Turn Off Road Hard Top - Self Installation & Review

[Area51BS]

I hope you're right, but it was literally grabbing the rubber and wanting to rip it last night when I was opening/closing the cargo door. It's only under certain situations - My video doesn't outline it very well.

Doesn’t sound good

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[604Bronco]

Doesn’t sound good

Yesterday has been better than day one, and honestly, as long as you're careful and don't just quickly slam the door, it should hold up for a while - Long enough for them to roll out their solution to fix this. I'm likely going to wait for the rear defroster/wiper, so I'll wait for that to come out.

 

[Finbox]

Does the wiper and washer mount like the OEM top?

Sprayer on top, wiper and motor on bottom, the other manufacturers are placing the motor at top and it blocks your view.

 

[JediMcMuffin]

Does the wiper and washer mount like the OEM top?

Sprayer on top, wiper and motor on bottom, the other manufacturers are placing the motor at top and it blocks your view.

I don't think we've seen a finished wiper assembly yet, but its pretty clear to me that the wiper will be on the bottom, as thats where the hole in the glass is. My current plan is to get the defroster, but I'm not terribly interested in a rear wiper. Every hatchback I've ever owned I've done a rear wipe delete on so I'm somewhat happy this doesn't even have one. I've always found it easier to rain-x the shit out of the rear window.

then again, i don't play in the mud much

 

[3175375]

I currently have an AFC hardtop on order and have purchased all of the items that were listed in the installation instructions post.

do all of these items still apply to the TOR hardtop?

I have a 2021 Bronco that came with a soft top.

 

[604Bronco]

Question for those of you who have a TOR hard top: Have you washed it yet? Curious if anyone else has seen "water spots" appear after washing it, even in ideal washing situations (i.e. - It's night time, cool temperatures, etc.).

Did they disappear once the top was dry or any concerns when washing it?

 

[JediMcMuffin]

Question for those of you who have a TOR hard top: Have you washed it yet? Curious if anyone else has seen "water spots" appear after washing it, even in ideal washing situations (i.e. - It's night time, cool temperatures, etc.).

Did they disappear once the top was dry or any concerns when washing it?

It's literally not stopped raining since I picked it up. I hope to wash it soon but wasn't too worried about it. If I get around to it I'll be sure to take pictures, but I have a busy weekend ahead and I'm pretty sure more sporadic rain is on the way. No leaks so far

 

[604Bronco]

Update:

So I ended up getting the hard top windows re-tinted, as you could see they didn't perfectly match the OEM tint on the rear passenger doors. I think this was compounded by the fact I have a bright white paint colour, so the rear "roll cage" shows through the windows a little easier.

I went with a 15% tint - I know it's slightly darker, but I felt with a black top/my theme, and wanting some extra privacy for the rear cargo area, it'd be the right choice to go with.

Anyways, tell me what you think!

Before:

After:

 

[Roadbeast]

Ok guys.. so I am not going to post another separate tread.. I will tell you I love this hardtop. So I drove 2 hrs to Turn's shop in Riverside. Radio at 17. Trucks sound like they are coming through the back of the bronco, typical softop issues.

I met with Cole and Todd. They were so friendly. I loved speaking with them. The installation was about 30/ 45 mins.
They pack my softop in the back of the bronco with a ton of felt so nothing would get scratched. I was not expecting that at all.

The top was installed and purposely did not watch. I wanted to be surprised, and I was with the finished product. I agree picture do not do it justice. Just like when we seen a picture of our Broncos. It was cool. But then the first time in person really tells a different story.

Driving home was so quiet. Radio volume set to 10. No big rigs coming through my back seat. Inside is dark so you don't even notice the latches. I personally like being able to adjust them, if needing.
My tint looks like my factory tint on the windows. Overall just a pleasure to deal with Turn Off Road. Very professional in all aspects, from ordering to installation.

 

[tourproto]

Is there an option for a rear window wiper? Looks like there are plugged holes that would support adding one.

 

[3175375]

Is there an option for a rear window wiper? Looks like there are plugged holes that would support adding one.

Yes
I have communicated via email with them and a rear window defroster and wiper are coming… should be available in a month.

 

[Ninjak]

@604Bronco :
The re-tint is a better match for the tint you had. With your theme, its looking good.

 

[604Bronco]

@604Bronco :
The re-tint is a better match for the tint you had. With your theme, its looking good.

Thank you!

I am quite happy how it turned out. It's really hard to say if the original tint matched the OEM soft top window tint or not (I still think it was a bit too light), however it was a pretty easy fix and was worth getting it done.

One thing to note, if anyone else wants to get theirs re-tinted: The tint installer mentioned that between the window seals and the carpeted sound deadener which comes pretty much up to the glass, it's pretty difficult to do the side windows to the way they normally would. Usually they'd tuck the edge of the tint under slightly, but there's no room to do this here. He didn't want to cut the rubber seal to do this (which I agree - Not worth it!) so he just trimmed it very close to the edge of the windows. It looks amazing from inside and outside, and the only reason you'd know he did this is if you're inside the vehicle, crouched down, looking up at the side windows. You can see a hairline of where the tint doesn't get tucked under. I'm pretty OCD, and honestly, this is a non-issue for me. He did an awesome job!

 

[604Bronco]

One Week Update:

Since having the top installed for about a week, I thought it would be worth a quick update on how things have been.

I've had the opportunity to drive it a fair amount now, in both sunny and rainy conditions. I've been on regular neighbourhood roads, highways, and very, very poorly maintained back roads. In the neighbourhoods/"regular" roads (about 50-60 km/hour), the top is good and much quieter than the soft top was - Which is obvious. I did have an annoying rattling sound, but I'll speak to that in a moment.

On the highway (100 km/hour), the top continues to be very quiet. No weird noises or creaking. The only thing I will note is a very, very slight wind noise on the targa top. It's still 1,000 times better than the soft top, and easily countered by turning up the radio by 1 volume setting, but I did want to note it. Everything is installed properly and sitting as it should. It's a non-issue and should not be a factor if you're considering purchasing this hard top. People with light bars and roof racks would have much more wind noise.

Lastly, on the very, very poorly maintained back road (30-50 km/hour). Filled with ruts and pot holes and hadn't been paved or maintained in a very long time. The top was great - Again, no issues with sounds, and the vehicle does feel more rigid, which I like. I'm actually curious to see if it helps with the annoying side windows flexing when they are down slightly, when going over bumps. Probably won't cure it, but may help improve it slightly - We'll see when temperatures warm up and it stops raining!

So, back to my rattling sound. It wasn't always happening, and was only occurring going over some (not all) bumps. I found out quickly it was one of my latches (front passenger side). I was a bit paranoid when installing the top, and decided to ensure the latches would close easily and not need much (or any) effort. This was my fault, as clearly I erred on the side of extreme caution with this latch, so I tightened it up slightly and now it seems perfect. Tested it out after, and problem solved. For a latch I wasn't overly fond of when I initially saw pictures of it, they've very quickly grown on me. I love the concept, they look and feel much better than you might assume, and they're so easy to adjust for the "perfect fit" - If you're concerned about them at all, don't be!

So I mentioned it's also been driven in some heavy rain - Happy to say, no leaks (*knock on wood*)! Everything feels good and snug, and it's been awesome from that front. If you are parked and water pools on the roof, and if you're at a specific slight angle, you can run into water coming into the vehicle when you open the door - No different than the OEM soft top or MIC top (I assume). Bit annoying, but not really anything you can do about it - Without installing ugly gutters on the top, which I think would ruin the look (Maybe this is something @Turn Offroad has already looked into? Not sure).

The smell of the hard top is still very strong, even a week after installation. I'm assuming it's just the adhesives and stuff they use during manufacturing. Not a big deal, and not something that stops me from driving the Bronco with joy, however I would recommend "airing it out." I park in a garage and still leave all my windows up, so that doesn't help for sure. I would maybe leave the targa top off or at least roll down your windows overnight (if you park inside a garage). This smell should dissipate, like any "new car smell" does over time.

When washing your hard top for the first time, it's probably a good idea to give it a little extra love. If you have a foam cannon and a pressure washer, it seems to be ideal for getting some of that grease/film off the hard top. Also, make sure you wash your entire vehicle, as that will just drip down onto your Bronco and make it look gross.

Overall super excited to have this hard top. I have had several people checking out my ride this past week - Although it's not uncommon, I have seen them specifically looking at the hard top as I drive by or I'm stopped at a traffic light or parked in a parking lot.

Thanks again, @Turn Offroad!

 

[Kjbeggs]

One Week Update:

Since having the top installed for about a week, I thought it would be worth a quick update on how things have been.

I've had the opportunity to drive it a fair amount now, in both sunny and rainy conditions. I've been on regular neighbourhood roads, highways, and very, very poorly maintained back roads. In the neighbourhoods/"regular" roads (about 50-60 km/hour), the top is good and much quieter than the soft top was - Which is obvious. I did have an annoying rattling sound, but I'll speak to that in a moment.

On the highway (100 km/hour), the top continues to be very quiet. No weird noises or creaking. The only thing I will note is a very, very slight wind noise on the targa top. It's still 1,000 times better than the soft top, and easily countered by turning up the radio by 1 volume setting, but I did want to note it. Everything is installed properly and sitting as it should. It's a non-issue and should not be a factor if you're considering purchasing this hard top. People with light bars and roof racks would have much more wind noise.

Lastly, on the very, very poorly maintained back road (30-50 km/hour). Filled with ruts and pot holes and hadn't been paved or maintained in a very long time. The top was great - Again, no issues with sounds, and the vehicle does feel more rigid, which I like. I'm actually curious to see if it helps with the annoying side windows flexing when they are down slightly, when going over bumps. Probably won't cure it, but may help improve it slightly - We'll see when temperatures warm up and it stops raining!

So, back to my rattling sound. It wasn't always happening, and was only occurring going over some (not all) bumps. I found out quickly it was one of my latches (front passenger side). I was a bit paranoid when installing the top, and decided to ensure the latches would close easily and not need much (or any) effort. This was my fault, as clearly I erred on the side of extreme caution with this latch, so I tightened it up slightly and now it seems perfect. Tested it out after, and problem solved. For a latch I wasn't overly fond of when I initially saw pictures of it, they've very quickly grown on me. I love the concept, they look and feel much better than you might assume, and they're so easy to adjust for the "perfect fit" - If you're concerned about them at all, don't be!

So I mentioned it's also been driven in some heavy rain - Happy to say, no leaks (*knock on wood*)! Everything feels good and snug, and it's been awesome from that front. If you are parked and water pools on the roof, and if you're at a specific slight angle, you can run into water coming into the vehicle when you open the door - No different than the OEM soft top or MIC top (I assume). Bit annoying, but not really anything you can do about it - Without installing ugly gutters on the top, which I think would ruin the look (Maybe this is something @Turn Offroad has already looked into? Not sure).

The smell of the hard top is still very strong, even a week after installation. I'm assuming it's just the adhesives and stuff they use during manufacturing. Not a big deal, and not something that stops me from driving the Bronco with joy, however I would recommend "airing it out." I park in a garage and still leave all my windows up, so that doesn't help for sure. I would maybe leave the targa top off or at least roll down your windows overnight (if you park inside a garage). This smell should dissipate, like any "new car smell" does over time.

When washing your hard top for the first time, it's probably a good idea to give it a little extra love. If you have a foam cannon and a pressure washer, it seems to be ideal for getting some of that grease/film off the hard top. Also, make sure you wash your entire vehicle, as that will just drip down onto your Bronco and make it look gross.

Overall super excited to have this hard top. I have had several people checking out my ride this past week - Although it's not uncommon, I have seen them specifically looking at the hard top as I drive by or I'm stopped at a traffic light or parked in a parking lot.

Thanks again, @Turn Offroad!

I haven't been this excited to take delivery of something since... well, since my Bronco

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