Harbor Freight 440lb Electric Hoist - Leaving Hardtop up

Napalm said:
Lol, that's funny. I'm trying to keep mine secure and above the jeep for under $30 bucks. We shall see.. The weather here in Texas has me longer for some top off time.
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I hear that! It was 61 degrees in Wisconsin on Sunday. Excitement got the best of me and had to go top and door less even though it was just for a few hours. Yesterday we got 4" of snow. Booo!ImageUploadedByWAYALIFE1456957029.640219.jpg
 
japatton said:
I use this same hoist. Works great!!View attachment 185968
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Oh hey I like the idea of the top above the garage door there. I just attached some 2x4s with eye bolts through them at the back of the garage and use ratchet straps to lift it up. Thinking of changing it up with a hand crank or small winch. Might just have to change the whole thing up now! Nice job man.
 
Thanks!! It needs a little tweaking, but it works pretty good. That's my third stall and it has doors on both ends, so it's a drive thru. That lift system is nice as you can hang the top underneath and store the freedom panels above.
 
"Is that a drive thru garage? I was going to joke about not having a garage door opener than I saw the other side which has one. Awesome!"

Yes, it's a drive-through. The previous owner had a boat and he would store it behind the 3rd stall. It seems like a good idea, but that door essentially wasted a great area for a nice work bench. I have pretty much fallen out of love with it. I'm thinking about enclosing the area behind the door and making that area my shop/4th stall and remove the door.
 
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sipafz said:
I'm considering this same setup since other members have recommended. My question is how does it lock when raised? I just want to make sure it's safe and secure since family members will be walking under when in use.
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If you look at the pic of my hoist, notice the red part. That is the lock that swings down into the crank to lock it. It is actually UNLOCKED in that pic!! Oops!
 
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japatton said:
If you look at the pic of my hoist, notice the red part. That is the lock that swings down into the crank to lock it. It is actually UNLOCKED in that pic!! Oops!
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Thanks! I just need to take some measurements and get one on order!
 
Built one using Harbor Freight hoist and it works excellent. It's at least 8 years old and not a single problem. Can remove the hard top in less than 10 minutes by myself.
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sipafz said:
Wow, that was a lot of work! I opted for the Racor and looking forward to an easy 10 minute removal! I will post some pictures of how I deal with a standard height, open truss ceiling during install when it gets here next weekend.
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If you have any questions, let me know. Here's a couple of things I did differently. I had the rack portion of my lift welded together rather than using their hardware. It used a bunch of "J" bolts to hold the floor of the cage to the framework. I then sprayed the whole thing down with Duplicolor Bedliner to lessen the possibility of chipping the paint on my panels. It also has the added benefit of providing a stickier surface to prevent cargo slippage/movement during operation. I also built some padded runners and screwed them to the bottom of the rack where it rests against the top of the roof. I can post some pics if you like. Otherwise, pretty straightforward.
 
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Napalm said:
You guys and all your fancy lifts! LoL. I'm considering just using Ratchet straps and I bolts in the ceiling rafters. I've heard it's a little more unstable bringing it down but I'd like to give it a try.
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This is what I have used although i is a lil more work it is a cheap and solid way to get the top off without a second person. Lowering everything takes a lil more caution however if you take your time it's not that bad
 
japatton said:
I also built some padded runners and screwed them to the bottom of the rack where it rests against the top of the roof. I can post some pics if you like. Otherwise, pretty straightforward.
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I've seen where others have attached foam pool toys to the bottom. I would love to see your solution! Thanks!
 
sipafz said:
I've seen where others have attached foam pool toys to the bottom. I would love to see your solution! Thanks!
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I cut two 1x2's to length. I then cut a couple pieces of carpet pad and glued them to the 1x2's. I wrapped the two 1x2's with microfiber and screwed them to the rack. I can post some pics tomorrow. My upholstery skills are pretty bad, but they do the trick.
 
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