Garage woes...

[kevman65]

Let me give you another option, and cheaper.

A.) Check into bicycle lifts, there are several rated for more than the roof weighs.

B.) If your top still doesn't clear the garage door and opener when you back in, buy 4 pieces of Sch. 80 2" PVC pipe longer than the bed caps are apart. You can get the top off of body and top of roll bar and start it onto first pipe. Then you slowly roll the top back on pipe, put another piece in and roll it back more. Continue in this fashion until you get it to back of bed.
Once you get used to this and the pucker factor drops way down you'll find it easy to balance the top and steadily move it back or forward by yourself.

I am a Steamfitter by trade, we move VERY heavy equipment around by rolling it on steel pipe all the time. Low level of effort to maximize the work.

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[Dav6662]

I back in....no prob

 

[Jeeperjamie]

Trying to take it off without another person isn't possible.

I take mine off without any help. It's light enough that you can do it by your self. I hop on the bed of the truck, and I open the rear window on the top. Lay some towels down on the top of the bed. I put one arm through the window and my other arm on the side, lift and walk to the back of the bed and set it down on the towels. Then I hop off the bed and lift it off the same way once on the ground. Normally takes me about 10 minutes to remove it completely and I'm 5' 4" and weigh 145lbs and I'm 42 yrs old. I run but I don't lift weights and I have a slightly bum right shoulder and I have zero issues removing it.

Also just to add, my 43yr old wife is 5'4" as well and weighs around 130lbs and she used the same method above and removed it one day by herself. I know someone said it weighs 70lbs but to be honest my Winch weighed 61lbs before I installed it and the top feels much lighter than that to me.

 

[cbl1]

I have to back my Gladiator in to clear the door - I don't clear the opener. I use a J-barr to attach. Then I have a chain from the ceiling that holds the J-barr directly over the spot that it needs to be to attach. Then mount hoist to the ceiling about 6 feet back to the rear of garage or attach to the top of the wall at rear of garage.

Therefore, when you activate the hoist it doesn't pull the top straight up. It pulls the top at more of a 45 degree angle up and back. Therefore, if you raise the top 2 feet it will also pull it back toward the rear of garage 2 feet and clear the garage door mechanisms.

Works perfect for me. Backing in is key since the top doesn't go straight up it has to hoist itself only foot or 2 above the bed as it goes backwards.

I made up a crude photo example of what I'm doing (attached)

 

[DaleG]

Back in and a hoist will clear the garage door. You aren’t the first one to discover this. I back in, hoist the top and then turn the truck around and park under the top hanging from the ceiling.
heres a link to my hoist and storage for doors.
https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...p-storage-diy-solutions-cart-and-hoist.35757/

 

[Gvsukids]

I like your two door, was that a frame chop?

 

[ShikGluon]

I take mine off without any help. It's light enough that you can do it by your self. I hop on the bed of the truck, and I open the rear window on the top. Lay some towels down on the top of the bed. I put one arm through the window and my other arm on the side, lift and walk to the back of the bed and set it down on the towels. Then I hop off the bed and lift it off the same way once on the ground. Normally takes me about 10 minutes to remove it completely and I'm 5' 4" and weigh 145lbs and I'm 42 yrs old. I run but I don't lift weights and I have a slightly bum right shoulder and I have zero issues removing it.

Also just to add, my 43yr old wife is 5'4" as well and weighs around 130lbs and she used the same method above and removed it one day by herself. I know someone said it weighs 70lbs but to be honest my Winch weighed 61lbs before I installed it and the top feels much lighter than that to me.

Ah, using the window, very smart!! Sounds like it would give better leverage.

 

[ShikGluon]

I have to back my Gladiator in to clear the door - I don't clear the opener. I use a J-barr to attach. Then I have a chain from the ceiling that holds the J-barr directly over the spot that it needs to be to attach. Then mount hoist to the ceiling about 6 feet back to the rear of garage or attach to the top of the wall at rear of garage.

Therefore, when you activate the hoist it doesn't pull the top straight up. It pulls the top at more of a 45 degree angle up and back. Therefore, if you raise the top 2 feet it will also pull it back toward the rear of garage 2 feet and clear the garage door mechanisms.

Works perfect for me. Backing in is key since the top doesn't go straight up it has to hoist itself only foot or 2 above the bed as it goes backwards.

I made up a crude photo example of what I'm doing (attached)

This is beautiful!!! Thank you!!

 

[ShikGluon]

Back in and a hoist will clear the garage door. You aren’t the first one to discover this. I back in, hoist the top and then turn the truck around and park under the top hanging from the ceiling.
heres a link to my hoist and storage for doors.
https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...p-storage-diy-solutions-cart-and-hoist.35757/

Thank you! Love your setup!

 

[rr11]

I lay cardboard on the bed rails and slide the top to the back of the truck no scratches or damage then I use a 4X4 plywood on rollers to move it to the side for storage. I have to much junk in my garage ( work benches freezer,) my truck will not fit.

 

[Alans17]

I take mine off without any help. It's light enough that you can do it by your self. I hop on the bed of the truck, and I open the rear window on the top. Lay some towels down on the top of the bed. I put one arm through the window and my other arm on the side, lift and walk to the back of the bed and set it down on the towels. Then I hop off the bed and lift it off the same way once on the ground. Normally takes me about 10 minutes to remove it completely and I'm 5' 4" and weigh 145lbs and I'm 42 yrs old. I run but I don't lift weights and I have a slightly bum right shoulder and I have zero issues removing it.

Also just to add, my 43yr old wife is 5'4" as well and weighs around 130lbs and she used the same method above and removed it one day by herself. I know someone said it weighs 70lbs but to be honest my Winch weighed 61lbs before I installed it and the top feels much lighter than that to me.

I just tried this method. It’s better than mine. Thanks!

 

[bgenlvtex]

It doesn't look to me like there is enough headroom to pick it up and back out from under it.

Backing in is the only way you are going to accomplish your goal I believe

 

[AustinL911]

Personally, in that situation, I would back in, close the garage door, and install a pulley/hoist system that rode on a trolley/track that slid forwards and backwards.

1. back in
2. close door
3. lift top
4. roll top toward back of garage, out of the way of the door.
5. open door

 

[jurfie]

First off: congrats on your first home purchase!! Very exciting.

I agree with others that suggest backing in will solve your problem. Most garage doors are 7’ tall, and most garages are ~20’ long. Even if the garage door fully opened horizontal (they don’t), you’d have ~13’ of clear ceiling available.

The other option if you have the ceiling height is a high lift track modification. It tucks the tracks closer to the ceiling resulting in less of the door going horizontal thereby opening up ceiling space. You can park to one side of the garage door opener arm, or use a side mount opener as @Troybilt suggests. This is the first thing I do when I move into a new house (most builders just hang the tracks down to the “standard” height) as I like to make use of the ceiling area for storage. A garage door installer can do this for you and your HOA (if you have one) won’t care because there is no change to the outside appearance.

If you don’t have the ceiling height for that, I think you’ll find you won’t be able to back out with the top hanging directly above your Jeep. Then it gets into a more complicated pulley system.

Whatever you end up doing, post up your solution!

 

[mazeppa]

Don't get locked into thinking it will have to fasten to the ceiling. Maybe something that is not permanently attached, here is just one of many examples.

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...ardtop-storage-and-removal-works-great.29016/

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