Soft Top <--> Hard Top Swap : Tips & Lessons Learned - UPDATED

[604Bronco]

Great write-up! Thank you!

For these side brackets - If you’re keeping your soft top too (I.e. - switching between seasons) can you leave these installed with a hard top on?

Thanks!

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[Catmandu]

Great write-up! Thank you!

For these side brackets - If you’re keeping your soft top too (I.e. - switching between seasons) can you leave these installed with a hard top on?

Thanks!

Yes, we actually had the hard top completed installed before we noticed. We are removing the top in the pic for the swap. This was the inspiration for the write-up.

 

[ADV Fiberglass]

@ADV Fiberglass Not sure if you’re already aware of these differences, but something to consider since most of your customers will be Soft-Top Broncos

Yes we are well aware of the differences. We are in the process of investigating the hardtop prep kit to manufacture one of our own. Our top will work with the factory hardtop prep kit but for those that do not have a prep kit would be able to buy ours (if and when we finish engineering for the prep kit).

 

[lakesinai]

[UPDATED to include the rear cargo panel location reference and frame bolt/bracket section]

2 group members decided they wanted to swap tops. For the most part it was pretty straight forward, however there were a few items not covered in the resources I've seen to date. This is largely due to the resources covering top removal, not swapping. There are a few parts that need to be swapped than planned. While not a big deal with a straight swap with both vehicles on site, it is a bigger deal for anyone with a hard top opting to get the soft top. These additional parts would need to be sourced in addition to the top.


Soft Top Side Window Channels:

After swapping the tops and moving on to the victory lap of installing the side soft top windows, we realized that Ford does not include the front side window channel (shown below) brackets on the hard top models:

With window channel:

Without window channel (Note the @GearShade Jeep lurking in the background):

It is a simple 3 bolt swap for each bracket.

Rear Cargo Access Panel Covers:

The final step in the process was to reinstall the rear cargo access panels. When trying to reinstall the panels on the hard top donor, we could not get the panels to fit properly. That is when we noticed the panels are different between the models.

Notice the relief cuts on the bottom covers from the soft top:

The relief area is required for the soft top frame:

Additional noteworthy items:

Frame Bolts and Bracket:

The 3 bolts highlighted were not included in the hard top as well as the bracket the top 2 bolts attached to:

Top bracket location (sorry no pic if the bracket itself):

Everyone pitching in @GearShade @mtap:

THE END (FL6G Meetup )

Wow! What a well-written, well- illustrated article, and about a unique scenario, as well, a straight swap of differing parts. Its very helpful in warning of some issues, since I have a Hard Top, and plan (or maybe plannED) to purchase a soft top in time.
Questions:

How would a Dual-Top vehicle be equipped? Eg, the side trim piece with the plastic window panel: would the Hard Top fit back onto that piece, making it "Dual" functional, or would a soft top kit have to include the "3-bolt" panel, and I'd swap the panel each time?

Same question for that inside rear attachment area, where the rear Cap bolts, and where the soft-top frame pivots: if I were doing seasonal swapping, Hard to Soft, Soft to Hard would I need a separate set of rear attachment hardware for each top, changing each time, or is there a hardware set that would handle both tops? How seasonally swappable are these Ford OEM tops, from what you've seen?

I watched a Besttop video installing the Besttop softie on a Hardtop vehicle (the Father-Son TFG Bronco). It seemed to me that to remove the Besttop softie, and reinstall the HT seasonally, there were alot of extra Besttop parts that would get in the way of the HT. But I haven't figured that out yet. The Father-Son duo did alot of complaining about their Gen-1 Hard Top, and the Besttop replacement sermed permanent to them, but my Gen-2 Hard Top works quite nicely and I like it!

Put another way, your research is helping me think through whether I want an OEM softie or a Besttop softie, to complement my HT and give me a Dual-Top set up!

On a personal note, whats your plan: are you two going to do a swap back at some point?

 

[SPITmadFIRE]

Since the soft top donor had the hard top prep kit, no additional items were required.

But hard toppers don’t get a soft top prep kit — oof

 

[Gloff]

Also to note: there is some adjustability to the soft top body brackets. My tech had to move the top forward on the brackets to get the latches to seat correctly.

Also isn't there a secondary latch and bracket above the rear doors for the half open position?

 

[CyberOrangeBadlands]

Awesome - thx for taking the time and sharing this info.

Waiting on my 2 door Badlands with MIC top and have already purchased the Bestop Trektop.

Being in the Northeast the plan is to switch back and forth every 6 months.

 

[Catmandu]

Also to note: there is some adjustability to the soft top body brackets. My tech had to move the top forward on the brackets to get the latches to seat correctly.

Also isn't there a secondary latch and bracket above the rear doors for the half open position?

Yes there is….I’ll update with that info later to include how we adjusted.

 

[Lexo52]

Well if anyone in the Houston area wants to trade let me know lmao

 

[BroncoDymond88]

This is not an exhaustive list. See this post for additional items needed.

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/soft-top-help.33785/#post-1125965

my hope is to get together a complete list of what’s needed to go from a hard top to a soft top so any additional info that can be provided would be appreciated.

 

[ColbyLang]

Well if anyone in the Houston area wants to trade let me know lmao

I’ll happily swap you my soft top for your hard top. Hahahaha

 

[StyleGuy]

Thanks for the write up! I purchased another members soft top but I didn’t know about the side panels being different. I’ll have to source those.

The link above by @BroncoDymond88 has pictures of all the parts you didn’t show.

 

[See_Later_Alligator]

That’s a bit intimidating. It’d be only me and my spouse for a few minutes. Seems like switching between both isn’t really an option for me

 

[Catmandu]

Also to note: there is some adjustability to the soft top body brackets. My tech had to move the top forward on the brackets to get the latches to seat correctly.

Also isn't there a secondary latch and bracket above the rear doors for the half open position?

Updated to include the roll bar and rear hatch brackets.

 

[See_Later_Alligator]

Wow! What a well-written, well- illustrated article, and about a unique scenario, as well, a straight swap of differing parts. Its very helpful in warning of some issues, since I have a Hard Top, and plan (or maybe plannED) to purchase a soft top in time.
Questions:

How would a Dual-Top vehicle be equipped? Eg, the side trim piece with the plastic window panel: would the Hard Top fit back onto that piece, making it "Dual" functional, or would a soft top kit have to include the "3-bolt" panel, and I'd swap the panel each time?

Same question for that inside rear attachment area, where the rear Cap bolts, and where the soft-top frame pivots: if I were doing seasonal swapping, Hard to Soft, Soft to Hard would I need a separate set of rear attachment hardware for each top, changing each time, or is there a hardware set that would handle both tops? How seasonally swappable are these Ford OEM tops, from what you've seen?

I watched a Besttop video installing the Besttop softie on a Hardtop vehicle (the Father-Son TFG Bronco). It seemed to me that to remove the Besttop softie, and reinstall the HT seasonally, there were alot of extra Besttop parts that would get in the way of the HT. But I haven't figured that out yet. The Father-Son duo did alot of complaining about their Gen-1 Hard Top, and the Besttop replacement sermed permanent to them, but my Gen-2 Hard Top works quite nicely and I like it!

Put another way, your research is helping me think through whether I want an OEM softie or a Besttop softie, to complement my HT and give me a Dual-Top set up!

On a personal note, whats your plan: are you two going to do a swap back at some point?

you lost me at the end. Which would you get like that from factory and which aftermarket. And why?

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