Ford may have taken inspiration from the Wrangler for the Bronco, there’s no denying it. But looking on the bright side, the Blue Oval has also taken a different approach to the design of the front roof panels, the molded-in-color hardtop, and even the roof rack.
If you want to go topless in the mid-size SUV, you’ll first have to turn three L-shaped latches on the driver’s front panel. Pull down on the fourth latch, remove the panel, and repeat on the passenger side. Even with the roof rack installed, you can slide out both front roof panels without breaking a sweat because both of them are fairly light.
Those panels can be stored in an optional bag designed specifically to be strapped in the cargo compartment of the Bronco, which is a pretty neat thing if you live in a region where sunshine turns to rainy weather at a moment’s notice. Having said that, what does one need to do in order to remove the roof rack and hardtop too?
Well, grab a socket wrench and start by undoing two T-30 bolts holding the roof rack covers up front. Pull the covers up, then remove two more T-30 bolts. At the rear of the roof rack, remove the plastic cover to access the fasteners. Use the triangle-tipped tool supplied by Ford in the Bronco Tool Kit to loosen the triangle bolts on both sides.
Lift the roof rack off, and the job is done! Customers who opted for a roof rack from the factory have also been supplied with windshield caps that cover the mounting points up front. You can find them in the glovebox, and all you need for installing or removing is a 13-millimeter Hex socket. With the roof rack removed, disconnect the wire harness and washer hose, secure them, and prepare yourself for the MIC hardtop.
Open the tailgate of the Bronco and lift up the rear window, remove the four screws that hold the roof on each side, and you’re almost done. Because the hardtop is much heavier than the front roof panels, you may want to get an extra set of hands before lifting it off.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News