Ford Bronco patent for removable roll cage!?

[BroncoBuyer]

Never seen a windshield folded down on any wrangler ever. A gimmick to keep the .001% of wrangler buyers happy.

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[Nickp]

This is part of why I’m happy that they haven’t shown us the Bronco. “Purists” don’t actually know what they want, and a lot of them that DONT WANT NO LEFTRONICS IN MAH BRONCO or that think that the 4-door is going to ruin the bronco name. And as soon as Ford shows the bronco they are going to come out of the woodwork. I’d prefer to have the design complete so that those engineers don’t have a dumb voice in their ear making them question themselves. Everything I’ve heard makes it seem like they are the best Ford has and they understand what makes a Bronco a Bronco in spirit and capability.

 

[Jalisurr]

Never seen a windshield folded down on any wrangler ever. A gimmick to keep the .001% of wrangler buyers happy.

That's how I feel about the whole removable top thing as well, to be honest. I very very rarely see a jeep up here with the top off, and I'm sure I would never use that feature on the Bronco.

 

[Nickp]

That's how I feel about the whole removable top thing as well, to be honest. I very very rarely see a jeep up here with the top off, and I'm sure I would never use that feature on the Bronco.

“up here” is the key. Last week the weather was perfect here in Phoenix and at least 50% of jeeps I saw had at least the freedom panels off. Probably 25% had doors or full top off.

 

[BroncoBuyer]

That's how I feel about the whole removable top thing as well, to be honest. I very very rarely see a jeep up here with the top off, and I'm sure I would never use that feature on the Bronco.

Here in Phoenix I see a few tops off and LOTS of doors off. I'm a climate controlled dust free windows up and a/c on kind of guy myself. I couldn’t care less if the doors and tops come off. Jeeps haven’t looked right to me with the doors off since the CJ.

 

[Dirty Bronco]

“up here” is the key. Last week the weather was perfect here in Phoenix and at least 50% of jeeps I saw had at least the freedom panels off. Probably 25% had doors or full top off.

When I lived in PHX my Jeep had the top off for months on end. I miss it :sun:

 

[SpursFan]

Back in my samurai days I rarely put the top on, of course I was a bit younger then. If the bronco gets it right I'll be like 50% of Jeep owners...top off half the year.

 

[TopRecon]

After all the rumors about pop-out windows and sunroofs, this is way better than what I actually expected to see. If it really can go full convertible with a modular, removable cage underneath, I might just bite the bullet and pay the inevitably horrible dealer markups to have one on day one.

 

[BroncoMike]

My '71 Bronco only has a Bikini top. But then, it isn't my daily driver.

 

[Carolina Jim]

Allowing someone to remove the only thing keeping them alive in a roll over is a terrible idea.

Agreed. Is it possible that other tops are designed to fit OVER the roll-cage? Perhaps there will be some molding cover over roll-cage bolts restricting access for easy removal?

 

[jimbo92]

Based on the drawings, I do not think a modular top/cage is at all the purpose of this. A wranglers rollbar technically unbolts but it is not intended to be removed/reinstalled as a feature.

wrangler windshields were never down because it was painfully complicated. The JL solved this problem by using a structural a pillar in the rollbar system negating the need for the windshield to be structural. You can now have it down in 5 minutes.

 

[BroncoMike]

Allowing someone to remove the only thing keeping them alive in a roll over is a terrible idea.

"Allowing" is a very unusual word to use here. I think "encouraging" would be a better fit. Those little steel caps over the idle jet screws on carburetors didn't prevent anyone from adjusting the idle, it just added a step.

Very few things on a vehicle are "non-removable". Having body-integral roll protection as on a Jeep makes it more involved to remove and less likely to reinstall, but that configuration certainly isn't preventing anyone from customizing their rollover protection.

People who want to customize automobiles don't generally allow manufacturers to dictate what they are "allowed" to do.

"All doors are removable".

 

[Carolina Jim]

I hear your point...lawyers might say a lot depends on how its 'positioned'...the above language says [a cage that can be removed, “to provide an open-air driving experience.”]

But hey...there's that big start-up screen on the dash...maybe a sensor-activated 'safety message' will play - just like the seat-back flight attendant video you see as your plane pushes back from the gate

 

[Idahorocks]

I keep the top off my ‘74 through the summer. Also, couldn’t help but drape the patent figure over the 4 door Maxlider.

 

[Stampede.Offroad]

"Allowing" is a very unusual word to use here. I think "encouraging" would be a better fit. ...

This is an important distinction, not just in the minds of owners, but in juries too. If Ford makes it easy to remove or replace but does not encourage people to do so, doesn't advertise or market it as removable etc., they protect the company from that kind of risk. At the same time, if the community choses to applaud Ford for designing the vehicle to be easily customized and repaired Ford will still reap the benefits.

With the introduction of aluminum the body on the F-series Ford's design team adopted the approach of making the panels quicker and easier to remove and replace to help keep repair costs down compared to legacy steel parts. If a similar design philosophy worked its way into the Bronco, to be quick and easy to replace all kinds of components for the purpose of making the vehicle more customizable and personalization friendly at the discretion of the end user, that will be a great thing. Ford just needs to be careful about how those features are worded in the marketing.

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