Ordered a Bronco Design fiberglass half cab for my '76 and the company says I might need a drop bracket for the windshield wiper motor. Or I might could bend it a little. During the summer I plan on running a bikini top, will I still need a drop bracket for the bikini top to fit or me bending it down will work?? Thanks
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Electric windsheild motor drop bracket necessary?
- Thread starter kat
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The bikini tops can go either way, so it'll be up to you once you get the BD top on to decide.
When you buy a bikini top, you typically have the choice of either Rampage style (needs the drop bracket) or Bestop style (no drop needed).
The Rampage is a lower profile windshield frame riser that some feel looks sleeker, so it needs the drop bracket for the motor to clear the vinyl material.
The Bestop is a higher riser, so clears the motor in it's stock location.
Paul
When you buy a bikini top, you typically have the choice of either Rampage style (needs the drop bracket) or Bestop style (no drop needed).
The Rampage is a lower profile windshield frame riser that some feel looks sleeker, so it needs the drop bracket for the motor to clear the vinyl material.
The Bestop is a higher riser, so clears the motor in it's stock location.
Paul
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One thing that can help make the decision is whether or not you want to run a stock wiper linkage and motor cover. If you do, then go with the Bestop style bikini riser and just bend the stock bracket a little bit if you need to clear your new hard top.
I'm sure that thing is probably a little hard to bend (maybe?) so perhaps something as simple as a tapered spacer or washers under the right bolts will angle it out of the way enough.
One way to find out...
Paul
I'm sure that thing is probably a little hard to bend (maybe?) so perhaps something as simple as a tapered spacer or washers under the right bolts will angle it out of the way enough.
One way to find out...
Paul
Thanks DirtDonk....You have raised another question out of me.
Ive been looking at bikini tops and plan on getting one before summer. But I have noticed that on the bikini tops there is a 2-3 inch gap between the top and the door frame. This looks like a lot of rain water will fall. Is one top better at keeping water off my shoulder than another??
And to answer your questioni I do want to keep stock wiper linkage if possible
Ive been looking at bikini tops and plan on getting one before summer. But I have noticed that on the bikini tops there is a 2-3 inch gap between the top and the door frame. This looks like a lot of rain water will fall. Is one top better at keeping water off my shoulder than another??
And to answer your questioni I do want to keep stock wiper linkage if possible
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You'll keep the stock linkage and motor with either type. It's just the plastic factory cover that will have to be modified or left off with the Rampage/STC/Kayline type with the drop bracket.
That's because the "drop" bracket is also a "flip" bracket, where you flip the motor 180 degrees so that it's mostly on the passenger side now. This necessitates cutting a hole in the side of the cover (like I did) or buying a longer cover specifically for that (http://www.wildhorses4x4.com/product/LongWiperMotorCover) or not using one.
I like the cover myself, so wanted to keep it even with my Kayline top.
The fit of the bikini tops has not changed much (if at all) in the last 45 years or so.
Because the tops, in their simple forms, attach to the windshield frame then stretch back to be supported by a standard-ish type interior roll bar, they necessarily taper inward towards the rear.
This means that the door frames get left out in the wind so to speak.
That's a bikini in it's simplest (and most affordable) form. To seal against the doors you'd be talking about extra bracing, not only along the side at the top of the door frames, but back at the roll bar too. Along with a new attaching method at the rear most likely too.
Not sure if anyone has redesigned the wheel yet, but at that point you're talking about doubling the price at least, and making people think more in terms of running a full soft top in safari mode (side and rears out) instead.
We have not had much demand for such a construct as far as I know, but we do make custom bikinis to fit other criteria of individual Broncos. If you come up with the braces and such, we could make a top for it.
Paul
That's because the "drop" bracket is also a "flip" bracket, where you flip the motor 180 degrees so that it's mostly on the passenger side now. This necessitates cutting a hole in the side of the cover (like I did) or buying a longer cover specifically for that (http://www.wildhorses4x4.com/product/LongWiperMotorCover) or not using one.
I like the cover myself, so wanted to keep it even with my Kayline top.
The fit of the bikini tops has not changed much (if at all) in the last 45 years or so.
Because the tops, in their simple forms, attach to the windshield frame then stretch back to be supported by a standard-ish type interior roll bar, they necessarily taper inward towards the rear.
This means that the door frames get left out in the wind so to speak.
That's a bikini in it's simplest (and most affordable) form. To seal against the doors you'd be talking about extra bracing, not only along the side at the top of the door frames, but back at the roll bar too. Along with a new attaching method at the rear most likely too.
Not sure if anyone has redesigned the wheel yet, but at that point you're talking about doubling the price at least, and making people think more in terms of running a full soft top in safari mode (side and rears out) instead.
We have not had much demand for such a construct as far as I know, but we do make custom bikinis to fit other criteria of individual Broncos. If you come up with the braces and such, we could make a top for it.
Paul
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Thinking about it a little more, if you have a full family cage, it might not be too much trouble to have some sort of extension piece on the main hoop behind the doors. This would at least allow the top to flow more straight back at least adjacent to the doors.
Then again, a simpler solution is to just remove the doors when you remove the top. Voilá! No more misaligned edges or other such distractions.
Paul
Then again, a simpler solution is to just remove the doors when you remove the top. Voilá! No more misaligned edges or other such distractions.
Paul
Thanks for the info, I have taken the cover off my windshield wiper motor and probably wont be putting back on.
The cage Im going to install is a inner roll cage for a half cab.
http://extremecustomparts.com/i-593...roll-cage-kit-66-77-bronco-free-shipping.html
So what your saying is I would need to fabricate some sort of "flashing" from the roll cage out towards the door frame in order to keep the bikini top tight. I have been running that idea in my head, maybe pop riviting something. Ill get a better idea once its installed I guees. This will be a month down the road, but my mind is turning with ideas. I dont want to remove the doors, I just want something to fill the gap. Maybe its not that big of a deal and Im overthinking something.
The cage Im going to install is a inner roll cage for a half cab.
http://extremecustomparts.com/i-593...roll-cage-kit-66-77-bronco-free-shipping.html
So what your saying is I would need to fabricate some sort of "flashing" from the roll cage out towards the door frame in order to keep the bikini top tight. I have been running that idea in my head, maybe pop riviting something. Ill get a better idea once its installed I guees. This will be a month down the road, but my mind is turning with ideas. I dont want to remove the doors, I just want something to fill the gap. Maybe its not that big of a deal and Im overthinking something.
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Probably not just adding the extra stuff to support the material, but also a custom bikini.
Been awhile, so don't take this as gospel, but I don't think the typical bikini has enough material to actually reach and cover the door frame.
Someone with a bikini installed will probably be able to confirm or deny that, but don't just buy an off-the-shelf model until you hear for sure just how far out the material can be supported.
And a cage for a half-cab might be even farther in and farther forward anyway, so your standard garden variety bikini is not going to work anyway.
When you get your cage in, take some measurements and go by those.
Paul
Been awhile, so don't take this as gospel, but I don't think the typical bikini has enough material to actually reach and cover the door frame.
Someone with a bikini installed will probably be able to confirm or deny that, but don't just buy an off-the-shelf model until you hear for sure just how far out the material can be supported.
And a cage for a half-cab might be even farther in and farther forward anyway, so your standard garden variety bikini is not going to work anyway.
When you get your cage in, take some measurements and go by those.
Paul
Maybe you should consider the hard bikini that Bronco Design sells. Then the door frames shut against it.
That is some nice work right there!
I like that. I like that alot. That first picture is hard to see how its done. It appears to be small conduit bent and strapped to the roll bar. Do you have some more pics? It seems maybe I could do the same but maybe permanently secure the brace to the rollbar and have my local upholstery shop come around it with maybe some snaps. I live in Florida and we are notorious for pop up showers in the summer.
As far as the hard top bikini top from Bronco Design I have thought about it but its a little more money that I want to spend and plus I like the look of the normal bikini top
Sorry that's about the best pics I have of it. The rod is 3/8"SS,there is a socket in the top rail that bolts to the windshield frame which the rod plugs into. The rear has a saddle and has Velcro straps around the roll bar. The soft top has a sleeve that the rod goes into and on the outside an extra fold of fabric that forms a gutter.
Attachments
What is the "ss" in 3/8 SS? So the rod stays with the top and when you put on the bikini top, the rod secures to the windshield and then to the back of the roll bar making it tight. Very nice. I will run this by my local shop to see what we might can do. Ordering my roll bar this week and hopefuly install it by the end of the month.
Thanks I don't where my head is on the Stainless Steel.
Paul I'm confused on the different type of tops you mentioned. You mentioned the Rampage which needs a drop bracket, I like the looks of it, but I see no where to buy a Rampage bikini top. This is not a problem if I get my local shop to make one, but how does it fasten to the windshield? Are there just some snaps that pop rivet to the front?
This might all be for nothing, since I have yet ordered my roll cage. Calling tomorrow to talk to someone about the windshield wiper motor position recommendation.
I'm trying to get all my ducks in a row to make sure everything (new half cab top/bikini top/windshield wiper motor/roll bar) plays well with each other.
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Not your problem, I simply didn't add enough info (what a shock!%)) to keep things clear.
Since the main two full soft top companies are Rampage and Bestop, and bikini tops can utilize the different style risers that come with those two soft tops, companies like Wild Horses pattern our own bikini tops leading edge after those two designs. And even make the risers available to purchase separately if you don't already have a soft top.
That way, for those that have the top, all they need is the bikini itself. It's made to use the riser and channel already attached to the windshield frame from the top.
If you don't have the top, you purchase a bikini WITH the riser, and simply decide which style you like better.
Rampage doesn't make a bikini that I'm aware of, but we make models to fit both the Rampage and Bestop riser designs in-house.
Whether a standard bikini that runs from the windshield to the main bar of a roll bar, or a full length family style bikini/bimini/safari style or full breezer top, they still use the same two riser designs.
Paul
Since the main two full soft top companies are Rampage and Bestop, and bikini tops can utilize the different style risers that come with those two soft tops, companies like Wild Horses pattern our own bikini tops leading edge after those two designs. And even make the risers available to purchase separately if you don't already have a soft top.
That way, for those that have the top, all they need is the bikini itself. It's made to use the riser and channel already attached to the windshield frame from the top.
If you don't have the top, you purchase a bikini WITH the riser, and simply decide which style you like better.
Rampage doesn't make a bikini that I'm aware of, but we make models to fit both the Rampage and Bestop riser designs in-house.
Whether a standard bikini that runs from the windshield to the main bar of a roll bar, or a full length family style bikini/bimini/safari style or full breezer top, they still use the same two riser designs.
Paul
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