Plus it's waist high and much easier to pick up and reinstall.
pic for example

 

[Mjasi3]

How do you get around the rear crossbar (where the speakers attach) with the arms sticking up?

The 2 front uprights go in between and not past the crossbar. I have the larger SSv pods and it still works. The SSV pods are wider than stock, so I got the half moons for the rears and everything works.

If you have stock, you’ll be able to push in farther and use full moons at the rear.

It takes me about 10/15 minutes alone and that’s what unbolting everything and putting the jack in place.

 

[amazingjason]

When you are removing the rear top section do you leave the hatch in place or take it out first? I haven’t tried removing the rear section yet but have been pondering the trade off of removing the hatch first to reduce its weight vs the extra time/hassle of removing and storing the hatch.

When we removed the top manually, we took off the hatch to save weight and removed the side windows to provide more places to grip. It still isn’t easy.

With the hoist, we leave the hatch and windows attached and put the two front panels on top of the rear section. It lifts everything together.

Don’t let me discourage you from removing the whole top. The bronco is much nicer with the roof off.

Jason

 

[ldcobb2]

When we removed the top manually, we took off the hatch to save weight and removed the side windows to provide more places to grip. It still isn’t easy.

With the hoist, we leave the hatch and windows attached and put the two front panels on top of the rear section. It lifts everything together.

Don’t let me discourage you from removing the whole top. The bronco is much nicer with the roof off.

Jason

i agree - the Broncos look great topless!

 

[amazingjason]

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.

The front panels weigh 17.4 and 17.8 pounds.
The gunner’s hatch weighs 13.8 pounds.
The rear side windows weigh 8 pounds each.
The rear hardtop without the gunner’s hatch or side windows weighs 94.8 pounds.
Altogether, the whole hardtop assembly weighs 160 pounds.

Jason

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