Lange Hoist a Top, Crank JL

[Buster1]

Does anyone have any feedback on the Lange Hoist a Top Crank for the JL? Based on my garage and needs (and the fact that the Fleximount and Racor are unavailable right now) I think the Lange looks sturdy and well engineered, and I Iike the crank option and the ‘T’ frame that hooks onto the top too.

Looking for any advice or regrets with this unit.

Thanks!

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[blnewt]

Love mine although ours was for a JK that a friend gave to me after they got rid of their Jeep. Had to adapt the window hook for the JL and it lifts the top at a slight angle since there's not enough holes in the T-frame to balance it for a 2 dr JL. I believe they have the current Lange model that has more adjustments and should work perfect.

It allows me to remove my top in about 15 minutes and keep it up and out of the way as long as I need.

Here's a good video on the system, and they may have a newer one now for the JL

 

[ZigZag]

I have on that my wife bought at the thrift store for $50. It was a good find at the thrift store. It is for a JL 2-door which is perfect for me. I can't imagine why it was there. New-in-the-box!

We installed it in the garage and I think it will work just fine. We put some weight on it prior to trying it with the top and the crank take a LOT of effort. We also found a LOT of metal shavings in the grease. It uses a worm gear an I guess it just isn't engineered perfectly. Bit it is well designed. We have it so that we can use a hand drill to power it now but there is so much grinding that I don't think I will keep it this way for long.

I am thinking of buying the power upgrade for $200. At that price, it will still be cheaper than just about any top lift out there. I would recommend buying the power version.

 

[blnewt]

I have on that my wife bought at the thrift store for $50. It was a good find at the thrift store. It is for a JL 2-door which is perfect for me. I can't imagine why it was there. New-in-the-box!

We installed it in the garage and I think it will work just fine. We put some weight on it prior to trying it with the top and the crank take a LOT of effort. We also found a LOT of metal shavings in the grease. It uses a worm gear an I guess it just isn't engineered perfectly. Bit it is well designed. We have it so that we can use a hand drill to power it now but there is so much grinding that I don't think I will keep it this way for long.

I am thinking of buying the power upgrade for $200. At that price, it will still be cheaper than just about any top lift out there. I would recommend buying the power version.

I find the manual come a long easy to operate, haven't used the crank version, sounds like there may be some QC issues w/ that one but ???

 

[Buster1]

Thanks guys.
@ZigZag you may have a faulty crank. The videos and reviews I can find all make it looks super easy to crank away and raise the top. They have cranks you can buy separately I think.

Anyways, thanks guys. I may just order this thing and get it mounted. I’m thinking 2x6s across 2 or three joists ought to be sufficient.

Did you guys use the stock hardware and screw the pullys right into the 2x6? Is the stock hardware strong enough and how has it held up for you?

 

[blnewt]

Yeah, I used all the fasteners that came w/ it, all has been good for a couple years now. Of course proper planning to make sure everything is properly supported is key, do that and I doubt you'd have any issues.

One thing I had to keep in mind was allowing enough access to get to our attic staircase, it folds down and I had to be sure I located the come along far enough away so I could still access that area. Just food for thought.

 

[Buster1]

Awesome, thanks for that tip. No attic for me, I just have big fluorescent lights in my garage to work around.

 

[ZigZag]

Here are some pics of the installation.

 

[Buster1]

That’s awesome @ZigZag !! Thanks for those shots. I just got off the phone with my brother in law who runs a small home construction business. He said 3” or 3.5” quality screws in 2x6s into the studs/joists would be excellent. My joists are 16” apart so I think I’ll go with 35” 2x6s spanning 3 joists. Smart going across 4 like you did.

 

[ZigZag]

My son did all of the work. It is definitely over engineered. I think he used 3.5" screws and predrilled pilot holes.

 

[Buster1]

Do you know why he used the long 2x6 that runs front to back, where the pulleys attach? I’m thinking of just attaching pulleys to the crossing (left to right) 2x6s.

 

[ZigZag]

I think it was just overengineering. With my TJ I rigged up something similar to this from scratch. Version 1.0 shifted one day and came crashing down. It fell about exactly where I had been standing moments earlier and broke the read glass, dented the hood of the Jeep and scared the s*** out of me, my wife and the boys. Version 2.0 was much better and never fell. But it was dramatically over-engineered. It went away when I sold the house. The TJR went away when the transfer case blew up at 70mph on the freeway 90 miles from home. The cost to replace the transfer case was more than I could bear. (>$5k just to get started with no estimated max.) A lucky guy got a great project and I was Jeepless for 4+ years.

 

[Buster1]

Spent some time getting mine rigged this weekend. Missing a few parts (foam parts, bungees; emailed Lange already) and still need to fine tune the setup, but I’m happy with it so far. The paper directions were pretty bad too, but the online videos were excellent.

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