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Anyone using the Freedom Jack for hardtop removal?

ExitLeft

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Does anyone have any experience with the Freedom Jack?
https://www.freedom-jack.com/
It attaches to your engine hoist/shop crane so you can use it to remove your hardtop.
I have the hoist hanging around and figured I'd put it to use with the Freedom Jack, but I can't really find any information on it. There's a few vids in youtube, but none from any real life users.
Anyone here familiar with it? Any feedback?
Thanks!
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@ExitLeft

I'm an owner and very familiar. In fact the most recent version of the product, the Freedom Jack 3 (FJ3), purchasable on ebay, is designed such that it doesn't come into contact with the inner roof of the hard top when it lifts, such that it can't damage headliners.

In fairness, the Top Lift Pro, which does provide contact with this area claims to not damage headliners and I have no reason to suspect this claim being anything but honest.

I think, even if you don't own an engine crane, that the Freedom Jack is still a great value as Harbor Freight is forever running sales where they discount engine crane costs.

But if you are one of those guys who already owns an engine crane, the Freedom Jack is a slam dunk in terms of the direction I believe you should take.

Disclosure: I do not work for Freedom Jack; I am friends with its developer.

Having stated my opinions, let me back them up with some facts.
  • The device is trivial to install and operate.
  • You can buy, or make your own piece of PVC to keep the engine crane elevated during the duration of a season of running without the hardtop, storing it elevated on the engine crane in the back of a garage, in the opposite direction and pull your rig in under it. Engine cranes aren't designed to keep their pressure for months on end--hence the PVC.
  • As said, I think the Freedom Jack is best compared to the others if you don't own an engine crane, but if you do....it's a no brainer.
  • The engine crane, with its legs folded up for storage, (NEVER use the Freedom Jack with these legs anything but down!!!) takes up less footprint than the other devices I know of for this (Top Lift Pro, Hoist a Cart)
  • With these pigeon toed legs down (and the pigeon toed legs of the Freedom Jack) the Freedom Jack is enormously stable. Your using a device rated for at least 1, if not 2 tons, that lifts engines, to lift a 100 pound hard top. It's like you or I doing bicep curls, rather than with a bar and weights, with a toothpick.
  • The Freedom Jack is welded with the toughness of a Brick Poophouse. You could throw it out a 2nd story window and it would be fine. It simply will outlast not only your rig, but you and I.
 

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So I just went to the website, having not been there in a while.

The pictures on the homepage are deceiving to the product owner's detriment, not yours, IMHO.

He's got the entire kit for not only holding the hard top, but the doors on the engine crane featured as well, creating, IMHO, the impression that installation of the Freedom Jack alone (i.e. just the part that lifts the hard top) is harder than I described.

I don't wish to convey misleading ideas...the door holder kit is awesome, and the whole thing is very, very straight forward to install (two regular wrenches, one Allen wrench)...but if you just buy the hard top lifter, putting it together is even more straightforward then these pictures may imply, as shown below, and as available on the website

 
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Thanks for the info @Gee-pah appreciate it.
Anyone have actual video or pics of this in action? For only $250, it sounds like something I'll invest in.
I've been storing my hardtop in my shed on scaffolding and that works out really well, but getting it on the scaffolding has been a bit of an issue. My wife refuses to help me lift the top off (out of fear that she isn't tall enough and will drop it), so I screwed some eyebolts into the rafters of the garage and lift the hardtop off with ratchet straps. Then I slide the scaffolding under it and then wheel it into the shed. It works, but it's cumbersome.
 

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I remember several lengthy threads about it about a year and a half ago, and at least one had a video. Might try digging through a search to find it.
 

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I remember several lengthy threads about it about a year and a half ago, and at least one had a video. Might try digging through a search to find it.
Yeah, been searching on here for the past few days and can't really find it. I think the terms Freedom and Jack get lost in countless threads about freedom tops/panels and threads about jack stands and farm jacks. I added the term hardtop, but still nothing. Even looked on a few JK forums trying to find some info. It's like Freedom Jack info is a closely guarded secret. LOL
Oh well....
 

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Yeah, been searching on here for the past few days and can't really find it. I think the terms Freedom and Jack get lost in countless threads about freedom tops/panels and threads about jack stands and farm jacks. I added the term hardtop, but still nothing. Even looked on a few JK forums trying to find some info. It's like Freedom Jack info is a closely guarded secret. LOL
Oh well....
Did you put the search date back far enough or search Youtube?
 

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Thanks for the info @Gee-pah appreciate it.
Anyone have actual video or pics of this in action? For only $250, it sounds like something I'll invest in.
I've been storing my hardtop in my shed on scaffolding and that works out really well, but getting it on the scaffolding has been a bit of an issue. My wife refuses to help me lift the top off (out of fear that she isn't tall enough and will drop it), so I screwed some eyebolts into the rafters of the garage and lift the hardtop off with ratchet straps. Then I slide the scaffolding under it and then wheel it into the shed. It works, but it's cumbersome.

...and I have a shelf in the back of my garage under which I can drive my JL nose first.

The Freedom Jack makes child's play of getting the hard top on and off this shelf...
 

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I don’t know how to do links, but the video I was talking about is still on you tube if you search freedom jack Jeep. It’s by a guy named Russ that was on here a lot back then, but either quit the forum or got banned. In many threads his posts are missing, unless they were quoted. Might explain why searching doesn’t work well for it here.
 
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I don’t know how to do links, but the video I was talking about is still on you tube if you search freedom jack Jeep. It’s by a guy named Russ that was on here a lot back then, but either quit the forum or got banned. In many threads his posts are missing, unless they were quoted. Might explain why searching doesn’t work well for it here.
Thanks Bill. I found it.

Interesting presentation style. Not knocking it, it’s one of the very few vids out there and I appreciate that Russ posted it. Thanks!
 

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Thanks Bill. I found it.

Interesting presentation style. Not knocking it, it’s one of the very few vids out there and I appreciate that Russ posted it. Thanks!
I watched.

This demonstrates release 1.0 of the Freedom Jack for the JL (versions are available for the JK as well.)

A solid product though this video features, it is not the newer FJ3 version of the Freedom Jack for the JL, which doesn't come (unlike the version in the video) in contact with headliners, should the owner have them.
 

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I have the freedom jack. Super easy to use by myself. It was actually one of the first things I bought for my Jeep.

935ADABB-5CDA-46F2-B607-E645DD97C45C.jpeg
 

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I have the freedom jack. Super easy to use by myself. It was actually one of the first things I bought for my Jeep.

935ADABB-5CDA-46F2-B607-E645DD97C45C.jpeg
Jeff: a suggestion? Consider whether than piece of PVC (looks like it's from the Freedom Jack people) on the piston is long enough in your case as a stop gap in case air is lost from the piston over time, to prevent the hard top from coming in contact with your rig's hood.

Given how slow this would happen, if it did at all, likely no damage would occur.

Freedom Jack BTW, I believe uses stronger Schedule 30 PVC here as opposed to your basic Schedule 40 that the big box stores sell the most of.
 

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Jeff: a suggestion? Consider whether than piece of PVC (looks like it's from the Freedom Jack people) on the piston is long enough in your case as a stop gap in case air is lost from the piston over time, to prevent the hard top from coming in contact with your rig's hood.

Given how slow this would happen, if it did at all, likely no damage would occur.

Freedom Jack BTW, I believe uses stronger Schedule 30 PVC here as opposed to your basic Schedule 40 that the big box stores sell the most of.
Yeah I usually put it down to that plastic when I leave but agree something else is needed there for long term.
 

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I just put my Freedom Jack together. I’m a complete newb when it comes to Jeep mods and basically putting stuff together, and it was so easy that even I could do it. I watched the install videos on their site, the directions were clear and concise. It came together using basic hand tools.

I did get lucky with the shop crane, I picked up an open box, already assembled unit (score!) at Harbor Freight. All in the crane and the freedom Jack cost about $400. Way less than the Top Lift Pro.

Lifting the top off is quick and easy. I was able to do it myself. My garage is really small with a low ceiling so I had to lift the top up, then move it away from the Jeep, once clear, I lowered it down a bit so I could get it in the garage. I had my husband help me with that part. One person can definitely move it around on their own but being the first time testing it out I opted for a little extra help.
I definitely recommend the freedom jack, especially if cost or space issues are a factor.
You can see how tight my garage is ... and the FJ3 make it easy to get the top off, easy to store and all with enough room to park!

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