Need contraption for back half hardtop lifting / holding

[93civej1]

So I no longer have a soft top since I sold it with my last vehicle trade in, didnt expect to come right back to another gladiator. But i really miss having the soft top. I dont want to trade my hard top, but all the soft ones I find are just far away or priced stupid. I sold mine for 500. Sometimes you can find a deal on them and im holding out. In the mean time, i would really really like to have moments or days when I take off the hard top. Its doable alone, but it would be nice to just have a setup in my garage where i can unbolt it and use some pulleys to lift it up and just let it hang by the ceiling until im ready to put it back. Any chance I can see your alls set ups for hoists in your garage?

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[D_JT]

I went with the cam buckle method and 2x4's. I also added a 1/4" thick single sticky side foam to the boards to "protect" the hard top.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Two inexpensive bicycle lifts from Menards, a cheap boat winch, paracord, some extra pulleys and I have a lift that is easy, safe (I have cords I run to hooks in case of a cord breaking - but that's extremely unlikely)

Once the roof is off, I run shorter cords to hooks for "safeties". I could actually release the winch and the top would still stay put. I park the truck under the roof while it hangs.
About 5 or so minutes off, another 5 or so back on. One person can do it with ease!

A couple of eye lags, long bolt and some used alternator bearings made the final step before the winch.

 

[Stan H]

Me amd the wife just grab it and set it off in the Grass

 

[93civej1]

I went with the cam buckle method and 2x4's. I also added a 1/4" thick single sticky side foam to the boards to "protect" the hard top.

how hard is this setup to use? it would seem like it would be hard with a single person?

 

[93civej1]

Two inexpensive bicycle lifts from Menards, a cheap boat winch, paracord, some extra pulleys and I have a lift that is easy, safe (I have cords I run to hooks in case of a cord breaking - but that's extremely unlikely)

Once the roof is off, I run shorter cords to hooks for "safeties". I could actually release the winch and the top would still stay put. I park the truck under the roof while it hangs.
About 5 or so minutes off, another 5 or so back on. One person can do it with ease!

A couple of eye lags, long bolt and some used alternator bearings made the final step before the winch.

that looks super complicated. haha.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Me amd the wife just grab it and set it off in the Grass

Around here, critters would destroy it, and my wife isn't capable of lifting like that due to her handicap. My back also doesn't do well for high lifting. So, I needed to arrange a way to keep it inside, out of the critters, weather, wasps, mice, spiders and make it super simple for one person to do it any time.

You want to use our grill - open with care. If it has set for a couple of days, the wasps will have taken over. Coons will destroy anything that's not steel.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

that looks super complicated. haha.

Not really. I may have made it more difficult than necessary - I can see where I could have run the cords differently, different pulley setup.
It's a matter of guiding the lines where you want them to go.

Once I got it made - it is extremely fast and easy to use - zero lifting other than one corner at a time to set the rear hooks under the edge, and at the front, run the cord loops through the roof holes, insert the dowels and crank the winch.

 

[DoctorDecoy]

Less than $50…I just pull each corner up little by little. I can get everything off (including panels) in just under 20 minutes by myself.

 

[DJPodratz]

You can build your own, or just order a simple manual crank lift. I use this one. I think I ordered from Quadratech. Don't member the cost, but probably more expensive than assembling all the parts yourself.

Works great. My top is hanging in garage at cabin. I am heading there today and will try to remember to get a few pics.....

 

[D_JT]

how hard is this setup to use? it would seem like it would be hard with a single person?

You can do it with one person. You would have to stage the boards accordingly and then place the top on the boards. That would be the hardest part. After that just pull on each strap little by little.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

but probably more expensive than assembling all the parts yourself.

Bike lifts were about 15 each, two of them.
Boat winch I believe was under 25
I can't recall the costs of the pulleys.

But to be able to just stand there and crank a winch, then put the safety cords in place, worth it even if it cost me 75 bucks.
One person, literally about 5 minutes once the top is unbolted and ready to take off.
same for back on - I have the floor marked, back into that position, remove the safety dowels, lower the top using the winch, guide the top with left hand, run the winch with right hand, and it's down.

 

[Y-Guy]

I repurposed my Harken Hoist from holding my Wrangler JK. But I used some ideas from this thread to change how I hung the hard top. I bought another one of these hoists to be able to pull my wife's Wrangler top of, that's a project for this weekend.

2011 Jeep Top

My 2020 Gladiator, just had to move forward in the garage to accommodate the bed.

 

[DJPodratz]

Bike lifts were about 15 each, two of them.
Boat winch I believe was under 25
I can't recall the costs of the pulleys.

But to be able to just stand there and crank a winch, then put the safety cords in place, worth it even if it cost me 75 bucks.
One person, literally about 5 minutes once the top is unbolted and ready to take off.
same for back on - I have the floor marked, back into that position, remove the safety dowels, lower the top using the winch, guide the top with left hand, run the winch with right hand, and it's down.

I found the price. Currently $300 bucks. Definitely cheaper to DIY if you are handy. I'm not ;-(

 

[Janster]

Lots of ways to do it…..
We have a hoist setup on a trolly. Bought everything on Amazon and/or lowes.

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