Turn Off Road Hard Top - Self Installation & Review

[Kjbeggs]

Honestly, I don’t think it made much, if any difference. I took it out last night and it sounded about the same to me today.
I really don’t feel like I have wind noise coming in at the front edge or the targa, so much as just overall “wind on the vertical windshield”.

So, after TOR's response here about making sure the Targa was properly "centered" before latching down, I re-installed my piece of pipe insulation across the front, and made sure the Targa was centered and snugly latched last night.
I feel like it did make some difference this morning, while on the freeway.
I'm tempted to pick up another piece and try putting some along the sides of the targa as well.
(I know this was a big thing for people trying to make the OEM hardtop quieter).
What I don't want is to get to a point of diminishing returns, where I've got multiple pieces of pipe insulation to deal with when taking the Targa off.

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[CKXVII]

@Turn Offroad why are those rubber feet needed on the tailgate? I have an ADV hardtop ordered (yes I know I may never get it lol) and was considering switching to this one. However I have a diabolical slip stream that would theoretically be compatible with ADV and was compatible with the OEM, these rubber feet seem like they’d cause issues.

Clarification on the hardtop/SlipStream compatibility. Assuming you want to install the SlipStream hardtop conversion kit — mainly the 2 cover plates that fill the gap where the soft top latches used to be — there is definitely contact between the cover plate edge and the weatherstripping of the hinge-side rubber foot. Not a big deal — you can either remove the cover plate or reapply the short amount of weatherstripping in that spot. No harm to the actual rubber foot.

I reported this to @Turn Offroad and they sent me a replacement part before I realized the weatherstripping was just attached with adhesive backing.

 

[WILDcardOD]

Clarification on the hardtop/SlipStream compatibility. Assuming you want to install the SlipStream hardtop conversion kit — mainly the 2 cover plates that fill the gap where the soft top latches used to be — there is definitely contact between the cover plate edge and the weatherstripping of the hinge-side rubber foot. Not a big deal — you can either remove the cover plate or reapply the short amount of weatherstripping in that spot. No harm to the actual rubber foot.

I reported this to @Turn Offroad and they sent me a replacement part before I realized the weatherstripping was just attached with adhesive backing.

Thank you so much. Slipstream has been honestly the best thing I’ve added to the Bronco, so everything from here on out has to be compatible

 

[CKXVII]

Thank you so much. Slipstream has been honestly the best thing I’ve added to the Bronco, so everything from here on out has to be compatible

I feel ya. Honestly, that particular SS cover plate prob needs an edge protector or the weatherstrip could be a firmer material … it def seems like a fixable issue. The main piece that rests just above the tailgate is fine.

 

[604Bronco]

So, after TOR's response here about making sure the Targa was properly "centered" before latching down, I re-installed my piece of pipe insulation across the front, and made sure the Targa was centered and snugly latched last night.
I feel like it did make some difference this morning, while on the freeway.
I'm tempted to pick up another piece and try putting some along the sides of the targa as well.
(I know this was a big thing for people trying to make the OEM hardtop quieter).
What I don't want is to get to a point of diminishing returns, where I've got multiple pieces of pipe insulation to deal with when taking the Targa off.

How bad is your issue? I am not even considering adding any foam or anything - It's not an air tight seal, but it's not bad at all. I really have to put my hand right up above the sun visor to feel even a little bit of air. The noise coming from the area is extremely minimal, even at highway speeds.

Non-issue for me - I guess that's one thing with starting with a soft top: Everything else will be much, much quieter.

 

[Kjbeggs]

How bad is your issue? I am not even considering adding any foam or anything - It's not an air tight seal, but it's not bad at all. I really have to put my hand right up above the sun visor to feel even a little bit of air. The noise coming from the area is extremely minimal, even at highway speeds.

Non-issue for me - I guess that's one thing with starting with a soft top: Everything else will be much, much quieter.

It wasn't really bad, and I couldn't feel any air coming through, before or after. I just remembered people with the OEM HT trying to further quieten it by shoving pipe insulation in gaps, so I figured I'd experiment.
I've gone from listening to sportstalk radio at 10-11 volume, to about 8.
(But it's been much less windy in my area the past few days too, so take that for what it's worth).

 

[Sunday Money]

Hey folks,

As you know, I’ve been patiently waiting a hard top for my Bronco. I must give a shoutout to @TURN Todd and Cole at @Turn Offroad – They have been one of the best vendors I’ve dealt with for anything (not just for my Bronco accessories). Their communication, level of detail, expertise, commitment to customers, etc. is just above and beyond. I would feel confident in buying from them in a second, simply based off this. I do not get any kick-back from them on this, nor did they ask my opinion – But you know me, I’ll tell it how it is. I am truly blown away by both of them and their teams for the quality of product (albeit, it’s day one!) and their outstanding customer service. Thank you very much – It has been a breath of fresh air!

Now, onto the hard top!

Delivery was well arranged – Keeping in mind my top had to come a long ways up to Canada, TOR did a fantastic job selecting a reputable carrier and customs broker to work with.It arrived on time, for the most part. It was delayed a day due to a “weather delay,” and with the weekend, it showed up on the Monday instead of the previous Friday. No big deal. It arrived very well packaged! Not only was the hard top secured in the crate well, but it was wrapped in a black shrink wrap to protect it, but also to help to quickly identify if anything had come into contact with the pallet. Thankfully the shrink wrap was all intact.

One thing to keep in mind if you order a top to be shipped to your house: Measure your space! I clearly poorly measured and had to pull my Bronco out of our standard 2 vehicle garage to get the hard top in. Part of that was due to the pallet being too tall, and needed to be laid down in order to fit in the garage. That issue’s on me, but thankfully once inside the garage, I could JUST fit my Bronco back inside, next to the crate. It’s much larger than it appears in the TOR video! The reason for wanting to get both the hard top and Bronco back into the garage: I had proactively removed my soft top the Sunday afternoon (day before delivery). The weather was looking a little iffy today, so I didn’t want to leave my topless Bronco outside the rest of the day, as I couldn’t install the hard top right away.

Soft top removal was easy, thanks to the instructions provided by TOR in their installation video. I also found it helpful to reference the Ford soft top video, which can be found here.

Don’t forget: When you remove the soft top, if you’re going to sell it, remove all appropriate hardware from your vehicle. This isn’t covered in the TOR video, but it includes the brackets on both sides of the cargo area, near the door (where the soft top latches to). You also need to remove the black bracket on both sides, under the plastic trim piece, in the cargo area. This black bracket is what the soft top brackets mount to, so this is critical and something I almost forgot to remove. Lastly, you need to remove the plastic C pillar vertical trim pieces from either side, which is what the side soft top windows latch onto.

As for the installation of the hardtop, I unwrapped the pallet and targa top – Always make sure that everything is in good condition, and you have all your hardware, before starting installation (a good practise for any new accessories!). The bolts and washers were in a plastic bag, taped to the targa top bubble wrap and was easy to spot upon opening the box. Unfortunately, I was missing the bracket required to be installed above the B pillar. This isn’t needed on all Bronco’s, but if you don’t have the OEM bracket installed (like I did, thankfully), you would need this. I am pretty meticulous on checking all the packaging, and it was not there. This OEM bracket is presumably installed on any Bronco with the hard top prep package for the rear defroster/rear wiper.

Follow the TOR installation video – It’s very well laid out and easy to follow along with. I had it on my iPad next to me during the installation, and just paused the video during each step. I’m actually glad that no paper instructions were included, as the video is self explanatory. One suggestion for @Turn Offroad would be to add a QR code to the packaging, maybe the hardware bag, which links to your website with the installation videos. Or even a sticker on the black shrink wrap, which is obvious and helps people find the unboxing and installation videos.

The installation took two people, but it was pretty simple and no major issues. The most time consuming part was adjusting the latches for the targa top – They do seem very secure, and that was one of the concerning points for me initially. I’m happy to say that early days, they seem very good and secure. You may find the paint on the targa top latches prevents the nut from adjusting easily - This was a bit of a pain point, but with some elbow grease you can get it going. Once the paint starts to come off a bit, it's much easier. One suggestion might be to not paint the threads, since they're covered by the latches anyways.

Once the top is installed, you will find there's a bit of a smell - It's just your standard "newly made" product with all the fun glues and epoxies and whatever else is on it. It's not overwhelming, but you will smell it and I anticipate it'll dissipate quickly. Also, you will notice in my pictures below that the top is shiny and you can see some fingerprints from the installation. I did not wash the top after installing it, but pretty certain a lot of that sheen will come off with a good wash using soap and water, and some of Mother Nature's rain

Please note: I do need to adjust the latches a bit further, so I know some of the pictures below show the targa top not pulled all the way down yet.

A couple very minor concerns/questions for @Turn Offroad :

• The rubber angle pieces that stick to the door don’t seem to stick as well as one might have expected. I cleaned the area, and removed the adhesive backing. The one closest to the door handle is not nearly as secure as the inside one is. Likely will need to re-apply a better 3M tape. Pictures below. On a related piece, there was form attached to these pieces, but I’m unsure if it was supposed to remain or pull it off? It was folded under a bit, so it was not clear at all. Some clarity on this would be appreciated. Pictures below.

TOR Response:

**Rubber Pieces:** The rubber pieces use 3M VHB adhesive, which sticks well initially and becomes even stronger over time, especially after being exposed to heat. If you ever lose one, we'll replace it for free. The foam on the rubber blocks isn't necessary, so feel free to remove it. We used foam initially to see how the blocks fit against the seals, but the final product doesn't include it. If you'd like, we're happy to send you a new set without the foam.

• The rubber under the rear glass interferes with the cargo door, however, this was mentioned to me from Todd and a fix is already in the works and is being shipped out to customers who have already received their hard tops. This isn’t major, but you do have to open the door > 90 degrees to clear it. This will tear in pretty short order unfortunately, so hopefully the fix is just around the corner and easy to swap out. Pictures below.

TOR Response:

**Rear Glass Interference:** We've updated our design so that the tailgate only needs to be opened to 90 degrees to open the rear window, based on feedback. If you have the older design, we'll send you a new glass and lower fiberglass assembly for free. This update also reduces stress on the rear seal when closing the tailgate. All new hard tops will include this improved design, but we're also offering replacements to our early customers at no cost. The installation is straightforward, involving just two bolts, and we'll provide an installation video.
If you're considering adding defrost and wiper features in the future, we can offer them at a discounted price, saving you the cost of an updated glass set.

• The window tint on the hard top is a little bit lighter than the factory tint. You can see this in my pictures. I'm hoping I can have my local window tint place fix this by adding some additional tint. @Turn Offroad - Can you confirm if the glass is tinted with film, or is the tint built into the glass?

TOR Response:

**Window Tint:** The tint is built into the glass with a 20% level, matching the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) hard top. If you want to add film tint, a professional should be able to match the OEM rear door glass closely with little effort.

Now for the moment you've all been waiting for! *drum roll*

Any photos of the targa top clampdown hardware?

 

[604Bronco]

Any photos of the targa top clampdown hardware?

Sorry, these aren't awesome pictures but hopefully they help:

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