Not to knock the way y’all are doing it but why is everyone insisting on a sling style of hanging? Is this so you can lower it directly onto the Jeep? Why not build a low profile frame under the top to support top from the bottom?
What's a good hardtop hoist DIY frame?
- Thread starter Carve
- Start date
LONGJP2
TJ Expert
I've done three; all different. The space (or ceiling) usually dictates the method.
One tip; use a pulley to double the line. It slows down the speed for more control.
Although your winch may be slower than mine.
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Thanks. I used to mess around with a lot of CJs years ago and ran across that one and bought it to keep. It’s an 85 Spring Special package and was bone stock with 27k miles when I got it. It mostly stays in the garage and only has 31k miles. I did put a 2” lift, some wheels and 32” tires, and color matched YJ half doors on it years ago but still have the original wheels/leaf springs in shop.
My thought was that using the strap through the front door corner and rear window opening allowed me to back into garage, hook up the straps to the spreader bar by myself and raise it and then reverse the process solo and go back down directly onto the Jeep. I have a wood frame to set the top on top of saw horses outside if I’m just removing for short period. But that requires two people to do.
OP
Yup. My girlfriend has a herniated disk, so I had to come up with a convenient way to get this on and off easily by myself.
OP
That's a nice setup. So...you drilled a recess for the nut to fit between the board and the ceiling? Also...it looks like it's secured by tying the rope to the lower unistrut? Nice 'n simple.
Yes on the recessed nuts. The pulley is a double at the top and single on the uni-strut. Rope goes through top pulley down to lower pulley back up thru pulley again then down to being tied to uni-strut. I do have a HF winch, just haven't mounted it yet, I can probably reduce the pulley steps with it.
OP
Here's the final version. I found an eye-bolt that fits nested inside T-fitting with a 160 pound working load, so marginal, but adequate. The pulley slows things down and makes it easier to control, but doesn't really get me any higher. However, I have cam-straps (2 in back, 1 in front) that get most of the slack out. The eye-bolt in the ceiling is far enough away from the winch that the pulley can fit between them. It's pretty solid up there, and even if I moved the winch it couldn't go much higher....perhaps just an inch or two more before the pulley hardware got in the way.
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robertgreen79
TJ Enthusiast
SPECWAR
TJ Enthusiast
LONGJP2
TJ Expert
Whatever works.
To get more height, you might try moving the cable directly to the eyehook, eliminating the long cable hook.
And/or a shorter eyehook.
LONGJP2
TJ Expert
LONGJP2
TJ Expert
my parts list to build a hoist was just a hair under what lange power hoist was with their 10% off. best $230 spent on the jeep.Harbor Freight winch.
Same one I had up in the rafters of my old house.