Hanging Gladiator roof from garage ceiling joists?

[ShadowsPapa]

Thumbs up @ShadowsPapa for considering this. Just making sure an unsuspecting DIYer Doesn’t start hanging and imposing rotational forces on long span prefab trusses that aren’t made to carry load. The JT hardtop is much lighter than the JLU, JkU and other tops. Typically bottom truss bottom chords are designed to hang about 5lbs/sf.

Your concerns are something anyone considering this should keep in mind.
Free standing trusses up there, the bottom runs from wall to wall, don't have a lot of stability on their own.

I'd not hang anything heavier, and in fact, I am still going through things up overhead and getting rid of things - especially things of iron or if they are heavy for me to lift on a ladder, they are too heavy to be up there.
Yeah, the other roofs have more glass and indeed are heavier!
The main garage without the addition is 27x27 so it's got quite a span wall to wall where I've been working. It was interesting to see that the builder, the prior owner, had added those vertical pieces to connect the bottom cords that span the walls up to the "rafter" area above. I'm guess he was thinking of this sort of thing as like I said, he added those where he had his metal stored up there.

This is actually prompting me to do more cleaning out up there as most of what's up there has been there over 20 years - time to clear it all out and lighten the load even more!

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[Krazy]

 

[WK2JT]

Details please.

 

[WhiteJT8541]

I like! Putting it on sliders to move it out of the way. Great idea. More details would be great.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

That's pretty slick looking - tracks to slip it back out of the way.
The only problem is that with my long garage, there is no back wall. There's another car behind the truck! No place to slide it to........
The addition on the south end of the garage is taller, has a loft. I drive the truck out forward, the SX4 out backward, or if the truck is out, I can drive the car out forward, too - or if the car was out, I could back the truck out to the south.
(not an attached garage)

 

[mazeppa]

Unistrut trolley?

 

[Krazy]

 

[Krazy]

 

[Krazy]

 

[Gatorized]

Clever - where did you source that winch contraption? Do the gutter attachments clamp on or just friction fit?

 

[Krazy]

Modified a worm gear winch, 3d printed an insert for unistrut to lift by the drip rails, dont use fake unistrut the dimensions are different and things can bind on the slide.

 

[Jay Gatsby]

Got my Racor lift installed yesterday. Works very well. Followed @GrubbyBaja suggestion using wood dowels and paracord. Really like being able to store the freedom panels above the hardtop.

 

[grant1]

I used two kayak lifts from Menards, total for the job was $60

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Hmm, interesting. Those look like they may be made by the same company that makes the bike lifts I used. I've had the top off a couple of times now. Last time was last week - and then Monday we heard there could be rain and were taking a road trip to a city a ways away from us to I spent a whopping 10 minutes setting the top back down and bolting it on. Stowed the panels in the back (already in their bag).
Good thing I had the panels - all hell broke loose with a huge nearly state-wide mega storm that wiped out power to many many thousands and took out about as many trees and buildings with straight-line winds 80-100 mph. We were out in it. LUCKILY, it was piece of cake to put the roof back on!

I have NO free wall space, though, so can't hang the doors like that. Walls are covered with shelves and cupboards, etc. and the back of the garage with fenders, quarter panels, and antiques.

 

[grant1]

Hmm, interesting. Those look like they may be made by the same company that makes the bike lifts I used. I've had the top off a couple of times now. Last time was last week - and then Monday we heard there could be rain and were taking a road trip to a city a ways away from us to I spent a whopping 10 minutes setting the top back down and bolting it on. Stowed the panels in the back (already in their bag).
Good thing I had the panels - all hell broke loose with a huge nearly state-wide mega storm that wiped out power to many many thousands and took out about as many trees and buildings with straight-line winds 80-100 mph. We were out in it. LUCKILY, it was piece of cake to put the roof back on!

I have NO free wall space, though, so can't hang the doors like that. Walls are covered with shelves and cupboards, etc. and the back of the garage with fenders, quarter panels, and antiques.

My gladiator was naked last week and ran into showers on the highway, the inside of the windshield got wet, but I stayed fairly dry until I stop, OH well, that's the fun part of the jeep

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