Grab handles

[JamesT]

Recently, I purchased a cargo net from www.lunolife.com. It seemed like a helpful solution for when sleeping in the BS BL. Nice to have essentials available overhead.

The net has to be attached to four grab handles, one over each door.

For the first time, I noticed that the driver door has no grab handle!

We have had our BL for three years. How in the world have I not noticed this before! ?

(Keeping hands on the wheel…)

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[JamesT]

I see @MDwayne did a similar post, which I missed. https://www.broncosportforum.com/forum/threads/overhead-drivers-door-entry-assist-handle.9568/

Generally, this forum has been helpful and positive. Wish there was some kind of solution.

 

[Robins21]

Only the passenger's side has one. My 2000 Ranger was like that only on the passenger's side. My 05 F150 has 2 incorporated into the windshield post molding. I guess they figure the driver has the steering wheel to grab onto.

 

[NMhunter]

I suspect you could screw some sort of hook into the area where the handle would go, or you could go crazy and order a grab handle and just install it.

 

[Mark S.]

I suspect you could screw some sort of hook into the area where the handle would go, or you could go crazy and order a grab handle and just install it.

I believe you would need some structure behind the headliner to screw it to. I haven't looked, so I don't know if there's anything behind there.

 

[ryan_socal]

@JamesT did you end up finding a way to make that cargo net work? I stepped through the same discovery process today, realizing Ford skimped on driver’s side grab handles.

 

[JamesT]

@JamesT did you end up finding a way to make that cargo net work? I stepped through the same discovery process today, realizing Ford skimped on driver’s side grab handles.

No, unfortunately. I returned the cargo net to Luno and they clarified on their website the requirement. It's too bad because it would be really handy!

 

[ryan_socal]

I thought the same thing, looks super handy. Any way to use the recessed ceiling space in the rear cargo area would go a long way. I might still peek under the headliner and see if there’s anything good to anchor to.. after a few other projects.

 

[JamesT]

I look forward to what you learn

 

[Bucko]

Only the passenger's side has one. My 2000 Ranger was like that only on the passenger's side. My 05 F150 has 2 incorporated into the windshield post molding. I guess they figure the driver has the steering wheel to grab onto.

Exactly!

 

[ryan_socal]

I took a look under the headliner last night. Generally, finding an accessible anchor point looks more involved than I was hoping, but I think I found a way that will work for me.

To get under the liner, I first had to remove the D pillar trim following these instructions kindly linked by @ChefDank. The U-haul guy doesn’t mention an important point that is highlighted in Ford’s 37-page light bar installation instructions.. after popping the lower trim clip toward the bottom of the D pillar interior trim, you have to lift up on the piece to release the upper two clips, otherwise you’ll probably break off the clip tabs on the trim piece. Here’s a look at the D pillar with the inside trim removed, showing the upper clips at the top of the slots they sit in.

After that, you can easily find and release 2 clips along the upper edge of the cargo hatch, then you can fold the headliner down just enough to get a look at the roof structure above the driver’s side cargo window and below the hatch hinges.

As you can tell by generally pressing against the headliner anywhere in this area without removing any trim, the headliner basically floats a few inches away from the superstructure, aside from a few clip points. Unfortunately, though not surprisingly, there are no obvious spots where you can expect to just punch through the headliner and find an easy anchor point. We’ll have to do a bit more work..

Here’s a view looking forward and up on the driver’s side. You can see the driver’s side cargo area window on the left, D-pillar upper left, reinforced body frame above the window, reinforcement for the left hatch hinge, and the rear roof rack mounting bolts.

Not sure if the green foam pieces are new to ‘25 model year and/or Badlands trim. I read that Ford put some work into dampening road noises in the latest edition.

You can also see above my pinky a little bit of the rounded reinforced frame above (to the right of in this view) the window. In theory we could mount something there, e.g. 2” aluminum square tube extrusion to span from the frame to the headliner (~2” gap) to make our own anchor points. Drilling into that cold-rolled steel in this area would be a royal PITA, but it could be done. Here’s a better look at that frame ledge above the driver’s side cargo window:

Anyone wanting to rigidly mount something (e.g. Molle panel) over the cargo windows will probably need to do something along those lines, building off the frame.

For a cargo net, I’m thinking more about adding anchors to the rear right and left corners of the roof scallop section, and I think I figured out a way to do that.

In my second photo I highlighted a cable anchor near the left hatch hinge reinforcement. The hole for that cable anchor looks to be in a decent (not perfect, but probably good enough) spot for what I’m trying to do. Again, it’s about 2” gap from there to the headliner, so I’ll have to build out, but at least I won’t have to drill. This is roughly what I’m envisioning (looking leftward toward the cargo window and up; vehicle forward is toward the right in this view):

The threaded nylon spacer would sit behind the headliner at the end of a long bolt, providing an anchor point for the red D-loop to sit flush against the headliner. I fit checked this with a 2” bolt and found that to be a tad short. 2.5” should be about right.

I haven’t checked the passenger side to see if there’s a similarly placed cable anchor point I can use. If there is, then I’ll head to Ace Hardware to pick up some 2.5” 1/4-20 bolts and make this happen.

The rear passenger grab handles are spaced roughly 35” between. The anchor points I’m contemplating would sit 28” aft of the grab handles and would be spaced roughly 26” between each other. Common car ceiling cargo nets (typ 35” x 21”) will not fit this space naturally. I’ll have to hunt for other net options and/or rig it with paracord and such.

By the way, here’s a way to use some ceiling space with much less hassle: 3-point cargo net

I ordered one and will see how it fits tomorrow.

More soon. I hope someone finds this useful.

 

[ryan_socal]

Job done.

I stuck with 2” 1/4-20 bolts but picked up some stainless spacers and coupling nuts, extending the total standoff length to 2.5” with a nice threaded interface at the end to bolt clips into.

It wasn’t too hard to locate the offset anchors, punch through the headliner, and bolt in the tie-down rings.

I wouldn’t try hanging my own weight off these rings, cantilevered out that far, but they’re easily strong enough for a cargo net in tension or to clip a bungee to, or string a paper towel roll holder or maybe a swimsuit drying line. They’re rounded enough that it shouldn’t hurt too bad if I bump my head on one, and also I can rotate them 180 out of the way where they’re still good anchors for a net.

Source for the motorcycle tie down rings: https://a.co/d/fnjWyo3

 

[ryan_socal]

3-point net up front between the grab handles, and a 4-point net between the rear seat handles and the new anchors over the cargo area. These don’t impede rear view at all, even loaded with lightweight stuff. I highly recommend adding these anchors and nets.

The nets stay well clear of the view through the rear view mirror to the rear window.

• Kaskawise 3 Handles 35.4"x25.6"Car Ceiling Net (orange): https://a.co/d/aJFMy13
• Bespeur 4-point 31.5"x21.6" net: https://a.co/d/hvKT8Lq