Is the top fully closed or in position 1 or 2? If closed, then consider taking it all the way off again and adjust the black mounting bars behind your 3 bolt bracket.
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Soft Top <--> Hard Top Swap : Tips & Lessons Learned - UPDATED
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Does anyone have a picture of where these 4 bolts circled in red below are supposed to go? I'm trying to collect the missing parts from the seller, and we see the 6 silver bolts attached to the brackets. But not sure where the other 4 are (they appear to be the same size/type bolt based on the parts numbers below).
Ha I can address both with the same picture.
@PapaSmurf Do you mean the bracket behind the plate the soft top bolts onto? There is no play in that bracket whatsoever. Or are you saying there's something you can adjust behind that bracket?
@Kach Vartan They are for the quarter panel brackets. 2 on each side. See pic.
@PapaSmurf Do you mean the bracket behind the plate the soft top bolts onto? There is no play in that bracket whatsoever. Or are you saying there's something you can adjust behind that bracket?
@Kach Vartan They are for the quarter panel brackets. 2 on each side. See pic.
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Ah, so the 2 bolts attach the bracket to the body. And then the 3 bolts attach the soft top to the bracket (2 bolts) and the body (1 bolt on the bottom). 5 per side equals 10 total bolts. Now it all makes sense. Thank you.Ha I can address both with the same picture.
@PapaSmurf Do you mean the bracket behind the plate the soft top bolts onto? There is no play in that bracket whatsoever. Or are you saying there's something you can adjust behind that bracket?
@Kach Vartan They are for the quarter panel brackets. 2 on each side. See pic.
Exactly.
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I have a 24 Big Bend which came from the factory with the soft top in the back. Hard top was already installed. Apparently this was a Bronco someone custom ordered in this configuration.
My soft top was tied down to a large styrofoam back board thing. One box contains window panels. There’s six large bolts I want to say in the container and also a small box containing two of the plastic side window channels.
what is the easiest way for me to see what else I need to buy before I try and make weekend out of putting this on in place of the hard top.
Thanks
My soft top was tied down to a large styrofoam back board thing. One box contains window panels. There’s six large bolts I want to say in the container and also a small box containing two of the plastic side window channels.
what is the easiest way for me to see what else I need to buy before I try and make weekend out of putting this on in place of the hard top.
Thanks
On looking closer at mine the latches don’t really look like the picture and stamped into the plastic at the top it says “soft top ready”. As far as the trim panels below the window I can’t tell. I see the picture in the first post showing relief cuts, but it’s easy to see the cut side by side like that. Mine does see to have a slight cut out shape to it.
It is definitely confusing to try to piece what you need together. Everyone did a great job in this thread listing the parts out but it's still a little overwhelming. Feel free to post pictures and I will at least lend my advice as someone who just did the swap.
I wouldn't worry about the plastic quarter panel covers. Not having the right ones is not going to prevent you from making the swap as you can just leave them off. The important thing is do you have the brackets already installed in the quarter panels that I posted a picture above of.
Then you have two metal latches that go on either side inside the hatch door for the back of the roof to latch into. Those are installed with a single hex screw. There are the two plastic window panels that swap out with the hard top ones so that the soft top side windows have something to tuck into. You reuse the same 3 bolts on each side that are already on the vehicle.
Then there are the two brackets that go on the rail near the B pillar on either side of the vehicle for the soft top to hook into. Those have two bolts each. They are pictured in the first post in the thread.
I believe that is everything.
I wouldn't worry about the plastic quarter panel covers. Not having the right ones is not going to prevent you from making the swap as you can just leave them off. The important thing is do you have the brackets already installed in the quarter panels that I posted a picture above of.
Then you have two metal latches that go on either side inside the hatch door for the back of the roof to latch into. Those are installed with a single hex screw. There are the two plastic window panels that swap out with the hard top ones so that the soft top side windows have something to tuck into. You reuse the same 3 bolts on each side that are already on the vehicle.
Then there are the two brackets that go on the rail near the B pillar on either side of the vehicle for the soft top to hook into. Those have two bolts each. They are pictured in the first post in the thread.
I believe that is everything.
Granted it has been a minute since I've taken a Bronco down this far, but I was convinced that those black pieces had some lateral adjustment. If not, the best way to adjust is to get as many started as possible but leave loose and then adjust the top from fully retracted to fully closed. That will cause the mounts to rotate and hopefully align the last hole. Doing this, I've never had a problem installing the soft top on 2 different Broncos.Ha I can address both with the same picture.
@PapaSmurf Do you mean the bracket behind the plate the soft top bolts onto? There is no play in that bracket whatsoever. Or are you saying there's something you can adjust behind that bracket?
@Kach Vartan They are for the quarter panel brackets. 2 on each side. See pic.
If yours is a factory dual top Bronco, there is nothing extra that you need, except a buddy to help lift and install the soft top. I think the dual tops only come with the plastic trim pieces for the hard top. As several have said, it doesn't affect anything to have those pieces off. I sourced my soft op trim from the parts counter because I wanted the clean factory look. Cut yours, don't use them, or buy new- it's up to you.
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These brackets do have side to side adjustment. If you loosen the two bolts you will see that the mounting slot allows for a fair amount of adjustment.
You all might be right in searching for an image of the brackets. I based my statement on actually keeping them loose and then putting the soft top back into place but I think we may have pulled it off before checking the bolt/hole alignment once we realized there was not going to be a way to tighten the brackets with the soft top in place. Regardless I probably won't expirement with it until fall because I am not trusting my 14 year old to help me lift that thing back off after he scratched the shit out of the Bronco taking the hard top off.
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I have to say, 4 days in and I'm disappointed in the swap. It seems like the entire soft top needs to move forward a half inch. I had the soft top all the way down today and was loving it. Then I went to put the top back up, put the windows back in etc The guiding pin on the passenger side does not go in. This happened when we first got it on, on Sunday. Eventually I kind of forced it in with brute strength and I hoped having it closed for a bit would help it settle into a better position. It didn't. I took it to position 1 the other day and then when I went to put it back up, same pin wouldn't go in. I checked the brackets and they had a little play so I loosened the bolts and adjusted the entire bracket that the hook clasps into at the front of the vehicle. I brought as close to the rear of the vehicle as possible, maybe got another 1/4" out of it. I was able to get it in barely as long as I did the driver's side first and locked it into place.
Today after having the roof all the way open it wasn't even close.. I gave up and took the guiding pin on the passenger side completely off. There clasps did not want to close on either side because they were hitting the bar on the little hook. I had to use a mallet on the hook mechanism/roof to get it to where I could shut the clasp. The passenger side has quite a gap. I'm not sure how this will hold up against the rain.
I wondered if maybe this was related to my problem with the bolt holes on the quarter panel bracket but I think it's opposite. If I were to adjust those brackets so the bolt holes lined up, I would actually be moving the entire soft top toward the back of the vehicle by 1/8-1/4". I need some play in the other direction. Super frustrated.
Today after having the roof all the way open it wasn't even close.. I gave up and took the guiding pin on the passenger side completely off. There clasps did not want to close on either side because they were hitting the bar on the little hook. I had to use a mallet on the hook mechanism/roof to get it to where I could shut the clasp. The passenger side has quite a gap. I'm not sure how this will hold up against the rain.
I wondered if maybe this was related to my problem with the bolt holes on the quarter panel bracket but I think it's opposite. If I were to adjust those brackets so the bolt holes lined up, I would actually be moving the entire soft top toward the back of the vehicle by 1/8-1/4". I need some play in the other direction. Super frustrated.
A Bit of an update on parts. I had order 2 of M2DZ-7829452-A and Ford shorted me one. So they placed the order again and M2DZ-7829452-B arrived.
It looks like it is now a kit that include placement tools, screws, a centering pin, but it also includes 2 of the Quarter Panel Brackets... see pictures and included PDF of instructions.
The tools look to be centering installation tools. And are 3d printed.
Price for the kit was basically the same as just one of the brackets by itself. Dealer was able to return one bracket.
It looks like it is now a kit that include placement tools, screws, a centering pin, but it also includes 2 of the Quarter Panel Brackets... see pictures and included PDF of instructions.
The tools look to be centering installation tools. And are 3d printed.
Price for the kit was basically the same as just one of the brackets by itself. Dealer was able to return one bracket.
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