Top Lift Question

[TonyJohnson]

I've got a couple of ideas for a cheap/easy top lift, but I need some kind of attachment/ancor bolted at 4 points to the top. I want to do it cleanly and don't want to tear up the top. Eye bolts come to mind, but I was looking for some ideas to do it nicer. I'm also open to brackets that hook under the sides of the top, but I'd like to find some way to register them so I can quickly find my balance point to lift. I suppose that just marking the attachment spots will work, but I thought I'd throw out the question... I've seen the cool garage lift threads, but I'm working on something easy to move. I'll share when I've some of the other problems worked out.

Thanks,
Tony

[argonaut]

Tony,
I'm curious to see what you come up with. I'm also thinking of ways to make a 1-man operated lift mechanism that sit on the ground rather than hanging in the rafters.
My Blazer gets parked outside a lot so I can't leave it topless all the time. I'm trying to think of a slick way to do this singlehandedly.

[TonyJohnson]

One idea I'm playing with is the small amount of travel you actually need to get the top off. I originally joked with a friend that the guys with air bags could just lower the truck away from the top. Then it got me thinking that a chain from a tree or beam could work with just a boomer to raise the top enough. You could make a simple portable setup that could even be used on trails hanging from a tree.

The other thought was to use 2x4s under each wheel to gain the height necessary. Drive up onto the boards, hook up the chain and then ease off the boards. Not quite it, but one direction.

Then there's the tall "saw horse" idea... 2x4s on each side of the truck A'd at the top with a 2x4 across the top. Chains/cables that drop from the upper 2x down to 2 points on each side to latch onto the top. Raise the top an inch or so and drive out from under. Kinda hair-brained, but I'm going to have a few brews and think on it... lol

[shiner]

I've spent the last week trying to fit a hoist in my garage. I'm stuck with a nine foot ceiling and a small arse garage. Tonight was my last shot at it. I lifted the electric winch up between to joist, raised it up just to find out my garage door opener gets in the way. I'm throwing in the towel boys. I'll be returning the winch and putting the money toward that new soft top.

No, can't help you. Just buy a case and decide on a new project with the 5.

[bouncytruck]

I'm using a system similar to this http://home.pacbell.net/jls-dls/RemoveTop.html

Cheap, easy and I can pull the top off/on by myself.

[TonyJohnson]

That's got some good points. What doesn't work for me is the 2x4s under the sides of the top. I've got a 6pt roll bar that would cause a problem for that design. That's why I'm looking for some kind of ancor points for the top itself. Something like a fancy boat cleat..?

Here's one that's a little pricey, but you get the idea: http://www.discountmarinesupplies.co...UP_CLEATS.html

If you look at the others on that site, you'll see you can get nice stainless cleats for $5. They also have high impact plastic ones that would work.

[bouncytruck]

Did you ever see what BobbyK built to remove his top?

You could also try building something similar to the jeep top hoists - http://www.langeoriginals.com/hoist.htm

[TonyJohnson]

BobbyK's got me started. Still the problem with the 2x4s under the sides... The jeep lift has a great idea using hooks under the window opening with a cross bar and a single bar to the back. That's getting close. now I'd just need one ancor point at the back of the top. cool...

[argonaut]

Yeah, 2x4s won't work for me for the same reason, 6 point cage. I'm thinking more of something that sits on the ground, rather than hang from the rafters... as I have no rafters in my concrete garage. Maybe something like a scissor lift type of apparatus. I'm still thinking about the best way to do it.

[RED72blazer]

Originally Posted by argonaut

Yeah, 2x4s won't work for me for the same reason, 6 point cage. I'm thinking more of something that sits on the ground, rather than hang from the rafters... as I have no rafters in my concrete garage. Maybe something like a scissor lift type of apparatus. I'm still thinking about the best way to do it.

how about camper jacks.

[TonyJohnson]

Originally Posted by RED72blazer

how about camper jacks.

They're interesting, but I don't care for having to leave it jacked in the air. My truck is pretty tall... I'd like to be able to take it off and then lower it down to a low dolly. I'm also considering an engine lift (need another excuse...) I'm eventually going to have to pull the tub to do a resto.

[PHAT TONY]

I face the same query; I'm thinkin of something to attach to my engine hoist. I figure maybe a small H-frame(or I if you like) mounted on top of said engine crane, come in from the rear, lift it up, then figure out what to do with it. What ever I do needs to be gentle as I'm having a fabric headliner made. Looking forward to a creative solution.

[rads42]

I was thiniking about a portable jack like a scissor jack or air cylinder with something on top to distrubute the load. So that assembly would be put on the floor of the blazer at the predetermined balance point. All the bolts would obviously be off the top and then you could simply jack the top up off the body and swing or slide some kind of brackets that are pre-mounted on the garage ceiling. Then you simply lower the jack so the top sits on the brakets and you can just drive out. Of course this is all just an idea at the moment so I haven't worked out the details yet but it seems feasible in theory. I'd welcome any comments pro or con to this idea.