Turn Off-Road Hardtop vs OEM Hardtop Comparison Video

[pakrat]

Call me an idiot, I still fail to see the allure of any of the aftermarket tops. Pay 6k to get…another roof above your head that does the same thing as the one that came on the 45k vehicle you already bought. Wot???

mind you it has the same form, and of course the function isn’t a huge departure from OEM. MAKE IT MAKE SENSE

Quieter, stronger, aesthetics (subjective).
Most buyers don’t have a hardtop is the biggest issue. So now your valuables are safer, quieter as mentioned, you can put gear on top.
As for price it is $4500. Subtract the $695 factory up charge and subtract another $1200 from selling the soft top and you are effectively at $2600 out of pocket. Not too shabby for a superior product.

Not too complicated.

Sponsored

 

[604Bronco]

Latches look cheap, OEM is better. Rear door hinges, the extra "buttons" is a negative and no rear wiper. I am also curious of the inside guts of the top. Is it solid fiberglass/whatever? or honeycomb-hollow like the OEM?

The latches looked "unsatisfactory" when I initially saw pictures. However, seeing and using them in-person, they are great! They hold the roof in place very securely, and the added function of being adjustable as time goes on, should help keep the targa top good and snug. I really like the setup. Plus, the latches match the roof lining very well, so you really don't notice them as much as you might think. They blend in very well - Much better than the OEM ones, IMO.

Call me an idiot, I still fail to see the allure of any of the aftermarket tops. Pay 6k to get…another roof above your head that does the same thing as the one that came on the 45k vehicle you already bought. Same function and minor changes to form necessitates that much money. Wot???

Somewhat "forced" to buy a soft top to get Bronco built is pretty much most peoples reasoning. I know I'd be able to get a Ford or aftermarket hard top down the road, and another reason Ford quickly made the hard top prep kit standard on all builds - They had the foresight to know many people would consider swapping the tops down the road.

This TOR hard top also is much nicer looking (IMO), more durable, I like the black colour vs. the grey (it matches my theme anyways), and it has less spots water can leak through - From just having the front row targa top to the rear shell being one piece instead of having sides connected to the roof and a clear seam.

 

[JediMcMuffin]

Call me an idiot, I still fail to see the allure of any of the aftermarket tops. Pay 6k to get…another roof above your head that does the same thing as the one that came on the 45k vehicle you already bought. Same function and minor changes to form necessitates that much money. Wot???

Ford incentivized us to switch during the great hardtop fiasco that halted production in July of 2021, and sold us soft top Broncos with hard top prep kits installed. Yet 2.5 years later, you cannot walk into a Ford dealer and order a reasonably priced MIC top, the only way to get one is to buy one from another Bronco owner, or buy another Bronco. Keep in mind, you can go to any Jeep dealer and order a top and have it within a few weeks for around 3K I think.

If I had a MIC top, unless it was having serious deterioration i don't think I'd be looking to "upgrade" to something with the same functionality.

 

[adcam]

It’s definitely quieter to have a HT vs ST. With the ST and the engine on at park, I could hear conversations from people about a cars length away. Also trucks overtaking in the highway was way louder on the ST.

 

[BBoyM3]

Thanks for making this video. Very helpful. Regards.

 

[FlyingBronco]

Can't wait to check out your video - Regarding the bolts needing to be re-tightened: Any concerns with this? I'm a bit surprised to hear that, but you also seemed to be going through some intense paces with your Bronco too.

I also need to tighten some of the screws after a few hundred miles. I have an impact drill I may use to really synch them down. See how that holds up compared to when they installed it. Might even try some loctite

 

[604Bronco]

I also need to tighten some of the screws after a few hundred miles. I have an impact drill I may use to really synch them down. See how that holds up compared to when they installed it. Might even try some loctite

I was afraid to use an impact as I didn't want to damage anything.

 

[Turn Offroad]

I also need to tighten some of the screws after a few hundred miles. I have an impact drill I may use to really synch them down. See how that holds up compared to when they installed it. Might even try some loctite

Loctite should not be necessary. It's possible that they were just snugged and not torqued when we installed the top. We try to be as meticulous as possible but mistakes can happen. A good tightening should be more than enough to secure the top!

 

[Ninjak]

As for buying the aftermarket HT, it's what others have said. I am buying an Armadillo top because I have a soft top. Yes, you get used to the wind noise and truck noise, and you play the radio louder, but having a hard top, especially on a long trip, is worth the price IMO.

 

[FlyingBronco]

Loctite should not be necessary. It's possible that they were just snugged and not torqued when we installed the top. We try to be as meticulous as possible but mistakes can happen. A good tightening should be more than enough to secure the top!

Exactly, I’m not too worried about it. Always good practice to check bolts and all that after a while when installing something new. Thanks for the quick response!

 

[FlyingBronco]

I was afraid to use an impact as I didn't want to damage anything.

I’m just going to be logical about how much I tighten them down. Not full bore but enough to know it should hold a while. Then see how it goes over time.

 

[Razorback]

I think part of the issue with bolts loosing is the top is finished out better than OEM with the headliner covering every part. The head of the bolt doesn't grip like on the raw OEM material. A bit more torque should be fine and definitely the Rockwerkx Thumb bolts with a larger surface area will stay put. It's really not a big deal once torqued.

 

[j_marinelli]

I think part of the issue with bolts loosing is the top is finished out better than OEM with the headliner covering every part. The head of the bolt doesn't grip like on the raw OEM material. A bit more torque should be fine and definitely the Rockwerkx Thumb bolts with a larger surface area will stay put. It's really not a big deal once torqued.

Not going to lie, my first thought was "it looks like you're transporting some Colombian Bam Bam in that tray"

 

[604Bronco]

I think part of the issue with bolts loosing is the top is finished out better than OEM with the headliner covering every part. The head of the bolt doesn't grip like on the raw OEM material. A bit more torque should be fine and definitely the Rockwerkx Thumb bolts with a larger surface area will stay put. It's really not a big deal once torqued.

Do you have any of the Rockwerkx accessories, like the tie downs, that mount to those thumb bolts? You've got me considering these now for my TOR top.

I'm assuming you recommend them... ? I don't plan on taking my hard top off much/ever, so they'd need to serve an additional purpose, other than just being easy on/off.

 

[Razorback]

Do you have any of the Rockwerkx accessories, like the tie downs, that mount to those thumb bolts? You've got me considering these now for my TOR top.

I'm assuming you recommend them... ? I don't plan on taking my hard top off much/ever, so they'd need to serve an additional purpose, other than just being easy on/off.

I use them in wife's and ordered yesterday for the TOR. I use bungees on her's to hold things from falling into tail gate.

Sponsored