BEST HARDTOP HOIST FOR YOUR JEEP?? // SIMPLE DIY ELECTRIC HOIST SYSTEM 

That’s awesome Brian! Glad to hear it. Two years on and I’m still loving this system to remove my top. Hope the install goes well for you!

Most of that was behind my camera 😅

All the best with the project!

Hey! I’m glad it was helpful! Thanks

Glad to hear! Thanks for the comment

How has yours held up now that it's been two and a half years?

Love it!

Great to hear!

Appreciate it Joey! Glad it was helpful.

Glad to hear it! Thanks for the comment.

Glad to hear! Hope the project goes well, I think you’ll enjoy the end result. Here’s the link to my actual install video if it’s helpful for you: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-rj2jh6OCesE.html

Love it! Thanks for sharing 👊🏼

Awesome!

Awesome, glad to hear! Thanks for the comment!

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for the comment.

Thanks for the comment! Glad it was helpful.

Glad you enjoyed it! And the garage is an important part of this set up for sure LOL

Awesome 🤙🏼

Right on! 👊🏼💯

Have been off grid so I’m late in replying but glad this was helpful! Thanks

Love hearing that! Hope it works well for you.

Glad to hear!

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 that’s awesome!

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for the comment.

Awesome Ray! Using unistrut is a great idea!

Right on! 👊🏼

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Rich Hoffman Thank you bro 👊🏼

👊🏼💥

Awesome to hear Dave!

Hey Brice! Glad it was helpful. Here’s a link to the full install video! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-rj2jh6OCesE.html

Awesome!

Appreciate the comment!

Practice 😅😅😅

Awesome Alfredo, links for hoist and straps are in the description if you're interested. All the best with the project!

@@4XTRAIL Thanks , I really would like to see your attic set up.

@@alfredolopez714 Will send you an email!

Cool thanks again

Right on! 👊🏼

Thanks for the comment! Glad it was helpful. If you’re interested in a full install video for this setup here’s a link: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-rj2jh6OCesE.html

Appreciate it! Glad to hear 🙌🏼

Thanks Arthur, I'm glad it was helpful!

My Road Tours 👊🏼

@@4XTRAIL I just bought a new home and the garage is unfinished. So I'm working on finishing it and wanted something cleaner than the typical cable/pulley system running along the walls for removing the top. This fits the bill perfectly!

My Road Tours that’s awesome! All the best with the new home and garage project!

👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

Glad it was helpful! With 12’ ceilings the extra clearance underneath will be great too. Thanks for the comment! 👊🏼

Great idea - thanks for the comment!

Thanks for the comment! I believe I found the ring at Home Depot in the chain isle.

zippy zoo Thank you, glad it helped! Yes, I can close the glass on mine w/straps in place.

Hey Michael, sorry for the delayed reply on this! No issues with the weather stripping whatsoever. The seals didn’t seem to mind the straps.

I see the attached video now. thanks!

Hey Kevin, glad this was helpful! That’s just a rubber disc that trips the hoist shutoff lever when fully raised. It came on the hoist cable.

That’s great, yeah the wrangler top can be an awkward thing to hoist but this system works well. Here’s a how-to install video that might be helpful: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-rj2jh6OCesE.html

Jeep is being built... still. Ordered the hoist and straps through your link. I can put this in before Jeep is delivered.

Appreciate it!

I love it! Glad it was helpful 👊🏼

That’s great! Here’s a video I just did that shows more of the install process. Might give you some ideas on how to get some extra height: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-rj2jh6OCesE.html No, I haven’t haven’t had any issues at all with the weather stripping. I think the lip of the fiberglass around the rear window takes the majority of the lifting weight which helps.

Haven’t had any issues with the weather stripping!

Hey Michael, it takes a little tweaking of the straps to get the weight bias right. Since these hardtops are heavier in the rear you have to slide the straps so that the hoist is lifting more toward the rear of the top. If you keep the straps perfectly centered it won't lift level. Hope that helps!

That’s great, I’m glad this helped! That’s a good question, I don’t think mine has a manual crank option but there might be a free-spool adjustment on the hoist housing to where you could let out cable in the case of a seized motor. Not sure though.

For sure!

Have been off grid so I’m late in replying but I’m glad this was helpful! All the best with the project! 👊🏼

🙌🏼

Hey Tim! Sorry for the delay we’ve been moving 😅 yes, carabiners to the ends of the straps and clipped them to a metal ring on the hoist hook. I purchased both the carabiners and the ring at Home Depot (largest ones they carry). Hope that helps!

Glad it was helpful! Home Depot here in the states is where I found the large carabiners.

Thanks Jon! I highlight that project in a different video here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Zhe0Tn824qc.html

Congrats! Mine did the same thing today actually lol. I was in a hurry and my straps weren’t symmetrical. I think for mine at least, that’s when it tends to rotate. 90% of the time mine stays straight ahead.

Hey Gregg, yes the links are in the video description! I should have mentioned that in the video.

yeld I haven’t stored it longer than two months at a time but it’s held up great for the past 18 months. I don’t recall it stating anything about storing under load but here are two factors to consider: since the hoist is rated for nearly 4X the weight of the hardtop it’s not under very much stress. Also the safety cable I demonstrate in this video would protect you from any potential failure. Hope this helps!

Apologies for the delay! I don’t have a link for that one but you can find ones at Home Depot - both pre made and materials to make a custom length one! Hope that helps.

Thanks for the comment!

For sure! 🙌🏼

Yes, strap bias front / rear has to be adjusted to offset the weight. So length of straps coming out of the front of the top should be different than rear (longer in front if memory serves but you’ll have to play around with it).

Hey good Q - yeah you can definitely clip the carabiners directly to the hoist hook if there’s enough room. In my case, to get carabiners that were rated for a high enough weight I didn’t have clearance to connect them directly to the hook.

Thanks for the comment! 👊🏼

I’m actually buying a 440lb hoist from harbor freights to build this as soon as the hoist arrives. Thanks once again for the great video beats spending $600 on a manual hoist

That’s awesome, glad it was helpful!

Awesome! Glad to hear it 👊🏼

Thanks for the comment! Correct - the safety cable is something I typically use each time I raise the top. I use carabiners to make it easier but it does add a step in the process.

@@4XTRAIL perfect understood so the caribiners are ONLY SET if the Top is Hoisted for a long period of time for that extra protection? Hell of a set up man 💪🏼

Thanks! Here’s the how-to video link for the inside of the hardtop: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-cFLn5b_vIpw.html

Thanks! My dad does some welding and actually welded some door hangers (you can see them in the background on the back wall of the garage). They look like an “E” that’s missing the middle line and they have holes the same diameter as the Jeep door mounting posts. A simple solution is to hang them by the upper window frame (with window rolled down) using a 2x4 bracket or lean them against the wall and use heavy duty ladder hooks underneath like I have for my freedom panels. Just some ideas!

@@4XTRAIL gotcha, I was thinking thats what those were for. Appreciate the quick reply!

@@protocols8015 Sure thing! Thanks for the comment.

Demetrios I just measured from back wall to hoist is 6’ 4” which leaves about a 3’ gap from the raised glass hatch to the wall. Just enough clearance for the rear gate to swing open without hitting the wall too. All the best with the project!

@@4XTRAIL I am impressed that you reply to every question , right on.

It’s all about getting the front to rear bias right with the straps. I had to shift my straps toward the rear a little since the top is heavier in the back.

Updated the link in description for straps! Thanks for letting me know about that. Send your email and I can forward the attic view video. Thanks! UPDATE: just saw your email - replying now w/answers to your Qs and the attic video.

Awesome Lia, all the best with the project!

Hey Jim! We have since moved and haven’t reinstalled the hoist yet so I can’t measure exactly. I’d say you can get it to be around 2-3’ of distance between the ceiling and top of your hardtop. I’m 6’ and I could almost walk under it with 10’ ceilings so I’d imagine you will be good! Also wall mount w/a pulley overhead is a great idea. That’s probably what I’d have to do at my new place as well. Cheers 🤙🏼

Haven’t had any issues with the struts. If you’re concerned about it you should be able to close the glass gently and let it rest against the straps.

Behind the camera is less clean! Lol

4XTRAIL mine use to be pretty clean but as of today looks like a junk drawer 🙄

4XTRAIL I am working on this to help my 17yr old son take the top off his Jeep without any help. Something like this seems to be “mostly” fool proof. If you have a minute I have a few questions. I did look it up via the link, thank you! How tall is your garage ceiling? Does the unit make much noise or vibrate? I would have to mount the unit from the ceiling which might make it to low. I was thinking maybe it could be mounted on the wall and use a pulley on the ceiling to get the top higher once removed. Last question how do you feel about the rubber seal on your top being affected by the strap. Thanks again for your help!

@@Captain-Awesome Good questions. My garage is 10' but this can be used on a lower ceiling as well, the only benefit to higher ceiling is you can pull in forward underneath the raised top. If you are fine with backing in each time (when the top is raised) then all you need is to raise it a few inches or enough to clear the spare tire/rear of the vehicle. No vibrations and minimal noise. The wall mount/pulley option is a great idea! Someone else on here did that same approach I believe. No negative affects to the weather stripping seal!

@@4XTRAIL Your like made me realize I hasn’t responded back. We got it up and running but he hasn’t gotten much use out of it just yet. As summer approaches I am sure he will be using a lot. We used the harbor freight winch and the pulleys just like yours, it works great!! Thank you for the suggestion and responses.

I think I'm following... The line lifting the hardtop should probably be run through a pulley but then I don't see why that wouldn't work!

4XTRAIL do you think the swivel pulley, (not the one attached to the cable), that is included with the hoist would cause a problem hooked to a large eye bolt in the ceiling?

@@jeffmcclenahan8449 My apologies, I thought I had replied to this already! Yeah, that's a great idea. I don't see any issues with using the included pulley. Let me know how it goes!

Nope! No issues at all. We are in AZ now but back when we were in MO where this video was filmed the longest I stored it was about two months. I did the same set up in our new garage and still love it. Hope that helps! Thanks for watching.

Apologies for the delay here! I found them at Home Depot but don’t have a link. Hopefully that helps!

Glad to hear it! I believe 8’ would be too short to make it all the way around the top but worth a try!

my ceiling is 9ft also. I cut the ceiling joists and boxed it in (2ft x 4ft) Mounted the hoist to the trusses in the attic. Now I can also haul heavy stuff into attic via hoist.Also got 4 conductor cord from electrical supply store near me(spiced the controller,luckily the wires were the same color)

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For sure, I'll do my best to explain: so these electric hoists hang via two "U" clamps. So You'll need a rod or in my case I used a small piece of square tubing-something strong enough to support the weight of the hoist and whatever you're lifting obviously. So in my case I have the floor joists/rafters running this way | | so I could have just run a rod across them, through the hoist "U" clamps, secured the rod to the rafters and been done but I wanted the hoist itself to be higher than my rafters (not sitting between them) so I built up two stacks of 2x4s running this way = (hopefully my use of dashes is making sense lol) across the joists in the attic. I laid the 2x4s flat and screwed them together as I went so that it was very secure. Once high enough, I ran two 2x6s parallel to my rafters this way | | on top of the stack of 2x4s. Then ran my square tubing across the top this way - then through the hoist "U" clamps and anchored the square tubing to the two 2x6s. The easiest is just to run a rod or square tubing across your rafters (or you can even hang the hoist inside the garage, below the ceiling). I just needed the extra height because of the spacing of my joists and some other factors. Hope that helps!

@@4XTRAIL This is perfect. Thank you! Great Video and great install

Thanks for the comment! Send me your email and I’ll forward a video I took of the attic view. As far as centering the hoist, I just took some rough measurements and marked the location on the ceiling. Hope that helps!

I sent my info through Instagram. Couldn’t find out how to message through here.

Cool, will get that over to you in a bit!