Hard top storage and hoist?

[Sepedog13]

Waiting on a new Rubicon X. Need some garage storage solutions for hard top and doors.

Thinking of hanging doors on an empty garage wall.

Thinking ceiling mounted hoist like Harken or wondering what others have.

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[Brad Hearing]

Waiting on a new Rubicon X. Need some garage storage solutions for hard top and doors.

Thinking of hanging doors on an empty garage wall.

Thinking ceiling mounted hoist like Harken or wondering what others have.

Curious to see the responses here. I want to do the same thing but it seems to me that kind of weight on the support beams might pull down the roof lol

 

[BDinTX]

The hard top weighs less than I do and I could hang from one of the lag bolts.

Four bolts, on two different trusses, four straps to lift, fixed length cables across a 2x6 ripped lengthwise to hold the weight. Probably $100 all included.

 

[Brad Hearing]

The hard top weighs less than I do and I could hang from one of the lag bolts.

Four bolts, on two different trusses, four straps to lift, fixed length cables across a 2x6 ripped lengthwise to hold the weight. Probably $100 all included.

OK... so do you just drive up, hook up the back directly from your jeep or do you remove it and put it on the ground in the garage before seting it up like this?

 

[SRFRAT67]

For the doors I installed craftsman versa track and used their small two prong hook to hang the doors on.If wall space is an Issue I would suggest a door storage cart as you will need at least 3 if not 4 sections of track to hang all 4 doors. I took a pool noodle from dollar general and cut 4 6-8 inch pieces that I put on the door gasket before I hung it to help protect it. I don't have a picture of all 4 hanging but you get the idea. Good luck with whatever you decide.


https://www.craftsman.com/collections/versatrack/products/cmst82602vt

https://www.craftsman.com/collections/versatrack/products/cmst82607vt

 

[mrtm1970]

I will describe what I did back when I had my '98 TJ with Duel Top...

I built a loft with wood (4X 4x4 legs, 2x6 with 2x4 layered on it to be the top frame and 2x4 topped with plywood for sliding top) with the framing in the shape of a "C" that the top of it was removable (slid from the front to be removed). I had an electric hoist (on side of the loft frame) & pulley system.

How I designed it: I would remove the loft top and the open side of the "C" framing allowed me to back into the loft framing. Then the hoist would lift the top off the TJ all the way to the ceiling. I believe I had purchased a bracket from Quadratec that specifically was designed to grab the Hardtop and lift with a hoist. Then I would pull the TJ out of the loft framing and slide the loft top back in from the front side of the "C" framing and lower the Hardtop onto the loft top, where it sat (still attached to the hoist and hardtop "grabber"). I then would turn the TJ around and be able to park with the hood under the loft top.

Then to put the top back on, I did the reverse...hoist to raise the top, slide the loft top out and reverse TJ into loft space and lowered the top back on the TJ.

The loft also double as storage shelving

 

[BDinTX]

OK... so do you just drive up, hook up the back directly from your jeep or do you remove it and put it on the ground in the garage before seting it up like this?

I back up underneath the spot and remove the hard top bolts.

• Climb in the back of the Jeep to lift the top a little bit and get the tie down strap hooks under the rear corners. Repeat for the hooks at the top corners by the windows.
• Lift the top a few inches to pull the Jeep out of the way.
• Slowly lift the top to the ceiling, 6" in the rear, 6" in the front, repeat until it's high enough to connect the cables to the boards underneath. It definitely helps to have a second person so you can do opposite sides at the same time.
• Once the boards are in place, lower it onto the boards to move the weight from the straps to the cables.

It probably takes 10-15 minutes so I'd suggest taking into consideration how often you plan to take it on and off. Ours has been hanging up there for at least a year, possibly two. Note: You can't slide the boards until the Jeep is moved since they'd get caught under the roll bar.

 

[Blues Fan 30]

You can build your own setup cheaply.

2x 2x4s
7 eye bolts
A pack of ratchet straps
Manual winch from harbor freight
Pool noodles
Heavy duty caribeaners

One eye hook over each corner

I used extra eye hooks where straps come through as there was too much friction in the system with

Hook straps together inside and pad with pool noodles

Easy peasy, cheap, easy to use, and shouldn't damage your top

You can see i am lazy and forgot the tape to mark studs but haven't bothered to get back up and take it down hahaha.

 

[AzCoronaDog]

I bought this $69.88 top hoist package: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D8W337PQ?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_1
Had to add a couple of 2x4s and lag bolts to complete the install.
I could have pieced the same stuff together myself for a bit less, but not enough difference to make it worth the time to me.
I like the pulley system, the self locking block part works great, and it has enough leverage that it is really easy to do by myself.
For the doors, I used 8 of these jumbo HF bike hooks into 2x4s on the ceiling, as I was out of wall space: https://www.harborfreight.com/jumbo-bike-utility-hook-47751.html I have added 1/2 soft pipe insulation to the hooks since the picture was taken to avoid dents in the window seals.

 

[Brad Hearing]

I back up underneath the spot and remove the hard top bolts.

• Climb in the back of the Jeep to lift the top a little bit and get the tie down strap hooks under the rear corners. Repeat for the hooks at the top corners by the windows.
• Lift the top a few inches to pull the Jeep out of the way.
• Slowly lift the top to the ceiling, 6" in the rear, 6" in the front, repeat until it's high enough to connect the cables to the boards underneath. It definitely helps to have a second person so you can do opposite sides at the same time.
• Once the boards are in place, lower it onto the boards to move the weight from the straps to the cables.

It probably takes 10-15 minutes so I'd suggest taking into consideration how often you plan to take it on and off. Ours has been hanging up there for at least a year, possibly two. Note: You can't slide the boards until the Jeep is moved since they'd get caught under the roll bar.

Thanks for that!

Yeah up in canada north so its the sort of thing where if I do take it off i can only do so for a few weeks at best. almost getting to the point where i might just accept never taking it off.

 

[Atomic-Mouse]

I added some small stainless steel hammock hangers to my roof with a backing plate on the inside for strength. Made a small H frame with four hooks that hang down to attach to the loops in the hardtop. No need to lift the top by hand to place lifting straps. My winch rope runs from the ceiling down to a pulley on the lifting H frame back up to another pulley then along the ceiling to a two speed manual boat winch on the back wall. I slide two 4X4s under the hard top then set it down with just a tiny bit of tension on the ropes, just in case a wind gust blows in they can’t fall.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0DM8RNBTF/ref=ox_sc_act_title_8?smid=A2TZICCL60UDGZ&psc=1

Looking at getting a few sets of the Motobilt door hangers sometime soon.
https://motobilt.com/products/door-...MI2cC7ude_jgMVTFhHAR3DFi3XEAQYBiABEgKUX_D_BwE

 

[Grayhound]

I don't have much space, and I need to be able to take off the hard top Easily with one person so I set up this rack with a harbor freight winch, with topsy hardware on the hard top and I can have the top and doors off and on in about 5 minutes.

 

[morph860]

Love my TopLiftPro. Takes longer to get the bolts out than it does to get the top onto the lift. And you can park right under it.

https://topliftpros.com/pages/hardtop-removal-tools

 

[jpeters11]

I got these door hangers from AMZN for $40
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08NSK7NCV/ref=dp_iou_view_item?ie=UTF8&th=1

I bolted 2x4s into studs in the wall and mounted the hooks onto the 2x4s. I didn't take into account that the doors aren't balanced in the middle and wish I could spread them out a little more but I ran out of wall space because of a side door in the garage.

And this roof hoist strap system from Extreme Terrain for $75
https://www.extremeterrain.com/black-canyon-jeep-wrangler-manual-hard-top-hoist-j132285-jl.html

I have exposed rafters in my garage so I just added some 2x4s with big lag bolts across a couple rafters in all 4 mount points, to put in the hooks. The straps just run through from the back window to the front corners and up to the hooks. Take the 8 roof bolts off, and just push the roof up a little with one hand while pulling the strap with the other, a little at a time on each side. There are corner protectors so the straps don't make direct contact with the roof. It would probably be nicer to use a system with a winch but I was on a tight budget and $75 was the right price. It's easy enough and works fine.

I just need to figure out where to store the front "Freedom panels" better.

 

[JJC01]

Love my TopLiftPro. Takes longer to get the bolts out than it does to get the top onto the lift. And you can park right under it.

https://topliftpros.com/pages/hardtop-removal-tools

I love my TopLiftPro as well and the new model corrects some original (mine) design flaws that put the hood at risk under certain conditions. I also replaced my original rear hard top screws with some "quick remove thumb screws" so I can pull the hard top without needing any tools, except for the two bolts under the "freedom panels."

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