No Ragrets- which mod do you wish you hadn’t?

[Wark]

I've been considering one of these tire mounted racks for road trips because I can't imagine not being able to easily pull back the soft top. Any reason in particular that you dislike it? I'm a bit worried about the weight on the tailgate though.

I was researching this option when looking at bike racks and quickly discarded the idea of a tire mounted rack.

I read on here the maximum stock tailgate weight limit without reinforcing is 133 lbs. So add your door, tire, and wheel together and subtract from 133 lbs and how much do you want to store? For me the base factory wheel weighs 57.5 lbs, so I could get maybe one bike back there, but with the swing door rattle issue and TSB out there it's not really worth it to me.

2021+ Bronco (6th Gen) Factory Tire Size & Wheel Size Comparisons (Circumference, Diameter, Height, Width, Bolt Pattern, Center Bore) | Bronco6G - 2021+ Ford Bronco & Bronco Raptor Forum, News, Blog & Owners Community

To get wheel weight. ^

I ended up getting a class III hitch and rack. Baskets suck for their departure angle, but might be a better option for a road trip/ soft top.

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[Dantastic]

Wow! So many awesome posts! I started this because at about 6 months in as an owner I am asking myself if I want to or should be modifying it more. Exterior I have only added PPF on the leading edges, the IAG mini front flaps, and the Ford performance Bronco script emblems. So many good ideas and cool aftermarket doo-dads

I really want to keep it classy but want a few things
-a few off-road lights (stealthy or inconspicuous) with amber/yellow lens or capability for dust.
-install my hidden winch, I have the a warn zeon 10, and lobo hidden winch skid- but have been debating cutting off the frame horns to do it?
-maybe go up a tire size (would do a 1” level, crash bars, and ford performance tune to get the speedo correct)
-tailgate reinforcement (leaning towards turn off-road version?)

Not much else? Although, I feel the pull to do more looking at builds here.

Thoughts?

For lights, you can get non amber/yellow lens Diode Dynamic SS3s or SS5s and get their amber/yellow covers. I think it is the best of both worlds. Want amber/yellow, pop on the covers. Want normal/standard white, pop the cover off.

 

[Dantastic]

Oh 100% agreed. It really isn’t a regret even though I’d probably rather have the sunglasses holder. I do agree that it is a resale boost. And you could argue that makes it worth it right there. I just don’t use any of the switches at all. And I did add the sunglasses holders afterwards. They work fine.

Even if you don't wire them, pretending they are switches for shooting missiles at dumb drivers is fun in and of itself.

 

[Shrek27]

It does its job but it effectively eliminates side to side adjust of gaps between tailgate and rear fenders. Unequal gaps drove me crazy.

Would this be true for all of the reinforcement plate brands? or unique to Rough Country. I can't see a difference in any of these things other than the name on it and price.

 

[El Bronco Blanco]

I've been considering one of these tire mounted racks for road trips because I can't imagine not being able to easily pull back the soft top. Any reason in particular that you dislike it? I'm a bit worried about the weight on the tailgate though.

I don't dislike it; I just haven't used it. Seeing that you are in Cali, that was my primary use. My family takes a road trip to San Diego from AZ every summer, and last year I had just picked up my Bronco, and 'we' (my wife) didn't want to risk not having the space to carry ALL THE THINGS we bring... so we took my 2013 Explorer instead since we had done that for 8 years running. This year I won't have the Explorer barring a miracle (I've been instructed to finally sell it.) So, before we even went, during some holiday sale, I grabbed the basket in an attempt to sway the wife. It was still a no go. Anyway, even though it seemed logical at the time because of the soft top I'm now questioning what I should stick on it. A roof rack, with my carrier that we have for the Explorer, if we need it, seems like a better option.

The rack does make the tailgate insanely heavy. I have the tailgate brace and tire relocation bracket on currently. But the basket itself is not on. I wouldn't leave it on full time, no reason for that. It's simple to take off with 6 bolts. Also, thanks to the weight you basically need to Loctite everything or it rattles all to hell.

Does it function, absolutely. Have I officially used it, nope. Regret is simply because I haven't used it all for it's intended purpose. We go camping in our pop up all the time. 2 adults, 3 kids. Never needed it.

 

[JB 208]

Even if you don't wire them, pretending they are switches for shooting missiles at dumb drivers is fun in and of itself.

I’ve actually done that!

 

[Bonnie6G]

That is unfortunate. I've seen a "hack" that you use pure acetone to remove the sticker. I've never been brave enough to try it, for a fear of the irreversible damage that may come with it.

I got these vinyl coverups from stickerfab.
https://www.stickerfab.com/products/sun-visor-warning-overlays-2021-bronco

 

[Neverowneda4x4]

I don't dislike it; I just haven't used it. Seeing that you are in Cali, that was my primary use. My family takes a road trip to San Diego from AZ every summer, and last year I had just picked up my Bronco, and 'we' (my wife) didn't want to risk not having the space to carry ALL THE THINGS we bring... so we took my 2013 Explorer instead since we had done that for 8 years running. This year I won't have the Explorer barring a miracle (I've been instructed to finally sell it.) So, before we even went, during some holiday sale, I grabbed the basket in an attempt to sway the wife. It was still a no go. Anyway, even though it seemed logical at the time because of the soft top I'm now questioning what I should stick on it. A roof rack, with my carrier that we have for the Explorer, if we need it, seems like a better option.

The rack does make the tailgate insanely heavy. I have the tailgate brace and tire relocation bracket on currently. But the basket itself is not on. I wouldn't leave it on full time, no reason for that. It's simple to take off with 6 bolts. Also, thanks to the weight you basically need to Loctite everything or it rattles all to hell.

Does it function, absolutely. Have I officially used it, nope. Regret is simply because I haven't used it all for it's intended purpose. We go camping in our pop up all the time. 2 adults, 3 kids. Never needed it.

Thanks for the info. I was hoping to be able to free up the cargo area for the dog with one. But the weight issue seems to be a major factor.

 

[Rydfree]

I had been looking at the Broaddict/Mabett one that folds out a bit differently, but the more I look at it the more I think it just looks like rattles waiting to happen.

I have the folding Molle tailgate table from Broaddict and it does not rattle at all. Each panel folds against a rubber pad/bumper and it latches very tightly. I did re-torque every screw and bolt before I put it onto the gate though. They all seemed to be just hand tightened and a lot were loose out of the box. Have used it a couple times and been over some rough roads with no rattles at all .

 

[Coloradonatives]

Looks dumb with those shackles hanging off the front for no reason.

No reason? There is probably no engine in that monstrosity.

 

[Dadsquatch]

My Rigid Radiance pods in my front modular bumper. It's not that I don't like them, I've just now learned more about Diode Dynamics that I wish I would have went that route. My negatives about the Rigid Radiance pods are:

- Radiance only comes in clear, and I learned I need a yellow/amber light for dust/visibility. Rigid has light covers, but they won't work with the 3 pods in the small modular bumper opening. Not enough room. So I had to add yellow Lamin-X to two pods. Not a big deal, works fine, but a true yellow light from Diode Dynamics would have been better.
- The amber backlight on the Radiance is nice in the true dark, but gets washed out late in the day / dusk. The Diode Dynamic backlights are probably 3x brighter than the Rigid Radiance.

 

[contented]

Would this be true for all of the reinforcement plate brands? or unique to Rough Country. I can't see a difference in any of these things other than the name on it and price.

Hopefully, I can properly explain this and will only speak to the ones that mount the same as the Rough Country. And yes, they would all prohibit side to side adjustment of the tailgate. The bolts that go through the hinges screw into a threaded aluminum bar under the tailgate skin that can slide side to side allowing adjustment of the gaps. As soon as one mounts the Rough Country plate to the hinges, the distance between the holes in the plate for hinges and spare tire mount become fixed in reference to the hinge, stopping any side to side adjustment. No amount of leaving everything loose until you get all the bolts in helps. Slotted holes would certainly help, but probably defeat the purpose of the plate.

I’ve looked at countless pictures of RC and simiar products, specifically at gaps. Some look good, some are noticeably uneven. I have no clue as to why that is. Perhaps the body guys out there can offer some insight.

 

[kevin.gt]

RC high mount and badlands winch. I don’t trust it’ll get me out without damaging the frame horn mounts so I removed it. Now I have ~$600-700 of hardware taking up space in my garage

edit: oh and the stubby antenna.. can’t get a single FM channel with it

 

[OverlandingPastor]

RC high mount and badlands winch. I don’t trust it’ll get me out without damaging the frame horn mounts so I removed it. Now I have ~$600-700 of hardware taking up space in my garage

edit: oh and the stubby antenna.. can’t get a single FM channel with it

Which antenna did you get?

 

[kevin.gt]

Which antenna did you get?

CravenSpeed “The Stubby” not sure how it gets such good reviews on Amazon

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