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Hello fellow Bronco Owners and Hopefuls!
Three weeks ago I had the luxury of visiting the Armadillo Designs Shop and installing one of their new all-aluminum hardtops. Since then, I have driven about 3,000 miles through various environments which include:
Installation Design
The installation process was pretty straightforward with the top being a solid welded one-piece design. I had the benefit of the Armadillo team to help me, but I think the only time a friend will be needed during installation is the final process of putting the hardtop onto the Bronco. That being said, the top attaches to the Bronco frame, roll bar, and back support brace through studs using the factory bolt-hole locations. I believe this way of mounting allows them to achieve a better seal not only from sound but also the elements too. Many times when I would was my car (I've never used an automatic car wash) the factory hardtop would leak water into the cab. I'm unsure if there was a faulty seal or if the latches weren't tight enough, but I haven't had any issues with the Armadillo Top so far.
There are two cons that I have come across with this mounting design. First, Armadillo has tight tolerances and thus made MY installation a tiny bit more difficult than others. I have spoken with a few others that have installed their top and their installation process was much simpler and smoother than mine. While we got it to work, we had to use ratchet straps to pull the aluminum top together so It could fit over certain studs. Fighting with metal isn't too fun and gets sweaty quickly, especially in the Texas heat! Second, we practically lose the ability to go fully topless. While one can remove the Armadillo top, it is not recommended. Their installation process is semi-permanent to a degree. That degree being it is a PITA to get on and off at will. My installation took about 4 hours. When speaking to others that have had their top installed for the first time they were tracking about 2 hours. My best guess would then be one could assume it would take 1-2 hours to get the top on and off with the initial hardware in place.
Noise Reduction
Leaving the factory with the top completely installed was surreal! Although I had driven 4 Hours on Texas highways topless to get it, the difference between my Bestop Trektop and Factory Hardtop was immediately noticeable. I no longer had to drown out the wind noise with absurdly loud music. For reference, with the factory hardtop, I would typically keep the stereo around 15-18 to listen to media comfortably. When I switched to the soft top I would listen to the stereo around 21-24. With the Armadillo top, I keep the stereo around 9-12. The only real noise that leaks through the vehicle is the tires hitting the pavement. I still have the factory Sasquatch wheels and tires so I can't harp on that too much. Offroad tires are just really loud no matter what vehicle you're driving. Taking phone calls is something that is much easier now. The whole process has become much clearer for all parties involved. I could never talk on the phone with the softop unless I slowed down to about 45mph. With the factory hardtop that speed was closer to 65-70mph. With the Armadillo top, I have taken calls going 85+ without having to yell or repeat myself. Adding onto this, conversations with others in the vehicle are much easier at highway speeds. One of my favorite examples to give people is my significant other asking me to speed up (we were late to an event) when I was already going 100mph. This happened during our third day with the hardtop, and shows that is is deadly quite compared to the factory offerings.
Modularity
The modularity of this top is what sets it apart from all the other aftermarket options out currently. Most of the options we have are clones of the factory hardtop with a few minor adjustments to make them unique, but this product was designed and built from the ground up with an idea, to cardboard, to a physical product. That is something my engineer brain likes to see and support, and they did a fantastic job with modularity on this top. Everyone interested in the top knows about the gullwing doors on the side, but many people are surprised that they can easily be taken off along with the rear window. I mentioned earlier that the ability to go fully topless is gone, but in this configuration, one can still achieve an open-air experience. Furthermore, there are rivnuts all over this thing which allows people to run wild with any ideas they have. For example, I have seen one owner (@tat2dsqrl) take unistrut from Menards and build a cargo basket as well as attach an awning to roof. This can be seen in a few of his post if you click on the link.
Along with the modularity, they also offer interior and exterior molle panels on both the gullwing doors and the back window. This adds more brownie points and horsepower to your overland rig and gives one more space to store and access things that may be needed in a pinch. All jokes aside as somebody who likes to stay organized, the molle panels will help me tremendously in keeping things I would like quickly accessible available at all times. On Armadillo's page you can find a few videos of them putting an air compressor, beer, snacks, etc... in the gullwing door.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I believe this top is great for those who like to go on adventures hitting trails, camping, overlanding, etc, or want to stand out from the rest of the Broncos on the street. It comes in a bit heavier than the factory hardtop, but much more rugged and stronger. In this picture below you can see me standing and sitting on the top without issues (at the time I weighed about 260lbs). I am very pleased with the design, I will admit I sold my factory hardtop once I saw Armadillo was creating a slant back hardtop, just because I love the look! I also think these tops are priced very competitively at $4900 Raw Aluminum and $5600 Powder coated. At the end of the day, the price is on the upper end of the price range once options are selected, but they back it up with features and customizability that nobody else currently offers. As stated above feel free to ask any questions about the top and I will do my best to answer.
Three weeks ago I had the luxury of visiting the Armadillo Designs Shop and installing one of their new all-aluminum hardtops. Since then, I have driven about 3,000 miles through various environments which include:
- Urban Cities
- West Texas Wind
- Mountain Trails (Peaks and Valleys)
- Muddy Terain
- Dusty Back Country
Installation Design
The installation process was pretty straightforward with the top being a solid welded one-piece design. I had the benefit of the Armadillo team to help me, but I think the only time a friend will be needed during installation is the final process of putting the hardtop onto the Bronco. That being said, the top attaches to the Bronco frame, roll bar, and back support brace through studs using the factory bolt-hole locations. I believe this way of mounting allows them to achieve a better seal not only from sound but also the elements too. Many times when I would was my car (I've never used an automatic car wash) the factory hardtop would leak water into the cab. I'm unsure if there was a faulty seal or if the latches weren't tight enough, but I haven't had any issues with the Armadillo Top so far.
There are two cons that I have come across with this mounting design. First, Armadillo has tight tolerances and thus made MY installation a tiny bit more difficult than others. I have spoken with a few others that have installed their top and their installation process was much simpler and smoother than mine. While we got it to work, we had to use ratchet straps to pull the aluminum top together so It could fit over certain studs. Fighting with metal isn't too fun and gets sweaty quickly, especially in the Texas heat! Second, we practically lose the ability to go fully topless. While one can remove the Armadillo top, it is not recommended. Their installation process is semi-permanent to a degree. That degree being it is a PITA to get on and off at will. My installation took about 4 hours. When speaking to others that have had their top installed for the first time they were tracking about 2 hours. My best guess would then be one could assume it would take 1-2 hours to get the top on and off with the initial hardware in place.
Noise Reduction
Leaving the factory with the top completely installed was surreal! Although I had driven 4 Hours on Texas highways topless to get it, the difference between my Bestop Trektop and Factory Hardtop was immediately noticeable. I no longer had to drown out the wind noise with absurdly loud music. For reference, with the factory hardtop, I would typically keep the stereo around 15-18 to listen to media comfortably. When I switched to the soft top I would listen to the stereo around 21-24. With the Armadillo top, I keep the stereo around 9-12. The only real noise that leaks through the vehicle is the tires hitting the pavement. I still have the factory Sasquatch wheels and tires so I can't harp on that too much. Offroad tires are just really loud no matter what vehicle you're driving. Taking phone calls is something that is much easier now. The whole process has become much clearer for all parties involved. I could never talk on the phone with the softop unless I slowed down to about 45mph. With the factory hardtop that speed was closer to 65-70mph. With the Armadillo top, I have taken calls going 85+ without having to yell or repeat myself. Adding onto this, conversations with others in the vehicle are much easier at highway speeds. One of my favorite examples to give people is my significant other asking me to speed up (we were late to an event) when I was already going 100mph. This happened during our third day with the hardtop, and shows that is is deadly quite compared to the factory offerings.
Modularity
The modularity of this top is what sets it apart from all the other aftermarket options out currently. Most of the options we have are clones of the factory hardtop with a few minor adjustments to make them unique, but this product was designed and built from the ground up with an idea, to cardboard, to a physical product. That is something my engineer brain likes to see and support, and they did a fantastic job with modularity on this top. Everyone interested in the top knows about the gullwing doors on the side, but many people are surprised that they can easily be taken off along with the rear window. I mentioned earlier that the ability to go fully topless is gone, but in this configuration, one can still achieve an open-air experience. Furthermore, there are rivnuts all over this thing which allows people to run wild with any ideas they have. For example, I have seen one owner (@tat2dsqrl) take unistrut from Menards and build a cargo basket as well as attach an awning to roof. This can be seen in a few of his post if you click on the link.
Along with the modularity, they also offer interior and exterior molle panels on both the gullwing doors and the back window. This adds more brownie points and horsepower to your overland rig and gives one more space to store and access things that may be needed in a pinch. All jokes aside as somebody who likes to stay organized, the molle panels will help me tremendously in keeping things I would like quickly accessible available at all times. On Armadillo's page you can find a few videos of them putting an air compressor, beer, snacks, etc... in the gullwing door.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I believe this top is great for those who like to go on adventures hitting trails, camping, overlanding, etc, or want to stand out from the rest of the Broncos on the street. It comes in a bit heavier than the factory hardtop, but much more rugged and stronger. In this picture below you can see me standing and sitting on the top without issues (at the time I weighed about 260lbs). I am very pleased with the design, I will admit I sold my factory hardtop once I saw Armadillo was creating a slant back hardtop, just because I love the look! I also think these tops are priced very competitively at $4900 Raw Aluminum and $5600 Powder coated. At the end of the day, the price is on the upper end of the price range once options are selected, but they back it up with features and customizability that nobody else currently offers. As stated above feel free to ask any questions about the top and I will do my best to answer.
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