Hangover Build & Product Review Scores

[Ibuprofen3293]

Hey Folks,

I wanted to document and give a brief review of all the modifications I make to (or trips that I take with) my Bronco—partly for myself, so I can keep track of what has been done—but mostly to help anyone else (hopefully using the search function!) since users of this forum have helped me so much.

My forum username was randomly generated by a password manager (shoutout to Bitwarden), but it’s very fitting, as ibuprofen is my friend on weekend mornings, which is when I get the most time to work on the Bronco. For that reason, I’m calling this the Hangover Build, and will be assigning each mod a very subjective Hangover Score.

The Hangover Score will be a 1 to 5 scale, and based on mod cost, quality, install time/difficulty, and overall benefit to me. It does not mean that anything with a high rating a a good product and anything with a low rating is a bad product.

I’ll keep the reviews brief but try to mention any difficulties I encountered during install to help future readers. I’ll mostly be positing in chronological order, so the first post (or two or 3) will be a doozy, so Ctrl+F will be your friend.

I'm adding links to some of the products, which are not affiliate links of any kind--just trying to help anyone out who may be interested.

December 2022

---Picked up the Bronco (after 14 months)---

Cost: About $48k

Hangover Score: 5/5

I wasn’t even sure I was going to take delivery (after my initial hype died down post-order), because the financially response thing to do would be to keep driving my paid-off truck. But I figured what the hell, everyone deserves some fun, and new experiences are what keep you feeling young. Jack Kare at Pat Milliken Ford in Redford, MI took good care of me. No ADM, no messing about. My only gripes were forgetting to add the headliner and not being able to make a late change to add the modular bumper.

2 door, Badlands, manual, Lux Package, Optional wheels, Eruption Green (which I thought wouldn’t be that popular when I ordered it over a year beforehand)

---New Hampshire Oil Undercoating---

Cost: $225 from Motor City Rustproofing

Hangover Score: 5/5

I’d never used undercoating before, but I plan to keep this thing for a long time, so I wanted to protect it from the brutal Salt Belt winters. The folks at MCR were friendly and easy to work with, but I found it ironic that a service that requires starting with a clear undercarriage is located on a dirt road, which leads me to the next mod..

---DIY Front Mudflaps---

Cost: $50 for (four) generic Rallyarmor mudflaps from ebay, another $50 in drill bits

Hangover Score: 3/5

I decided to save some money from the outrageous prices of Rekgen and Rokblokz, but wanted something robust. So I decided to mount my mudflaps to the rear crash bars using a simple mending plate. Turns out those crash bars are made of pretty hard steel… and its even harder when you drill through the (not very apparent) weld line. I went through a lot of drill bits.

I’m fairly happy with the final product, but I do want to have the crash bars modified (probably by a machine shop) for more tire clearance, and change to some black hardware at that time. Spray painting the basic zinc coated hardware doesn’t work so well. I also added a bolt with a spacer & u-nut to one of the tabs inside the fender flare to secure the top flap. Honestly, I’d just pony up for the Rekgen next time, but hey. I also see that Rallyarmor has Bronco-specific flaps now.

Update: my hardware and basic metal plate have corroded… I’m sure I’ll end up redoing these at some point--either a better DIY solution, or a more expensive one.

---Mabett Center Console Organizer---

Cost: $25 from Amazon

Hangover Score: 4/5

Works well enough, even if it is a little cumbersome to have to pick up the top tray with one hand to reach in to get something lower down with the other.

January 2023

---Dash Speaker Upgrade---

Cost: $185 for Hertz CX100 from Crutchfield, $25 for PRV 4MR50-4 from Amazon, $20 for Hoel speaker harnesses from Hoel

Hangover Score: 5/5

First of all, big props to Ksjrb03’s B&O upgrade thread. I’ve read all 40-some odd pages of that… more than once.

It took less than month before I realized that a lot of the rock music I listened to sounded muddy and uninspired compared to the other stereos I have around my house. So this first and best audio upgrade I’ve done to the B&O so far. The Hertz sound awesome and installed in about half an hour. Played around with tweeter aiming, but am not audiophilic enough to tell a huge difference. Just glad the tweeters fit under the grilles!

I don’t use Surround mode (sounds too fake/processed), so I’m not sure how much the center speaker does, but at $25 and half an hour, it’s a no brainer to get rid of the crappy paper cone that came with this “Luxury Package” stereo. I do have a bit of a buzz coming from it at certain frequencies, so I need to open it back up and probably add some foam.

---Rear Speaker Upgrade---

Cost: $200 for Mabett 6.5” speaker pods from Amazon, Originally $170 for Hertz CX165 from eBay (returned), then $110 for Hertz K165 from Crutchfield, misc polyfill/wiring/dynamat

Hangover Score: 1/5

I started with the Hertz Centos to match those in my dash, and had them all hooked up when I realized that the tweeters didn’t fit under the grilles. I had to decide if I wanted to modify the grills, leave them off, or replace the speakers. Ultimately, the speakers didn’t sound good enough for the trouble, so I returned them, and got the K-series speakers which are component rather than coaxial.

So I ended up modifying the grilles anyway to mount the tweeter. Whoops.

I know most folks here rave about the improvement of the 6.5” speakers, especially those with base systems that can use Forscan to enable full range to them, but I would absolutely just get the best pair of sub-$50 4” for the OE pods and call it a day for the B&O. That money would be better suited to uprading the subwoofer.

They sound not good when I fade to the rear to hear only them—not really any different than the CX165 I tried first. Just muddy, lacking both highs and lows. Maybe someday I’ll get an A2B DSP/Amp to replace the B&O one and that will make them really come to life.

Additionally, the pods don’t really fit with the 2dr rear seatbelt D-ring mount.

---Dongar Dashcam adapter & Viofo A119---

Cost: $30 from Amazon (I think it was this one) (dashcam came from my previous truck)

Hangover Score: 5/5

This adapter made the installation of my dashcam clean and took 20 minutes (vs 4 hours of ripping apart interior trim to get to a fuse box). It allows the camera to pull power directly from the electronics in the inside rearview mirror, so you lose parking mode, but at least you’ll never have to worry about it draining your battery.


---Bartact rubber grab handles---

Cost: $30 from Amazon (would buy directly from Bartact in the future)

Hangover Score: 3/5

I wanted not-paracord handles, and these fit the bill. I rotated the strap under the screw so that it faces up, which effectively shortened the handle, and prevents it from dangling right in my peripheral vision.

My passengers and I don’t use these as much as I thought, but I guess they are nice to have.

---21 Offroad Hood Struts---

Cost: $50 from Stickerfab

Hangover Score: 4/5

Usefulness of these will depend entirely upon how often you open your hood. I did drop a bolt during install and had to partially remove the wheel arch liner to get it back.


---Stickerfab various sticky things---

Cost: $12 (side sill protectors), $13 (fuse box labels), $9 (sun visor overlays)

Hangover Score: 5/5

Cheap, easy, the visor label blackouts get rid of some of the messiness/distraction from the driver seat and from the outside (when the visor is flipped down).


---Curt trailer hitch receiver #13493 + Extension/drop #45797 ---

Cost: $95 from NAPA + $50 from Amazon

Hangover Score: 4/5

I had to remove trailer tow package from my order or risk my build taking even longer, so here we are. I plan to only carry a bike rack, so no need for a trailer harness at this point. Install was super easy—no need to remove the bumper or muffler or anything.

Would be a 5/5, but the extension has some play in the receiver, even after adding the $10 Harbor Freight Special anti-rattle hitch tightener clamp. Translates to an unsettling amount of movement for my 2 heavy bikes on the rack.

---Mabett Transmission Skid Plate ---

Cost: $150 from Amazon

Hangover Score: 4/5

Doesn’t hang down extra low to clear the frame crossmemebers that I don’t have, made of beefy aluminum, and very affordable. I don’t love the fit of the attachments, but for the price, it’s great. I did have an issue (after an oil change) where the front edge of the trans skid plate would rub against the rear edge of the OE bash plate and cause a popping noise. Just loosed and adjusted the trans skid and all is well.

February 2023

---Course Motorsports Magsafe Charger---

Cost: $105 from Course Motorsports + $17 from Tackform + $30 from Apple + $13 Slickwraps +$30 from Amazon

Hangover Score: 3/5

I was looking for a better wireless charging solution (given that the OE wireless charger is terrible) to take advantage of Wireless Carplay, so I ordered the Direct Fit Phone Mount (the one that fits with a manual transmission) from Course. It’s a fairly nice solution, but makes the center console Oh Shit Handle even less usable than it was before.

My problem is that I would arrive at work with less battery than I left with (I have an iPhone 12 with a newly replaced battery)—even though it was on the Course charger while streaming maps/music via wireless Carplay. After some digging, I realized that the USB ports at the front of the Bronco only supply less than a couple of amps (at 5V), and then I realized that all wireless chargers will only charge an iphone at 7W—except their first party ones (and some Belkin ones).

This led me down a whole path that involved getting an official magsafe charger, a magsafe charger holder with the proper ball mount receptacle to use the Course mount (from Tackform), a USB-C extension cable & 30W 12V USB charger, and a black decal. I dremeled some of the ribs off the back of the center console and passed the charger cable under the console, and up a hole I drilled into the center console, where it plugs into the USB charger.

Now I can get to work with the same battery level I left the house with. If I don’t stream maps and/or music, it charges at a decent rate (I measure around 10-12W with the Ampere iOS app).

If I did it again, I would just do the modification that another member did by replacing the OE charging pad with a Magesafe charger.

---Mabett Rear Seatback Protectors---

Cost: $50 from Amazon

Hangover Score: 4/5

They’re cool if you have back seats.


---Matte Black Bronco Script Fender Badges---

Cost: $20 from Etsy

Hangover Score: 5/5

Haters gonna hate. I dig ‘em.

---Ford Sound Deadening Headliner---

Cost: $200 from the dealership

Hangover Score: 2/5

This was supposed to be a $0 option from the factory, but the dealer blamed the plant, and I blamed the dealer. They cut me a deal on the parts/labor cost and did an OK job. There’s a couple of spots that aren’t properly adhered, but it’s not falling down. I’m not sure it did much, but it can’t hurt to cut down on sound reflections in the cab. For a $0 factory option, it would be a 4/5.


---Gladwin Trip with Michigan Bronco Club---

Cost: 1 hotel room night and a few tanks of gas

Hangover Score: 5/5

Had an awesome time meeting some guys from MI Bronco Club and finding a lot of unplowed USFS roads.

Sponsored

 

[Ibuprofen3293]

March 2023

---Goat Fab Pinch Flange Hider---

Cost: $140 from GOAT Fabrication

Hangover Score: 1/5

It seems like my experience with these is unique (or at least I haven’t read about anyone else having this issue), but the fit is very poor. 2-doors don’t have any through holes in the rear ~14” of the pinch flange, so the hider just hangs out there in space. And at the front, it seems like the hiders should have some step in their flat geometry to account for the extra material thickness of the fender.

I contacted Adam at GOAT, and he was very nice and knowledgeable. He hadn’t seen this issue before and even offered to take a look at it if I drove up to his facility (~45min away). I didn’t take him up on that, but did try his suggestion of flipping them LH & RH. His theory was that maybe that would have taken a set during their first installation, and then want to “bite” into the flange better on the other sides.

That proved not to really work, so I added 3M tape on the whole back side. That only worked until the heat of the summer, then it peeled off the powdercoated hider.

Update: The hardware rusted within 6 months, so I took these off and spray painted the pinch flanges black.

---Jeff’s Bronco Graveyard Trailsight Flag Mount---

Cost: $20 from Jeff’s Bronco Graveyard, and $12 in gas to pick it up to avoid paying $10 shipping.

Hangover Score: 4/5

Needed a flag mounted for a local ORV park, this is a nice spot for it. I keep meaning to take it off and paint it black.

Not my picture, but in case anyone doesn’t know what this is:

---Holly Oaks ORV Park---

Cost: $20 for a flag, $40 for ORV tags, and half a tank of gas

Hangover Score: 5/5

Here’s me sliding down an ice hill with zero grip, and driving into a big ditch (the videos are cooler).

April 2023


---Corsa 2.3L Turndown Catback Exhaust---

Cost: $720 from Panda Motorworks (and about 1 month lead time)

Hangover Score: 4/5

I drove to 3 different auto parts stores on a Sunday trying to buy an exhaust hanger tool, but none had one, so I managed with just channel locks. Exhaust hangers are a real jerk. Otherwise, the install was pretty easy.

My initial impression was that it wasn’t loud enough, but after living with it for a few months (and maybe it had some break in? if that’s a thing?), it is plenty loud. I actually wish it was a little bit less burbly around town, but it’s not turning heads like a V8, so it’s all good. I’m just happy to have an extra mechanism to notice when I’m 4th on the highway instead of 6th. Also very happy to be rid of the giant silver can hanging down below the rear bumper (no good pictures, but it’s all tucked up and hidden anyway).


---Nevada Bronco Off-Roadeo---

Cost: 1 plane ticket

Hangover Score: 5/5

I went in with reasonably low expectations, and they were definitely exceeded. It wasn’t so much an off-roading class as it was a Bronco class. Had a great instructor and a great time using all the fancy crap the automatic trans Bronco’s get!


---Beginner Off-Road Class at Holly Oaks ORV Park---

Cost: $200 from Adventure Off-road Driving School

Hangover Score: 3/5

It was me and half a dozen ladies with 4 door Wranglers. One of them went full send with her hybrid wrangler on 20” wheels.

Even though it was a bit too beginnery for me, the instructors took time to help me practice manual-specific off-road techniques, so I did find some benefit in it.

The only picture I took from that day was this Mazda CUV wheelin’.

---Steeda Clutch Spring---

Cost: $25 from Steeda

Hangover Score: 5/5

Install was low-key terrible, but it was over in about an hour. After the first few minutes getting used to the heavier feel, it actually makes quite a difference in being able to feel the clutch friction point. My starts/shifts got about 10% smoother.


---Sound Deadening (rear)---

Cost: ~$100 from Amazon

Hangover Score: 5/5

Took the better part of a day to sound deaden the cargo floor, wheel wells, etc all the way up to the transition in the floor from the higher 2nd row to the lower area for the rear seat footwell. I used some Noico I had leftover and then a whole bunch of Siless—because it was cheap. Both were 80 mil thick, so I added around 20lb the car. Made a nice very nice difference in road noise and fixed the 2300 RPM drone I had from the Corsa at highway speed.

I’d recommend just budgeting 2 days for this and doing the front at the same time.

May 2023

---RCI Frame Mounted Rock Sliders---

Cost: ~$1100 from RCI (and 8 weeks lead time)

Hangover Score: 4/5

I installed these by myself 20 days after shoulder surgery, and I would recommend just having patience instead of doing that. Install was a bear (took about 6 hours, but I’m pretty slow at stuff), and the instructions aren’t all that well written. They also seem to have a habit of including the 4 door hardware kit with the 2 door sliders (check the 2 door slider thread), so be prepared for a trip to the hardware store or two. They also don’t use the best torque sequence, so have a bolt extractor handy… Also a magnet/claw/something for when you drop the weird, L shaped nut-plates into the framerail. Oh and a rattlecan to fix the areas where the powdercoating chipped off during shipping.

I was too concerned with they would function as a passenger step, so I got the 5deg angled ones instead of the 20deg ones. These give the visual appearance of hanging lower, so they don’t look quite as cool. I’m sure they’ll look awesome when I have a lift and tires too big to allow me to get into my garage.

---Bartact Fire Extinguisher Mount & passenger seat storage pouch---

Cost: $100 from Bartact

Hangover Score: 4/5 (updated from 3/5)

The fire extinguisher doesn’t sit well/isn’t easily accessible on D pillar roll bar of a 2 door with a hard top and the Mabett pods (not sure if those make a difference, but there’s a lot of stuff in that area). I’ll probably mount it to a (future) molle panel on the tailgate or the back of the driver seat. The little pouch that attaches to the OSH is nice, but haven’t really used it.

Update: I have the bartact mount & extinguisher mounted to the tailgate table molle panel and that’s where it’s staying for the foreseeable future.


---Hard Top Hoist---

Cost: $200 from Harbor Freight and miscellaneous

Hangover Score: 4/5

I couldn’t stomach the cost for some of the hard top removal equipment available, so I decided to make my own using a 440lb hoist from Harbor freight, and a lifting strap with 2 flat hooks recommended by another forum member. This setup would be amazing if my garage was about 2’ taller and 2’ deeper. As it is now, I can get the top off or on in about half an hour by myself with only moderate concern about breaking something. My rafters are just too low to make it super easy, so I have to mess with opening the flip glass (so I can back under it without hitting the spare tire on the glass), and its just a whole ordeal. Better than compressing my spine taking it off by myself though.

---Garage Updates---

Cost: Probably too much over the course of 2 months

Hangover Score: 5/5

The time spent in the garage (and especially up in the hot rafters), combined with the fact I had just gotten the roof & siding replaced on it, spurred me to achieve my lifelong dream of having a garage that isn’t gross.

I rewired the garage (which was probably wired in the 60s without a professional or a permit) to add additional outlets, switches and lights (replaced the 2 screw-in bulb fixtures with 2 8’ dual row LED fixtures plus 2 more 4’ LED task lights). I also built a workbench (link to youtube video), ripped down 100 year old shelves and replaced with fancy metal pegboard, bought/built a couple of Costco storage racks, and added a lot of organization. Oh and a gable exhaust fan! The builders talked me out of replacing the roof vents I used to have, and GD it gets hot in there.

I also bought a $90 mini form factor workstation PC from eBay to have a garage PC. It’s a silly luxury that has already been so useful. Being able to use a keyboard and mouse (that I don’t care about) while wearing dirty gloves, rather than having to go inside, get my ipad, smudge it all up, run out of battery, etc. has been fantastic. Especially with so little investment. I decided that this warranted an upgrade from my old TV soundbar/subwoofer that I had been using for garage music, so I ordered some speakers, a new Chi-fi mini amp, and learned how to solder up some crossovers & reinforce speaker cabinets (link to youtube video). I’m not sure it sounds amazing (it really might need a sub, but I have many electronics in the garage already), but all the work that went into them make them sound better to me—that’s all that counts.

I didn’t take any good before/after pictures because the garage is never quite in a show-ready state, and it’s constantly evolving as I find a better ways to organize all my stuff and enjoy the time I spend out there working.

June 2023

---Amazon 2dr Wrangler Car Cover---

Cost: $60 from Amazon

Hangover Score: 4/5

I couldn’t stomach the Bronco tax on some of the nicer car covers for leaving the roof off, so I bought a cheap wrangler one from Amazon. It’s good enough for occasional use, but you have to take the antenna off each time. If I use it more, maybe I’ll just get a Builtright Stubby antenna.



---Mabett Rear Cargo Light---

Cost: $85 from Amazon

Hangover Score: 2/5 (updated from 3/5)

It’s a little brighter, but not quite what I’d hoped. I also need to add some foam tape under it because it doesn’t sit securely (the tape included is not nearly wide or thick enough to hold it to the trim).

Update: it hasn't gotten any worse... but the cost and ugliness has bothered me more. Eventually I'll work up a DIY solution suing some rock lights.



---MIC Top DIY WeatherStripping---

Cost: ~$40 from Amazon

Hangover Score: 2/5

I followed the advice from a couple of other popular threads and added weather stripping to my front panels, B-pillars, windshield channel, etc. It may have made a slight difference? It’s also a lot harder to get the front roof panels to latch now. Maybe I’ll ride in the back with someone else driving and try to identify more air leak locations to seal up.



---AC Fab Rear Shock Skidplates---

Cost: $100 from another forum member

Hangover Score: 1/5

Very tough, heavy skid plates. Turns out, these don’t fit over the Badlands Bilstein reservoir. So at the time of writing, I have a post in the classifieds for some hefty skid plates!



---Ford Performance 2.3L Tune---

Cost: $660 from Lethal Performance

Hangover Score: 4/5

There’s a ton of threads about this, so I won’t get into too many details. The Bronco feels slightly less slow now, and it gets slightly not-as-good gas mileage. The rev matching downshift feature takes some of the fun out of driving stick, but it more than makes up for it by offering smooth & easy downshifts while your right foot is occupied by the brake. I installed it myself. Directions and Windows app to load the tune are mediocre, but it took about 45 minutes all told.

Update: it's all worth it for the rev-matching. 93 octane is a bitch though.



---Trickflate compressor + multi-tire hose kit & tie rod repair kit---

Cost: $360 from TD Distributing

Hangover Score: 5/5

I added the question mark because I really haven’t had a chance to use this stuff yet. I followed some youtube video guides on how to add the pressure switch, but haven’t even tested it out yet. The 4-tire air kit with manifold is cheaper than what I could make myself (and way cheaper than usual brands discussed here), and I used it to equalize tire pressure after rotating in my spare. Tie rod repair kit offers some peace of mind too.

Update: have used the compressor only once, but used the 4 hose kit multiple times. I had to change some of the quick connects out to higher quality Milton ones, but since then, it’s great! The compressor and hoses take up a lot of room, so be prepared to store/carry them.

July 2023

---JCR Tailgate Table---

Cost: $285 from JCR Offroad

Hangover Score: 4/5 (updated from 1/5)

So I waffled back and forth between buying something US-made or whatever the Bezos special is, and went with the more expensive one. My trouble with this table is partially that it comes completely unassembled. It would fit in the same size packaging if it came even partly assembled (obviously you’d still need to remove the spare tire to insert their nutplates, and that’s fine).

Okay fine, I have to assemble it myself, no problem. Why is it designed to nominal tolerances all the way around? I’m not a Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerances expert, but I know this thing needs more adjustability baked into it. It also came with a whole bunch of extra screws that I can’t seem to find on the instruction sheet at all (not even in the BOM). I already need to take it back off the Bronco to add another spacer between the moving molle panel and the frame that mounts to the gate. It rubs on the cap head screw as it swings closed.

And lastly, I’m back to the first thing. The freaking tabletop surface installs by simultaneously sliding 3 metal tabs into slots that are the exact length as the tabs AND pressing the edge of the table into an interference fit with a flange on the molle panel. Even if that all isn’t a problem, the tabs measure over 2mm thick, and the slots measure under 2mm thick. I still haven’t gotten it installed, and JCR said they’d get back to me have yet to do so.

I may need to add some pictures to show my gripes visually.

Update: JCR actually got back to me within a week and sent me a new molle panel and tabletop surface that fit together properly. Overall, I’m really pleased with the table. The screws that hold the latches on do stab right into the painted tailgate metal though.

---B&O Subwoofer Upgrade---

Cost: $120 from a forum member for Kicker Comp RT8 (4ohm) sub, $430 for Kicker Key 500.1, harness, 4awg power cable from Plug N Play Kits, $8 for a new Dremel flap wheel (sanding bit)

Hangover Score: 5/5 (updated from 4/5)

No score yet as I have not run the calibration and really listened to this yet. It took about 9 hours, but that time includes the next mod too.

I watched all of RagnarKon’s videos and they were a huge help (even through he was coming from a different starting configuration, he took some time to explain what owners with other configurations would need to do). Even with the plug-n-play kit, this ended up being a lot more modification/fabrication work than I was anticipating:

• Dremeled & epoxied the sub enclosure to allow the 8” sub to fit
• Drilled out the grommet in the rear to pass 2 pairs of 16ga wire into the speaker
• Attached a (laminated plywood because I didn’t have any HDPE sheets) plate to the sheetmetal between the sub and the tail lamp, which ended up being too thick, and not letting the enclosure pass by the amp to install, so I
• Dremeled all 4 sub enclosure attachment holes to allow the whole thing to slide forward a half inch or so
• Battled the big grommet above/behind the clutch pedal in the firewall for a couple hours to get the 4AWG power wire through it, then
• Realized that the Key 500.1 will only accept 8AWG wire, so I had to trim a bunch of the strands off. Be sure to save yourself time and money and just buy 8AWG wire.

It was a little confusing what needed to plug into what, and what the settings on the amp needed to be, but at the end of a long day, sound came out of the sub when I turned on the radio, so I called it a day. I’ll come back and update this when I get it calibrated and give it a listen.

Update: I got it dialled in pretty well (thanks again to RagnarKon!). The first time I ran the Auto setup on the amp, I had the volume on the radio at 6/30. Well that's definitely not right. There was everybass everywhere all at once, and it was awful. I re-ran the setup at ~23/30 volume on the head unit and NOW it feels integrated.

• I left the port open (some users report a better sound with it plugged).
• Gain is set to about 3db (9:00). The setup originally had it around there for me, but not as high as a few other users were reporting (more like 10:00).
• High pass/subsonic filter is set to around 23-24hz (11:30), and it still rumbles my seat. This aint a 12" sub, and I'm not watching movies in the car. I don't see why you'd really want anything lower.
• Low pass filter is set to ~100-110hz (12:30). Any higher and a lot of the bass seemed to lose its shape (think a tight kick drum vs a muddy sounding one). Any lower I just flat out lost a lot of bass.
• Bass boost (which is just extra gain for a specific frequency band, as I gather) is off.

Update: It’s awesome. I do wish I’d put the amp somewhere more accessible than behind the trim to tweak the gain and filters.

---Front sound deadening/heat insulation---

Cost: $70 from Amazon

Hangover Score: 4/5

After the good experience with Siless’s 80mil sound deadener in the rear, I ordered their 50mil+closed cell foam deadener/insulator combo material for the front. I removed the rear trim, the seats, the console, the floor, and all the fixin’s. Between this and the subwoofer, it was a long day of sweating out the previous nights imbibements. I didn’t get a lot of pictures, but I am hopeful that will make the cabin even more comfortable. Will update when I get a chance to drive (and get the rear trim all reinstalled).

Update: I got the interior (except back seats) reinstalled, and the front/tunnel sound deadening definitely makes a difference! I'm rating it a 4/5, but I would absolutely recommend just doing it at the same time as the rear--I think I was just too chicken to take the seats and console out the first time.

 

[Luckylat]

Very impressive with all of your enhancements and upgrades!
Thank you for the great insight/detail to the upgrades that you felt were worth the effort as I plan to complete some of the same when I get my Bronco.
PS: Don't forget to date your wife...LOL!

 

[MyDogGoldie]

Awesome info! ,,, how well do sliders work as running boards?

 

[Ibuprofen3293]

Awesome info! ,,, how well do sliders work as running boards?

These work quite well, even though you’ll naturally be putting your foot on the narrower part. Neither of us have missed them or slipped off of them. I do tend to step right over them when sliding out, but I know that will wear my seat bolster out prematurely.

 

[Min_Ahn]

After reading your post, I've considered delving into the world of sound deadening, but it seems wise to wait until the weather cools off.

 

[CHSvajgl]

Thanks for the info on Course Motorsports phone mount. This is exactly what I have been looking for. I used RAM mounts products to achieve a similar outcome but I don’t like how it mounts to the grab handle.

 

[Ibuprofen3293]

---Jtops Bronco Mesh Bikini Top---

Cost: $220 shipped from another forum member, plus $20 velcro kit from JTops

Hangover Score: 4/5

Forgot to include this one in my original write-ups, but I installed it a few months ago. It's a 1st generation model, so the hooks at the front are under the plastic flap, which makes it not sit flush and causes a gap between the windshield and the top. Seems like that is fixed on their new version. I'll update this post in the future if I remember to get a picture of it.

The zipper (to get to the hard top latches) jingles a little, so I'll need to figure that out, the whole thing flaps a little (visually, not audibly), and its very difficult to get it looking perfect all the way along the sides. But it's worth it to have the top off and not cook in the sun; the MGV seats are already good at making soup (I'm disgusted with myself at that simile).

I'd have bought a new one if Jtops offered a khahki color closer to the Carhartt brown. I'd love the retro CJ/EB ragtop look, but they only have a sandy looking tan.

 

[Ibuprofen3293]

After reading your post, I've considered delving into the world of sound deadening, but it seems wise to wait until the weather cools off.

I think it's been in the 80s both days I've tackled it. Just need to drink water/gatorade instead of a garage beer and keep some rags handy to wipe up your sweat!

Thanks for the info on Course Motorsports phone mount. This is exactly what I have been looking for. I used RAM mounts products to achieve a similar outcome but I don’t like how it mounts to the grab handle.

No problem--For an Android, I think the charger the Course comes with would be good (probably would charge at 10W), but for an iPhone, I'd probably buy the Course without a charger and do the Tackform holder & Apple charger (to a 20W+ USB adapter). Or I'd just replace the factory charger kind of like this.

 

[Bellime]

Thanks for doing all this, you have given me some pointers and opinions on the speaker upgrades that will help when I finally execute the spend. Not sure I want to go through the considerable exercise of the sound deadening, but maybe…….. seems like staying with the 80mil in front would give you better results.

 

[Ibuprofen3293]

Thanks for doing all this, you have given me some pointers and opinions on the speaker upgrades that will help when I finally execute the spend. Not sure I want to go through the considerable exercise of the sound deadening, but maybe…….. seems like staying with the 80mil in front would give you better results.

No problem. I've been talking to @RagnarKon and he suggested trying to disable the B&O DSP in Forscan to see if that helps out my rear speakers (and maybe sub)--I plan to try it and see!

Regarding the deadening: I went with the combo deadener/insulator product for the front because I felt the console/trans tunnel was a bit warm at times, and figured any extra insulation between the drive train and cabin would be a good thing. There's a lot more factory NVH pads and sheetmetal formations in the front than the rear (which has a lot of large empty panels), so it should be naturally stiffer and allow less road noise through. I didn't take off the factory firewall insulator pad to add more underneath it, and hopefully I don't regret it... I was able to go right up to that point in the footwell though (basically the top of the dead pedal). I think I'll go with the 80mil butyl when I do the doors.

 

[JTopsUSA]

---Jtops Bronco Mesh Bikini Top---

Cost: $220 shipped from another forum member, plus $20 velcro kit from JTops

Hangover Score: 4/5

Forgot to include this one in my original write-ups, but I installed it a few months ago. It's a 1st generation model, so the hooks at the front are under the plastic flap, which makes it not sit flush and causes a gap between the windshield and the top. Seems like that is fixed on their new version. I'll update this post in the future if I remember to get a picture of it.

The zipper (to get to the hard top latches) jingles a little, so I'll need to figure that out, the whole thing flaps a little (visually, not audibly), and its very difficult to get it looking perfect all the way along the sides. But it's worth it to have the top off and not cook in the sun; the MGV seats are already good at making soup (I'm disgusted with myself at that simile).

I'd have bought a new one if Jtops offered a khahki color closer to the Carhartt brown. I'd love the retro CJ/EB ragtop look, but they only have a sandy looking tan.

This is Mike from Jtops. We did change the zippers on version two. The zippers used on version one just need to be tucked in when they are in the closed position. You can also snip them off and put on fabric zipper pulls.
Hope this helps.
Mike

 

[murphtron]

Love the prose and the mod list!

Re sound deadening. Is this the Siless product you used? https://a.co/d/cPaFzhL

I already have most of the rear trim panels off to add a sub @ amp to the ‘23 sub-delete model (easy mod BTW). But I did notice that having the rear floor and passenger trim panel removed actually increased driving noise quite a bit. The plastic panels alone deaden some road noise. I figured additional deadening might be worth it. Especially since I’ve already got it apart.

The kicker 6.75” sub makes a world of difference FYI. But I do plan to also update the dash speakers. And I found a kicker 200.4 amp at my local audio store. Although I wonder if I need that after updating the dash speakers. I’ll know in a week or so. I may have an amp for sale!

For the hitch extender the Kuat 1Up is very stable as it has an internal cam to prevent movement. Although honestly… it’s a pain that the rear won’t open with the extender + Kuat NV rack without bikes. I’m considering going with the swingaway that allows the rear to open with and without bikes. But $400+ is difficult to swallow.

 

[Ibuprofen3293]

Re sound deadening. Is this the Siless product you used? https://a.co/d/cPaFzhL

Yep I used the silver version of that (along with leftover Noico which is basically the same product but made in Russia vs Kazakstan) for the whole rear end and it made a nice difference.

I still don’t have my interior trim panels reinstalled since I did my sub and front deadening (with the Siless pro material
https://a.co/d/inQlCBB )
so it’s going to be tough to judge how much that actually added—I’ll probably have forgotten what it used to sound like by the time I get it back together!

Be sure to put bolts back into the holes in the floor if you take the seats out, otherwise you have a direct pipeline for road noise into the cabin.
I’m planning to build a simple platform for the rear which will go over the top of the floor and load deck trim—should help quiet things down even more

 

[Ibuprofen3293]

Added some scores and details to the B&O Sub Upgrade and Front Sound Deadening at the end of Post #2. (TLDR: they're both good; do them both).

I grabbed some of these resistors to plug into the harness where the rear seatbelt pretensioners/retractors lived. Most folks that remove their rear seats and replace with a platform have just been tucking them down behind the quarter trim. But $1 worth of resistors (plus you have 8 spares) seems to do the trick of turning off the idiot light for rear the belts. Just stick it in the holes and tape it up so it can't short out.

Nothing is permanently changed, and I could have the belts and seats back in in under an hour if I needed to. I figure I'm adding enough stuff to this thing that I should take weight savings when I can!

I also used Forscan to disable all the dings and honks. Hangover Score 5/5

I still need to mess around with the B&O Noise Cancelling and added Engine Noise (i turned one off, but I gather they need to go together). Before winter I'll need to tweak the heated steering wheel heat, and I should probably go ahead and add sport mode for some reason...but otherwise There's not that much for me to do in Forscan. The base audio system benefits from Forscan changes where the B&O doesn't (lots of threads on that already).

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