Soft Top Issues Resolved for '24?

[8cam]

I've said it over and over, the best solution is the Bestop Sunrider. Easy flip open the front any time you want, solid rear hard top with tinted windows for rear coverage. Party in the front, business in the back. Yes it's a little noisy, but it's not a Mercedes folks.

Sponsored

 

[Merc4x4]

I've said it over and over, the best solution is the Bestop Sunrider. Easy flip open the front any time you want, solid rear hard top with tinted windows for rear coverage. Party in the front, business in the back. Yes it's a little noisy, but it's not a Mercedes folks.

I’ve thought about getting just the rear cargo part of the MOD top (if they ever make one) and adding the Bestop fabric top that replaces both the front and middle sections.
If they made one that slid back you could probably open it under a roof rack, too.
(I like the MOD top because the rear windows are removable and it might have less issues than the MIC)

I really want an aftermarket top like the Wragler one touch sky top. Sliding canvas and removable rear windows…

 

[Lex_310]

Wavy window, easy fix

How did you achieve this?

 

[Imaginary Friend]

I’m ok with everything about the soft top except the most redicilous engineering failure ever, the rear hatch. Someone should have been fired. There will never be tight rear side windows with that design unless you never use it. Not sure why zip in rear window was so horrifying for ford to design. I thought I read Bestop created the factory soft top. Someone at ford should have vetoed that hatch design.

Unlike my TJ, there are no alternatives to the factory soft top that fold all the way back which was in my mind mandatory… so I’m okay with the factory one.

So I'm guessing for '24 the soft top is still the same flip-up abomination at the rear, instead of having a proper, separate rear window/hatch panel like Jeeps have had since the beginning of time?

 

[tock13]

So I'm guessing for '24 the soft top is still the same flip-up abomination at the rear, instead of having a proper, separate rear window/hatch panel like Jeeps have had since the beginning of time?

From what I have seen, yes. We are still stuck with the most ridiculously stupid engineering design in soft top history.

 

[Jazer]

Before buying a Bronco I rented a BL SAS with a soft top on Turo for 3-4 days. I will say that the Wrangler soft top is a work of art in comparison to the Ford abomination. I almost did not buy a Bronco because of the unbearable noise level and flop of the rental. So the emotional baggage comes from that.

Coming from someone who has NEVER owned or even ridden in another convertible or jeep since I was a kid at least - I love my 22 soft top Bronco. The noise is completely bearable at highway speeds. No flapping. Wind noise is not excessive. I can comfortably talk to my rear seat passengers or a phone call, etc. From what I have heard, it's an improvement over Jeep's design. I also love being able to pop open the rear hatch wider, with ease. The wavy windows are not a big deal. It's a soft top, I expect it to look... soft. lol.

 

[[DELETED MEMBER 27901]]

Coming from someone who has NEVER owned or even ridden in another convertible or jeep since I was a kid at least - I love my 22 soft top Bronco. The noise is completely bearable at highway speeds. No flapping. Wind noise is not excessive. I can comfortably talk to my rear seat passengers or a phone call, etc. From what I have heard, it's an improvement over Jeep's design. I also love being able to pop open the rear hatch wider, with ease. The wavy windows are not a big deal. It's a soft top, I expect it to look... soft. lol.

DirtyDog 4x4 headliner makes a world of difference for highway trips. Can’t believe I went nearly 2 years without it. I’d never trade in the convenience of my soft top.

 

[Black_Stallion13]

I am very happy with the Trektop I switched to. People don’t like how it doesn’t fold ALL the way back, but that design choice is why its windows don’t get wavy and has a much better overall fit and finish. Much faster to remove/install windows and such too for safari mode.

 

[Area51BS]

None of the 2023's I've seen have wavy windows?

Ones on lot here do.

 

[bigbmc26]

Soft top v2.0 helped with the rain drips. They put thick piping along the upper edges which made a significant difference. Wavy windows are still and thing. I've never had a leak in V1.0 or v2.0 so I can't speak to that specific issue.

How do you know if you have a v2.0? I have a MY23, purchased in March of last year. I still get the rain stream if i open the door or crack the window. It's bad. Now I'm hearing that Ford added gutters on the MY24 soft tops?

 

[BroncocnorB]

How did you achieve this?

It’s the AM Bestop. Better than the OE if you don’t like wavy windows, but some compromise of course

 

[frdfan]

There's an easy for both the soft and hard top complaints. Take the tops off---it's summer. Don't have to worry about hardtop squeaks, snaps and pops...nor do you have to worry about flapping, rain dripping, wrinkled windows on the soft top.

I do have a soft top, my only complaint is the flopping...wrinkled windows don't bother me, I'm to busy driving.

 

[beardymcstash]

i'll throw my 2 cents into the ring and say that i'm happy i didn't go with a hard top, but my circumstances may differ. i remember going back and forth a lot on this when i was ordering my '23 BD, so hopefully this helps any future folks that come across this post.

i live in a predominately warm/hot climate so i don't need to worry about the benefits of a hard top for long periods of really cold winter. i can flip the first section back with little effort where ever i happen to be and don't have to worry about bringing bags around to keep the modular panels in if the weather changes through the day. i also don't have a ton of space to store the modular panels or the rear shell in my garage w/o having to put everything back together every time i pulled in.

aside from maybe a total of a month throughout the year when we actually get freezing temperatures i'm driving around in safari mode (the rear windows removed) with the soft top. when that morning errand run starts to turn into an especially nice day i can get the top fully back in just a minute after i walk out the store back to the bronco.

haven't had any issues of any kind with it (so far) and no complaints about highway noise with it either, but i have a bone stock BD and not big knobby tires.

 

[tock13]

How do you know if you have a v2.0? I have a MY23, purchased in March of last year. I still get the rain stream if i open the door or crack the window. It's bad. Now I'm hearing that Ford added gutters on the MY24 soft tops?

I ordered dual tops on my MY24. I do not see rain gutters on the soft top. It looks identical to the soft top on my Job 2 MY23 that this replaced.

If by rain gutters you mean fords version…the piping that @Razorback mentioned above that runs the length of the top a couple inches in from the edge on each side, then that is present like it was on at least since the Job 2 MY23s.

 

[bigbmc26]

I ordered dual tops on my MY24. I do not see rain gutters on the soft top. It looks identical to the soft top on my Job 2 MY23 that this replaced.

If by rain gutters you mean fords version…the piping that @Razorback mentioned above that runs the length of the top a couple inches in from the edge on each side, then that is present like it was on at least since the Job 2 MY23s.

Ah okay, TCcustoms outlines the soft top gutter change in this video. Maybe they just started shipping them?

Sponsored