Hoist for unfinished vaulted ceiling

[Charmagne]

Have any of you handy, creative geniuses mounted a hoist for your hardtop to your vaulted ceiling and can share pictures of how you tackled the issue? Am I stupid/crazy (or both) for even considering this? I have the clearance above the garage door, both horizontally and vertically (I'll remove the 30 year old mountain bike gathering dust up there) but not sure how to approach the angles for mounting the hoist. Sorry the pics are crappy. This is the only open space I have and I want it up so I can park inside when the top is off. TIA

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[Reinen]

You don't necessarily have to address the angles. Just extend the ropes/cables on the high side so the hard top is horizontal. If all ropes/cables are all hoisted evenly the hard top will raise and lower horizontally. Or you can get more of the L bar stock that your garage door has and make a triangle above your hoist so the hoist itself is horizontal.

 

[Charmagne]

You don't necessarily have to address the angles. Just extend the ropes/cables on the high side so the hard top is horizontal. If all ropes/cables are all hoisted evenly the hard top will raise and lower horizontally. Or you can get more of the L bar stock that your garage door has and make a triangle above your hoist so the hoist itself is horizontal.

Thank you - I wasn't sure if I could use those L bar (thanks for the name) and know they would support everything once the roof was lifted. Thought I might have to add 2 x 4s to do that. Much easier.

 

[bohnster]

What type of hoist? Power or crank? I have a high ceiling garage so I put in a power hoist and extended the controller cable. You could easily brace around that header to provide a mounting location for a power hoist if needed. I'll just say that the best part of my "hard top off" project was the garage doors though. I got rid of the chain drive openers and the long support brackets and had direct drive openers installed that pull the doors straight up the wall. If you've got the room and the funds, it's the way to go. They are super quiet and there's so much more room available.

 

[Reinen]

Thank you - I wasn't sure if I could use those L bar (thanks for the name) and know they would support everything once the roof was lifted. Thought I might have to add 2 x 4s to do that. Much easier.

You can hang quite a bit off of those bars. They hold up your garage door and it's heavier than you think. Just make sure it is well bolted into several ceiling joists. If it's going to fail it will probably be there.

Any big box store should have it in stock.

 

[Charmagne]

What type of hoist? Power or crank? I have a high ceiling garage so I put in a power hoist and extended the controller cable. You could easily brace around that header to provide a mounting location for a power hoist if needed. I'll just say that the best part of my "hard top off" project was the garage doors though. I got rid of the chain drive openers and the long support brackets and had direct drive openers installed that pull the doors straight up the wall. If you've got the room and the funds, it's the way to go. They are super quiet and there's so much more room available.

I would prefer a power lift but if the install would better suit a crank, I'd do that. Have been looking at Lang and Harken as most likely options. Going to have to pass on the garage door upgrade, I don't have the room for that kind of set up (the extraa space afforded sure woul be nice). ty for the advice

 

[Charmagne]

You can hang quite a bit off of those bars. They hold up your garage door and it's heavier than you think. Just make sure it is well bolted into several ceiling joists. If it's going to fail it will probably be there.

Any big box store should have it in stock.

Thank you!

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