Sponsored

Hard Top Removal System

NavyVet1959

Banned
Banned
First Name
OldFart
Joined
Apr 11, 2018
Threads
7
Messages
1,250
Reaction score
1,192
Location
Texas, ya'll
Vehicle(s)
XJ (sold), WJ (sold), Ram 1500 QC 4x4 (sold 2018.06.07), Wrangler JL Sport 2-door (ordered 2018.06.08)
Occupation
Retired engineer (NASA, aerospace, DoD); ex-Navy
Vehicle Showcase
1
Kata, curious, not challenging, why no room for the Top Lift Pro cost and availability notwithstanding? Does it tie into the idea that it works best as a space saver with a rig parked nose first in a garage and that you, as per the pictures, are a "back it in" kind of guy?
Depending upon the orientation of the garage, traffic on the street, whether the driveway is straight or has a bend in it, what else you in your garage, and other things, it's possible that it could be easier to back the vehicle into the garage than pull straight in. There's also the chance that he has a wife that sometimes drives it and her backing skills are not that great and he would prefer to not have her add dents to the vehicle.

My driveway has a bend in it, so does my neighbors. I've never had a problem with it since having lived on a ranch, I have a lot of experience backing up vehicles and trailers, often into tight spaces. My neighbor though was somewhat "challenged" in that aspect and he had a nice scratch of paint on the corner of his house where he came just a bit too close while trying to back down his driveway one day. And, of course, his car had a matching scratch.

A lot of drivers just never trained much on driving in reverse. When I was teaching my daughter how to drive, one of the things that I did was make her drive in reverse in the local high school parking lot for extended periods of time so that she could be comfortable with it.
Sponsored

 

RussJeep1

Banned
Banned
Banned
Joined
Oct 12, 2016
Threads
139
Messages
2,544
Reaction score
2,057
Location
Westchester, NY
Vehicle(s)
JLU Sahara
OP
OP
Kata

Kata

Well-Known Member
First Name
Kata
Joined
Jan 1, 2018
Threads
6
Messages
382
Reaction score
505
Location
Texas
Vehicle(s)
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited
Kata, curious, not challenging, why no room for the Top Lift Pro cost and availability notwithstanding? Does it tie into the idea that it works best as a space saver with a rig parked nose first in a garage and that you, as per the pictures, are a "back it in" kind of guy?
I have room for the Top Lift Pro. I didn’t want to waste that room when there is a cheaper solution. The Lange Originals Power Hoist will not watse any space. I back all my vehicles into the garage and into my drive way. My military days has scared me into always backing my vehicles into its parking spaces.
 
OP
OP
Kata

Kata

Well-Known Member
First Name
Kata
Joined
Jan 1, 2018
Threads
6
Messages
382
Reaction score
505
Location
Texas
Vehicle(s)
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited
Depending upon the orientation of the garage, traffic on the street, whether the driveway is straight or has a bend in it, what else you in your garage, and other things, it's possible that it could be easier to back the vehicle into the garage than pull straight in. There's also the chance that he has a wife that sometimes drives it and her backing skills are not that great and he would prefer to not have her add dents to the vehicle.

My driveway has a bend in it, so does my neighbors. I've never had a problem with it since having lived on a ranch, I have a lot of experience backing up vehicles and trailers, often into tight spaces. My neighbor though was somewhat "challenged" in that aspect and he had a nice scratch of paint on the corner of his house where he came just a bit too close while trying to back down his driveway one day. And, of course, his car had a matching scratch.

A lot of drivers just never trained much on driving in reverse. When I was teaching my daughter how to drive, one of the things that I did was make her drive in reverse in the local high school parking lot for extended periods of time so that she could be comfortable with it.
My driveway has a bend in it and there is not much traffic flow on the street so we have ample amount of time to drive the Jeep in backwards. Plus my military days has scared me into always parking my vehicles backwards. Lol
 

American Adventurist

Well-Known Member
First Name
Dave
Joined
Jun 16, 2018
Threads
20
Messages
559
Reaction score
550
Location
West Florida
Vehicle(s)
2018 StingGray JLUR
Another thing to consider is that you *could* design a lift that does not even need a winch. Instead of having a winch lift all the weight of the top, you could put counterweights on the ends of cables attached to the 4 lift points on the frame that lifts the top. Something like how some of the old wooden windows had casement weights in the walls to make it easier to open the windows. If you balance it right, it's not going to take much effort on your part to raise or lower the top, but you'll need a way to secure the top when it gets to the ceiling so that it can't easily be dropped back down. Maybe another 20 lb weight that you add the counterbalance system after you get it off your vehicle?
THIS

I was also thinking that, if you have a winch, a system of rope and pulley could easily be devised for a cost of maybe $30 that uses YOUR winch to lift up your top (use your imagination gents), once it's lifted up you just change that connection from winch to an appropriate anchor and then drive out from under it.

This is what I plan on doing.
 

Sponsored

NavyVet1959

Banned
Banned
First Name
OldFart
Joined
Apr 11, 2018
Threads
7
Messages
1,250
Reaction score
1,192
Location
Texas, ya'll
Vehicle(s)
XJ (sold), WJ (sold), Ram 1500 QC 4x4 (sold 2018.06.07), Wrangler JL Sport 2-door (ordered 2018.06.08)
Occupation
Retired engineer (NASA, aerospace, DoD); ex-Navy
Vehicle Showcase
1
THIS

I was also thinking that, if you have a winch, a system of rope and pulley could easily be devised for a cost of maybe $30 that uses YOUR winch to lift up your top (use your imagination gents), once it's lifted up you just change that connection from winch to an appropriate anchor and then drive out from under it.

This is what I plan on doing.
Men have been using winches for at least 2500 years (and *wenches* for even longer). If a modern man cannot design a pulley / winch system for picking up something as light as a hardtop of a Jeep, I really think he needs to hand in his Man Card.
 

American Adventurist

Well-Known Member
First Name
Dave
Joined
Jun 16, 2018
Threads
20
Messages
559
Reaction score
550
Location
West Florida
Vehicle(s)
2018 StingGray JLUR
Men have been using winches for at least 2500 years (and *wenches* for even longer). If a modern man cannot design a pulley / winch system for picking up something as light as a hardtop of a Jeep, I really think he needs to hand in his Man Card.
Fuckin' A
 

Tacoman03

Well-Known Member
First Name
Matthew
Joined
Mar 12, 2018
Threads
65
Messages
442
Reaction score
502
Location
Fayetteville, AR
Vehicle(s)
2020 Jeep JLUR Recon 2022 Bronco Raptor
Vehicle Showcase
1
Just my two cents...

TopLift Pro -
Stable - check!
Sturdy - check!
space saver - check!
easy - check!
expensive - to some, check!(not to me, I didn't;t spend anytime designing, tooling or building it) - Priceless!

To each his/her own......if you can afford it, get it....if you don't want to spend that kind of money on it, don't! I don't jump on other Jeepsters for buying HUGE Wheels, HUGE tires, etc.....that's what they want, that's what they get...

Capitalisms, if they pay for it, keep selling it for what you can!
 
OP
OP
Kata

Kata

Well-Known Member
First Name
Kata
Joined
Jan 1, 2018
Threads
6
Messages
382
Reaction score
505
Location
Texas
Vehicle(s)
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited
Just my two cents...

TopLift Pro -
Stable - check!
Sturdy - check!
space saver - check!
easy - check!
expensive - to some, check!(not to me, I didn't;t spend anytime designing, tooling or building it) - Priceless!

To each his/her own......if you can afford it, get it....if you don't want to spend that kind of money on it, don't! I don't jump on other Jeepsters for buying HUGE Wheels, HUGE tires, etc.....that's what they want, that's what they get...

Capitalisms, if they pay for it, keep selling it for what you can!
The Top Lift Pro initially was $920 in March 2018 and now its $1381. That’s 45% increase in 90 days. I’m not paying that kind of money. I’m all in for capitalism but I feel Top Lift Pro is price gouging. So if you’re into supporting companies that price gouge then have at it.
 

NavyVet1959

Banned
Banned
First Name
OldFart
Joined
Apr 11, 2018
Threads
7
Messages
1,250
Reaction score
1,192
Location
Texas, ya'll
Vehicle(s)
XJ (sold), WJ (sold), Ram 1500 QC 4x4 (sold 2018.06.07), Wrangler JL Sport 2-door (ordered 2018.06.08)
Occupation
Retired engineer (NASA, aerospace, DoD); ex-Navy
Vehicle Showcase
1
The Top Lift Pro initially was $920 in March 2018 and now its $1381. That’s 45% increase in 90 days. I’m not paying that kind of money. I’m all in for capitalism but I feel Top Lift Pro is price gouging. So if you’re into supporting companies that price gouge then have at it.
The good thing about capitalism is that is allows a fool and his money to soon be parted. :)
 

Sponsored

W5MQS

Well-Known Member
First Name
Mitch
Joined
Mar 8, 2018
Threads
19
Messages
588
Reaction score
628
Location
Temple, Texas
Vehicle(s)
2018 Granite Wrangler Rubicon JLU; 2020 Mercedes GLB 250; 2013 Red Ford F-150 4x4
Build Thread
Link
Occupation
Interventional Cardiology
The Top Lift Pro initially was $920 in March 2018 and now its $1381. That’s 45% increase in 90 days. I’m not paying that kind of money. I’m all in for capitalism but I feel Top Lift Pro is price gouging. So if you’re into supporting companies that price gouge then have at it.
I don't know where you're getting $1381 from...as of today, their website says $949.99 plus shipping of $114 so that's about $1063 according to my cyphering.
 

Tacoman03

Well-Known Member
First Name
Matthew
Joined
Mar 12, 2018
Threads
65
Messages
442
Reaction score
502
Location
Fayetteville, AR
Vehicle(s)
2020 Jeep JLUR Recon 2022 Bronco Raptor
Vehicle Showcase
1
I don't know where you're getting $1381 from...as of today, their website says $949.99 plus shipping of $114 so that's about $1063 according to my cyphering.
That's what I'm paying....
 

Tacoman03

Well-Known Member
First Name
Matthew
Joined
Mar 12, 2018
Threads
65
Messages
442
Reaction score
502
Location
Fayetteville, AR
Vehicle(s)
2020 Jeep JLUR Recon 2022 Bronco Raptor
Vehicle Showcase
1
The good thing about capitalism is that is allows a fool and his money to soon be parted. :)
Couldn't agree more, Jeep did just that to all of us on this board that have bought a new JL!
 

NavyVet1959

Banned
Banned
First Name
OldFart
Joined
Apr 11, 2018
Threads
7
Messages
1,250
Reaction score
1,192
Location
Texas, ya'll
Vehicle(s)
XJ (sold), WJ (sold), Ram 1500 QC 4x4 (sold 2018.06.07), Wrangler JL Sport 2-door (ordered 2018.06.08)
Occupation
Retired engineer (NASA, aerospace, DoD); ex-Navy
Vehicle Showcase
1
Couldn't agree more, Jeep did just that to all of us on this board that have bought a new JL!
Well, I went with a pretty basic Sport model (plus AC, LSD, hard top), so I came out slightly below $30K. That's maybe a few bucks less than I paid for my Ram 1500 QC 4x4 14 years ago, but the Ram had the varioius electric goodies that I figured I really didn't need on a smaller vehicle since I can just reach over and unlock the door and such.

Of course the funny thing is that I still will get stuck with this large fob, but there will be no buttons on it, so it won't really do anything (other than allow the car to be started). :)
 

TIDALWAVE

Well-Known Member
First Name
CHUCK
Joined
Oct 21, 2017
Threads
86
Messages
798
Reaction score
433
Location
MINNESOTA
Vehicle(s)
2015 Mustang GT Convertible, 2013 CHEVY SILVERADO, 2018 JLUR
"if you live in Florida you have to pay tax"
New Supreme Court ruling...Customers now have to pay sales tax (if your state has sales tax) on all out-of-state purchases!
Sponsored

 
 



Top