Lift hoist for the hard top

[coachump4]

I am looking at some cheap ideas of how you all have designed or bought to make lifting the hard top off and storing it for a single person. Share what you use. Thanks.

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[ShadowsPapa]

There's at least 2 or 3 threads with many pages, many more pictures and some great ideas on this.
If you have a garage - 2 Menards bike lifts, a cheap $25 boat winch, some paracord and a half-dozen pulleys and you can take the roof off in minutes and I think my reinstall time was somewhere between 5 and 10 minutes, full off to full on, ready to drive out.

I had some of the stuff on hand, like one of the bike storage pulley things, some of the pulleys, the 2x4s, and so on. So my total cash outlay was maybe 60 bucks total?

This shows how it lifts - and the safety system which is simply paracord hanging from hooks in the ceiling, and looped through the mounting holes and dowels secure things in place.

The cord to the side with the rubber hose on it goes through the rear mounting holes - the loop of the paracord sticks up through the holes and then wood dowels hold the cord in place - that's my safety system.

 

[GA D90]

Nicely done!!
... now if I could only get my wife's car out of the garage

 

[Y-Guy]

I used a Racor Hoist to lift my Jeep Wrangler hard top, so for the Gladiator I made a few changes as it's much lighter by comparison. The drill makes it a breeze. I got some great ideas from this thread when it came to making my straps. I have the center strap on for now as its a new setup and wanted to be sure everything was solid.

 

[Johnny3]

These other set ups are pretty fancy. It looks like you want something cheap. As I recently posted somewhere else you can DIY a hoist for < $50, as follows:

Parts:
--> One of these: https://www.harborfreight.com/1200-lb-capacity-cable-puller-30131.html $20.00
--> Two of (something close to) these: https://e-rigging.com/products/galvanized-drop-forged-lag-eye-bolts?variant=39745729069129 $8.00
--> One of (something like) this: https://www.backcountrygear.com/delta-quick-link-stainless-steel/?sku=CAM4D12710-STNLS-8MM. $9.00
--> Two of these: https://www.harborfreight.com/500-lb-capacity-1-in-x-14-ft-ratcheting-tie-down-61295.html. $8.00

1) Screw one Eye hook into the wall and one into the ceiling. Be 110% sure they're both in a stud/header; it should be very difficult to screw them all the way in, even after drilling a small pilot hole.
2) Attach the hook on the hand winch to the eye bolt in the wall
3) Remove the loop end of the cable from the winch (you have to remove a cotter pin), and attach the quick link (whatever you use, make sure its rated for the weight)
4) Hang the hook with the pulley to the ceiling eye hook
5) Wrap the two ratchet straps around your top. I would run one perpendicular, at the point where the back upper corners of the back doors would be, and one lengthwise, through the back sliding window
6) Run the loose end of the cable with he link, down to the straps on the top and attach (to both where they meet)

Youre in business.

 

[mpk628]

Whatever you decide on, be sure of it and be careful

 

[Sarge502]

Route I took. Although I rarely take mine completely off since my Sunrider is my go to. Easy nonetheless

 

[ALVagabond]

4 eye bolts screwed into the ceiling joists and 4 ratchet straps. I used this with my JKU top for years, then went straight to using fir my JT. I just put a second one in on the other side of the garage for my wife's JLU.

Cheap, reliable, can be easily operated by 1 person.

 

[Lunentucker]

This is what I went with. Run it with a cordless drill.
https://langeoriginals.com/collections/the-lange-rack/products/hoist-a-top-crank-for-jt-gladiator

Their best feature by far is the way they setup the support to go through the sliding rear window and lift against the inside of the top at the rear.

 

[snazzy gladdie]

I ordered this setup in a kit

I from Quadratec, although costly even though I had the lumber and most hardware myself you still may get some ideas from my rigging and the others that have posted here. Good luck and please be safe

 

[coachump4]

I ordered this setup in a kit

I from Quadratec, although costly even though I had the lumber and most hardware myself you still may get some ideas from my rigging and the others that have posted here. Good luck and please be safe

Which one is that

 

[Lunentucker]

Which one is that

Looks like the Hoist-A- Top Power unit.

https://langeoriginals.com/collections/the-lange-rack/products/hoist-a-top-power-jt-gladiator

 

[bbowsa]

I'll second the Lange hoist-a-top, I went with manual hoist. See the bolt that holds the handle on the crank? I use a 3/4 inch socket on my cordless drill to quickly raise and lower the hoist. I didn't have to worry about wiring or running an extension cord and more importantly I saved $150 going manual.

The hoist itself is easy to install, just take your time and make sure you line everything up properly. Once set up, it makes the top on/off process amazingly easy.

 

[Fishee]

I'll second the Lange hoist-a-top, I went with manual hoist. See the bolt that holds the handle on the crank? I use a 3/4 inch socket on my cordless drill to quickly raise and lower the hoist. I didn't have to worry about wiring or running an extension cord and more importantly I saved $150 going manual.

The hoist itself is easy to install, just take your time and make sure you line everything up properly. Once set up, it makes the top on/off process amazingly easy.

So I have just 4 straps and 4 eye hooks on my ceiling but I am liking this setup. Any issues yet? Pulley and cables still holding up?

 

[ShadowsPapa]

That top isight. Since in my case, the weight is distributed along multiple pulleys, like when you winch with snatch blocks, and in my case, two cords, I just used Paracord. No cable needed.

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