Note: I didn't mean to poo-poo your reason for getting a bigger press. Justification by any means necessary... 
Note: I didn't mean to poo-poo your reason for getting a bigger press. Justification by any means necessary...
oh you didnt. This is the 3rd or 4th item its struggled with. I can get around it by heating up bearings but its annoying when I bought the press to not have that problem. Add it to the "eventually" list
Great plan! Just an FYI - I will always go to heat/freezing instead of pressing for things like this, whenever possible. It's easier, and it's less stressful on the parts (usually).
You can always re-grease. Just don't use heat if there's any rubber (seals) or plastic (some roller or ball cages are plastic) in the bearing. I used to build KTM RFS engines for a SuperMoto bike. They actually have a very simple, but ingenious, tool for pulling crank roller bearing races off the crank. It's a split-collar with handles that you heat up with a hot plate, slip over the bearing, wait for the heat transfer from the collar to the bearing, and then squeeze the handles and lift the bearing off the crank. Easy peasy!
I’ve been quiet on the forum for the last few weeks. Mainly because we were moving.
Finally got to break in my Mac’s tie downs and test out the tow rig.
Truck did great and now I have a lot more space to do projects!
Finally got to break in my Mac’s tie downs and test out the tow rig.
Truck did great and now I have a lot more space to do projects!
I know. Tempted to part with my hard top bc I have a soft top and another car to drive when cold. Will think about it and decide. If I do keep it, I’ll build a pulley system to suspend from ceiling
Last nights project was building this door mount for my garage. I had same design in my old garage. Very simple, 2x sets of door hinges, some 2x4s (scrap from work bench I built) and lag bolts.
The top of the 2x4 is left open because I’m building a hoist for my hardtop. Winch is being mounted there.
I mounted higher off ground this time because I rarely take these doors off the wall and wanted to retain floor space under the doors. Doors are right at height where I can drop them into hinges.
The top of the 2x4 is left open because I’m building a hoist for my hardtop. Winch is being mounted there.
I mounted higher off ground this time because I rarely take these doors off the wall and wanted to retain floor space under the doors. Doors are right at height where I can drop them into hinges.
My most recent project has been building a hard top hoist. I don’t intend on using my hard top much at all and didn’t want to tie up floor space. My wife has back issues and we’ve taken the hard top off 1 time in 3 years of ownership. I needed to build something to let me take it on and off without phoning a friend.
Here’s what I ended up with. These pictures show a few different “versions” as I worked out the kinks.
I have a rally tops 2 piece hard top for an LJ. it’s somewhere in the 1-120 pound range.
I used a hand crank harbor freight winch (driven by a drill). Takes about 30 seconds to go all the way up. I just bought a house and went cheap route vs the electric hoist. Needed to use the funds for other things.
I used 2x4s cut to length with eye bolts. 2x4s are around 63” inches. My hard top is a little over 60”. That lets me sit the hard top right inside the eye bolts.
The wire is Amazon special. It’s steel braided wrapped in some plastic coating. Says rated for 1000 pounds but I seriously doubt that. At the <150 it seems fine. I wouldn’t put much more on it.
Pulleys are Amazon as well. I used 9 total. 4 on each corner. 4 at the center “distribution block” I guess you could call it, and 1 on the wall. I thought about incorporating double pulleys to reduce power needed to raise the top but decided against it bc 150 pounds is not a lot and I didn’t want to have double the distance to travel.
I wanted the top to be suspended the same way it sits on the Jeep. I didn’t want to have the rear glass open either. So my design ended up being 2 “arms” the length of the mounting surface to the tub.
The top sits on these rails like the top sits on the Jeep. I back in to garage, unbolt hard top and lift up a corner to slide the 2x4 under. Takes all of 20 seconds.
I have 2 pieces of wood (you can see the back piece pictured here) that screw in to make a square platform. This probably isn’t needed but it does provide a lot of stability and allow me to store my freedom panel on the hoist as well.
I intend on gluing pool noodle to the 2x4s where they might contact the side of the Jeep as a layer of protection.
All in around $100ish bucks. Maybe $150 if you count some mistakes I made. Solves my problem.
These pictures make it seem like there’s a slight angle while suspended. That isn’t accurate. It’s probably the angle I took the picture. I stood over with a level to ensure it was perfect.
I played with the height fully raised quite a bit and settled on what is pictured here. It’s probably 6’ above my head. I wanted to keep the top away from the actual wires but suspended enough to not be in the way.
This seems to work.
Here’s what I ended up with. These pictures show a few different “versions” as I worked out the kinks.
I have a rally tops 2 piece hard top for an LJ. it’s somewhere in the 1-120 pound range.
I used a hand crank harbor freight winch (driven by a drill). Takes about 30 seconds to go all the way up. I just bought a house and went cheap route vs the electric hoist. Needed to use the funds for other things.
I used 2x4s cut to length with eye bolts. 2x4s are around 63” inches. My hard top is a little over 60”. That lets me sit the hard top right inside the eye bolts.
The wire is Amazon special. It’s steel braided wrapped in some plastic coating. Says rated for 1000 pounds but I seriously doubt that. At the <150 it seems fine. I wouldn’t put much more on it.
Pulleys are Amazon as well. I used 9 total. 4 on each corner. 4 at the center “distribution block” I guess you could call it, and 1 on the wall. I thought about incorporating double pulleys to reduce power needed to raise the top but decided against it bc 150 pounds is not a lot and I didn’t want to have double the distance to travel.
I wanted the top to be suspended the same way it sits on the Jeep. I didn’t want to have the rear glass open either. So my design ended up being 2 “arms” the length of the mounting surface to the tub.
The top sits on these rails like the top sits on the Jeep. I back in to garage, unbolt hard top and lift up a corner to slide the 2x4 under. Takes all of 20 seconds.
I have 2 pieces of wood (you can see the back piece pictured here) that screw in to make a square platform. This probably isn’t needed but it does provide a lot of stability and allow me to store my freedom panel on the hoist as well.
I intend on gluing pool noodle to the 2x4s where they might contact the side of the Jeep as a layer of protection.
All in around $100ish bucks. Maybe $150 if you count some mistakes I made. Solves my problem.
These pictures make it seem like there’s a slight angle while suspended. That isn’t accurate. It’s probably the angle I took the picture. I stood over with a level to ensure it was perfect.
I played with the height fully raised quite a bit and settled on what is pictured here. It’s probably 6’ above my head. I wanted to keep the top away from the actual wires but suspended enough to not be in the way.
This seems to work.
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BFH garage is pictured above if you look closely on my tool box
Todays project was bleeding my brakes. I was mid axle swap few months back when a house my wife and I loved came onto the market…..and less than 3 weeks later we were moving.
long story short I did a hack job knowing I’d tow the jeep to new house and am now fixing a few of those short cuts.
Jeep is plated and road legal in sc now. It was not so in NC, and I didn’t really have a plan to make it so.
sc allows all kinds of shenanigans…..like v8 swaps…..so we will see what happens next. My SC property tax bill for the Jeep was $26.
My immediate plans are fixing the last few small things on the Jeep (SYE, rear drive shaft is otw from Tom Woods, black magic brake light install) and then dailying the Jeep around the lake for the next few months.
I’m sure some issues will pop up during that time. But it’ll be good shake down runs before I take it on any big trips.
Next big project is probably upgrading the tow rig…..
long story short I did a hack job knowing I’d tow the jeep to new house and am now fixing a few of those short cuts.
Jeep is plated and road legal in sc now. It was not so in NC, and I didn’t really have a plan to make it so.
sc allows all kinds of shenanigans…..like v8 swaps…..so we will see what happens next. My SC property tax bill for the Jeep was $26.
My immediate plans are fixing the last few small things on the Jeep (SYE, rear drive shaft is otw from Tom Woods, black magic brake light install) and then dailying the Jeep around the lake for the next few months.
I’m sure some issues will pop up during that time. But it’ll be good shake down runs before I take it on any big trips.
Next big project is probably upgrading the tow rig…..
MountaineerTom
LJ Enthusiast, Retired USAF Weapons Loader
Supporting Member
Ride of the Month Winner
Hour into SYE install. Both driveshafts are out, TC is draining and only one broken bolt. Bourbon came out after bolt broke in half
Hoping to have SYE wrapped up today. New driveshaft is out for delivery.
Hoping to have SYE wrapped up today. New driveshaft is out for delivery.
I've been putting mine off for a while now. I hope you show me how easy and quick this job is.