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Anyone else concerned about their top holding up over time?

FTNBubba

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I have removed mine 4 times this year and in following the steps its never been an issue. One thing I will say is if you take the whole soft top off or put it on is to have someone help you. Its not really that heavy but very awkward to remove and put on.
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AZ_Liberty

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Soft tops arenā€™t supposed to be like brakes. You shouldnā€™t need a new one while you own the Bronco unless something weird happens to it.
As a long time Mustang Soft Top owner, I figure a soft top is good for about 6-7 years. The more you can park in a garage or under covered parking the longer it will last.

I also figure that's about how long rear brakes last. Figure 40k for the front, another 40k for the front, and all four corners at 120k. (more often if you drive an automatic)
 

lakesinai

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Just picked up my 2.7, soft top, basesquatch and the dealer ripped the clips off the back window before I could even get it off the lot (they said they could get a replacement window panel in the next week but we will see). I've seen other reports of the clips tearing off the back panel extremely easily and stitching coming loose. As I live with the soft top the past few days, removing the rear windows, the various foam/rubber sewn into the canvas seems incredibly brittle. Am I crazy here to expect a bit more from a new vehicle? I do love the Bronco but feel a bit let down by the lack of quality here. My soft top CJ7 from high school is still intact and I removed it hundreds of times over the past decades. I can't imagine this product holding up more than a few years. Anyone else concerned about their top holding up over time?
That is a VERY inexpensive OEM soft top, free from the factory with the vehicle. No reason to complain. There are higher-quality soft tops available from Besttop right on the Ford order page, costing twice as much. Thats your clue right there. You also had the option to order a MIC top, and buy the soft top of your choice later. After you've used the OEM top for awhile, you can decide what to upgrade to. Or maybe you'll like it. Otherwise, treat it like a boat: If parked/docked in the sun, the plastic windows will need replacing in 3-5 years, the top in 5 years? Finally, find a good boat canvas shop, and if there are parts of the plastic window design that you want to improve or upgrade, have them do that for you to your specifications. For example, there is higher quality Isenglass I used to upgrade to on my boats. However, its thicker, and the thinness of the OEM plastic is to allow for flexing when opening the back window. Besttop went with a whole different back window design. This is all part of the joy of owning a vehicle designed for modification and personalization. Enjoy the challenge.
 

BigGarnet

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The top is good quality. Iā€™m not worried in the least, Iā€™m actually very happy with the soft top. The one bad thing they did was release it with the wavy windows (itā€™s not by design, itā€™s just lazy) but otherwise itā€™s a very good top. That saidā€¦I do view it as disposable and will replace it in 5 years or so. Iā€™m hoping BesTop releases a great non-slant back aftermarket version by then.
 

DPierce

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not concerned at all, I expect it to be a consumable like breaks, eventually it will fail/tear/fade/bend/what ever, then I'll get a new one, maybe aftermarket has something interesting by then, if not I'll get what ever Ford will be putting on them years from now.

The clips are weird, a design flaw, but there's a fix with some rivets the dealers can do if you can't get a replacement window.

I really like my soft top and certainly would not call it trash in any way. I'd never trade for a hard top and am perfectly fine with the little quirks. I open it all the time, even for my mile to the store, so easy!
I had rivets done and it is sooo much better.
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