OMG The Soft Top is Heavy!

[reigny]

I don't have mine yet so sorry if this is a silly question but where are people putting the door protectors?

You'll get 2 of them in the tool kit from Ford. They're very small. One goes on the fender and the other on the door. the one i got from Amazon i cut to fit the full length of the door.

Sponsored

 

[kje22kje]

You'll get 2 of them in the tool kit from Ford. They're very small. One goes on the fender and the other on the door. the one i got from Amazon i cut to fit the full length of the door.

Gotcha. My bad, I took it to mean it was being used to help with the top not scratching. Thanks.

 

[Oneand0]

My uncle (73) and I (55) lifted it up and got it off, but putting it back on, he did not have the strength, so I got someone to take his side and we got it back on. We are both 6’ tall. If you don’t have enough height, strength, or any type of back or shoulder injury, good luck. My back just went out and there’s no way I could do it before it heals. I really want to get a hard top and get one of those big rolling easy lift things and call it a day. I don’t think they would work with a soft top.

 

[reigny]

My uncle (73) and I (55) lifted it up and got it off, but putting it back on, he did not have the strength, so I got someone to take his side and we got it back on. We are both 6’ tall. If you don’t have enough height, strength, or any type of back or shoulder injury, good luck. My back just went out and there’s no way I could do it before it heals. I really want to get a hard top and get one of those big rolling easy lift things and call it a day. I don’t think they would work with a soft top.

I haven't really seen this discussed much in the forum. Wondering if there will be an after market solution or if it's only a select few having issues. I can't imagine people are taking this off with ease.

 

[XR650R]

With two people, it’s only 50lbs each (assuming one of you isn’t slacking off ). If it’s the height, you might want to setup some catwalk ramps to run along side to give you both an edge.

They're both pretty short, so it's a lack of leverage. I'd suggest weightlifting until you had arms of steel, but that wouldn't help much. You're just not tall enough to do it easily.
Maybe some picnic table benches on each side would get you high enough to get it off more easily.

 

[Toccoa]

They're both pretty short, so it's a lack of leverage. I'd suggest weightlifting until you had arms of steel, but that wouldn't help much. You're just not tall enough to do it easily.
Maybe some picnic table benches on each side would get you high enough to get it off more easily.

That’s basically what I meant by the catwalk. Although, for safety, something like a vehicle ramp might be better.

 

[XR650R]

That’s basically what I meant by the catwalk. Although, for safety, something like a vehicle ramp might be better.

Yes. They need a way to get down easily.

 

[RAKET]

With us trying to get sizing/dimensions for the roof rack I’ve had to deal with that soft top removal. It’s definitely awkward with the uneven weight. All I can say is get under it lol.

 

[Easy-v]

Sounds like you could use the IAG EZ lift. Looks like a great add even if you don’t have a difficult time…..
and like with any soft top, this one gets easier with a few uses and lessons learned

This would not work for removing the soft top and frame from the vehicle. For lifting the soft top back on from a folded position - yes.

 

[JimboSlice]

I removed mine last month with the help of my neighbor. We were surprised at how heavy it was also. We couldn't get it to move and realized the back was still locked. We put some cardboard on both sides so it wouldn't lock. It came right off after that. I am not looking forward to putting it back on.

 

[MannyG20]

So, here is my sad story. My wife and I went to take the soft top off for the first time a few months ago. I made three critical errors: 1). I didn’t lock the soft top when I fully retracted it. Don’t know why - I guess because I wasn’t going to drive this step just slipped my mind. 2). I greatly underestimated the weight of the soft top 3) I greatly overestimated the strength of my wife.

I unbolt the top and we go to remove it. She is able to lift it off the bracket but immediately the soft top starts to ‘unfold’ and the weight distribution goes wonky. She can’t hold her end up and sets it down on the roll bar/side wall. What happens next was a slow motion train wreck that ended with inch long scratches down both sides of the tailgate and a dimple sized dent above the right tail light.

90 seconds later when I finally got the top off all I could do was laugh and ask her forgiveness for putting her through that ordeal. Needless to say we have not removed the top since.

 

[Calm horse]

Took mine off fir 1st time several weeks ago with the wife.......lesson learned ....she could barely lift it, made a small scratch or 2 or 3 on her side....of course I got the blame! Have not put back on yet because I love the look of this thing topless....but when I do I will definitely use more people and put down some protection.....also gonna purchase a hoist and make some contraption to make it a 1 person job

 

[RaceRedOBX]

So in all how long would you say it takes to fully remove the soft top from start to finish? My bronco is at the dealer right now waiting for the top to be replaced and they stated it was a very intricate job and may take weeks . I am finding this hard to believe.....

 

[reigny]

So in all how long would you say it takes to fully remove the soft top from start to finish? My bronco is at the dealer right now waiting for the top to be replaced and they stated it was a very intricate job and may take weeks . I am finding this hard to believe.....

I imagine 10 minutes.

Sponsored