SUCCESS: First Installed Bronco Bestop Bimini Sun Shade - Pics, Installation Notes, Impressions

[88to21bronco]

Your grass looks great. Someone had to say it.

Being sarcastic I assume? I have three jobs and three kids. My qualification for grass is two-fold: 1. Green and 2. Mowed. All else is optional.

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[BroncoKong Jr.]

Being sarcastic I assume? I have three jobs and three kids. My qualification for grass is two-fold: 1. Green and 2. Mowed. All else is optional.

Green and/or mowed is a lot better than most people in my neighborhood

 

[88to21bronco]

Definitely made for top down driving on the beach, around the beach town, on curved roads with views in the mountains, etc. 50 and below driving. But so is a soft top really. (Sunrider fold-back is doable at speed for short periods I guess.)

Not true of the Bronco softtop IMO. Quiet--in relative terms--when closed and ease of operation is a 12 out of 10. No leaks thus far in all categories of rain. It's not just for play. I had planned to get a hardtop aftermarket down the road, and may still. But I could absolutely live with the softtop.

 

[88to21bronco]

Sounds like you overrode the directions a couple times, do you think the design isn't quite there yet or was it the possible hard/soft top thing you mention?

How was the upward view from underneath? Enough for passenger sight-seeing in the appropriate geography/landscape? We have some nice vertical views out here going through the Rockies.

Not sure. Maybe I was misreading the instructions, especially as it pertains to the speaker screw. But my wife--who annoyingly always reads directions (I know, right?) read them like I did.

As for the bracket, it is the difference between the hard and soft tops. Not sure why there were no instructions for us softtop folks. Unless they assumed we would use the "top up, windows out" option as a built-in sunshade.

 

[RhodeIslandRed]

Being sarcastic I assume? I have three jobs and three kids. My qualification for grass is two-fold: 1. Green and 2. Mowed. All else is optional.

Not at all. I think it looks great.

 

[Dads_bronze_bronco]

Not true of the Bronco softtop IMO. Quiet--in relative terms--when closed and ease of operation is a 12 out of 10. No leaks thus far in all categories of rain. It's not just for play. I had planned to get a hardtop aftermarket down the road, and may still. But I could absolutely live with the softtop.

I thought the soft top was good at 70 mph up or closed. I wouldn’t drive 2 hours to the beach with the top down on the highway though.

 

[88to21bronco]

Not at all. I think it looks great.

Well...you're a gentleman (or woman) and a scholar.

 

[88to21bronco]

I thought the soft top was good at 70 mph up or closed. I wouldn’t drive 2 hours to the beach with the top down on the highway though.

I've logged 4 hours + of top down Interstate/highway driving. I am impressed with the manners of the Bronco when topless. But YMMV.

 

[BroncoKong Jr.]

I wouldn’t drive 2 hours to the beach with the top down on the highway though.

I would!

But I'm only a few minutes from a beach lol

 

[88to21bronco]

Sounds like you overrode the directions a couple times, do you think the design isn't quite there yet or was it the possible hard/soft top thing you mention?

How was the upward view from underneath? Enough for passenger sight-seeing in the appropriate geography/landscape? We have some nice vertical views out here going through the Rockies.

That's the part that makes me wish it were easier to remove. We live in the foothills of the Smoky's so there's lots to see. The kids like watching the stars when we drive at night. You can see through the mesh, but it does hamper visibility significantly.

 

[hotrodtim]

I like.

 

[5280Bronco]

Ok, my wife and I are now thinking about this for our 4 door. Is there any kind of light that comes in between the edge of the sunshade and the sides of the roll bar where the side airbags are? I guess I'm trying to figure out if it completely covers the roof area that is open with the top down, or if light comes in around the edges. Thanks for the write-up!

 

[Krimzun]

Certainly needed if you have the top off and don't want to burn like a crisp. The ones I've used on the Jeep are supposed to cut like 70-80% of the UV rays and help not get burned up. In my experience they are well worth the money if you like riding top off.

 

[linbackr99]

NICE. I will be ordering the canvas bimini for my WIldtrak and operating with that for the majority of the summer.

 

[88to21bronco]

Ok, my wife and I are now thinking about this for our 4 door. Is there any kind of light that comes in between the edge of the sunshade and the sides of the roll bar where the side airbags are? I guess I'm trying to figure out if it completely covers the roof area that is open with the top down, or if light comes in around the edges. Thanks for the write-up!

It is as near a complete cover as possible. Very good fit and very well made.

Certainly needed if you have the top off and don't want to burn like a crisp. The ones I've used on the Jeep are supposed to cut like 70-80% of the UV rays and help not get burned up. In my experience they are well worth the money if you like riding top off.

I am bald *mostly* by choice. It definitely cuts down on sun exposure. I didn't want to have to wear a safari hat everywhere I went. My kids say it cuts down on wind, though there is a little more noise as crosswinds hit the shade horizontally.

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