This exceptional vehicle is perfect for off-road activities and ideal for attaching a winch, among other things. It also stands taller than other cars, possesses a traditional one-of-a-kind aesthetic, and is easy to maintain. Plus, did you know? It can transform into a convertible if you remove its hardtop.
Need tools for your project? Toolbox, a tool rental marketplace, might be worth a look.
Taking your Jeep Wrangler hardtop off is easy, but storage can be quite challenging. We will guide you on how you can build a hardtop hoist with just $30. Read on, please.
Preparation stage
Place to install a Jeep Hardtop Hoist
You can easily remove your hardtop from your Jeep Wrangler. You can do it by yourself, or with a couple of friends. Yes, you got that right. You can do it by yourself.
However, sometimes, the problem isn’t you removing the hardtop from your Jeep Wrangler. The problem is, where do you even store the hardtop. It wouldn’t be tidy to remove and put it on the floor.
You need somewhere more sophisticated and befitting for that hardtop that has saved you so much. These two places are befitting:
- Your garage
- Carport
No, you aren’t just putting it on the floor. You would be hanging the hardtop using a hardtop hoist.
Materials needed
The materials you need depend on the type of hardtop hoist you want to build.
* For a normal hardtop without a pulley system, you need:
- 6 screw eyes
- 4 tie-down straps
- 2 by 4 plank
- 2 zip ties
* If you want to use a pulley system, you need:
- 20 bags of ropes that can hold the weight of your hardtop but not too thick ropes. However, they must be strong enough
- 5 pulleys
- 5 screw eyes or wood screws
- 4 tie-down straps
- A hand crank boat hoist
* For Electric Hoist:
- 2 by 4 plank and 2 by 6 plank to build a hanger for your electric hoist
- Security straps
- 2 PVC rings
How to build a Jeep Hardtop Hoist: Step-by-step Guide
For the type of hardtop hoist to build, we will go with the one you can build for $30.
Materials Assembly
Get the materials you need. You will need 6 screw eyes, a 2 by 4 plank, and 4 tie-down straps. You can install in a garage or a carport, and the principles are still the same.
Step 1: Find your ceiling hoists
In the garage, identify where your ceiling hoists are using a stud finder. Mark the areas in your ceiling where those hoists are. The measurement and the areas in the ceiling must be wider than your hardtop width.
Step 2: Fix in the screw eyes into the ceiling hoists
Now that you have marked the appropriate width on your ceiling, then take a drill. Insert a drill bit smaller than that of your screw eyes into it. Drill with the smaller drill bit and fit your screw eyes into the hole. Make sure the screw goes all the way in. You could use a screwdriver to turn the screw eyes until they are fixed into the ceiling.
You will be screwing 4 screw eyes into the ceiling. Each screw is a bit wider than the hardtop width. 2 screws would be at the front, 2 screws would be at the back.
Step 3: Fix in the screw eyes into the 2 by 4 plank
Now, get your 2 by 4 and measure. The measurement at the back must be similar to what you are measuring on your 2 by 4.
So, see off the excess from your 2 by 4 then screw in 2 screw eyes into it. The screw eyes must be at opposite ends of the 2 by 4. Mark at least an inch off the ends of the 2 by 4 before you screw in the screw eyes.
Now let’s get strapping.
Step 4: Attach tie-down straps to screw eyes
Get your tie-down straps. Use those hooks on those straps on the screw eyes on the ceiling. And use the other hook to screw eyes on the 2 by 4. At this point, back up your Jeep Wrangler into the garage. The back of your Jeep Wrangler should be close to the 2 by 4.
Step 5: Take off the hardtop
Let’s get the hardtop off now. To do so, remove the freedom top at the front door area of the Jeep.
Done? Okay, so now, you should see a screw on the bar above the shotgun seat. Another above the driver’s seat. Use a torque to remove the two screws in front. Also, remove the 4 bolts at the back holding the Jeep to the hardtop.
Step 6: Hang the hardtop
Now the hardtop is free. Use the end of the tie-down straps to hook the hardtop cover around the front doors. So, get into the car and lift the hardtop up.
The straps at the front will hold the front of the hardtop. The back of the hardtop will sit on the 2 by 4. Use the zip ties to tie the hardtop to the 2 by 4. And you are done.
Can one person remove a Jeep hardtop?
Yes, you can easily remove your hardtop by yourself, just as you can build a hardtop hoist yourself.
If you want to remove and store, refer to the above steps. But if you wish to remove and remove alone, this is how.
What you need here is nothing but a strong, wide plank that will serve as a ramp for you. Unbolt the hardtop as described earlier and remove the freedom tops at the front doors.
After that, unscrew the bolts at that top, then unscrew the 4 bolts at the back. Place the plank at the base of the boot. Climb into the ramp and lift the hardtop back up on the ramp. Careful now, don’t slip off. Drop the hardtop off as you reach the ground. That’s it.
How to set up an electric Jeep hardtop hoist?
Materials
- Electric hoist
- Unistrut
- A strip of metal
- 2 by 3 planks or 2 by 4 planks
- L clamps
- U clamps
- 2 screw eyes and a safety cable with carabiners.
- 2 PVC rings (one big and one small)
Steps to Install an Electric Hardtop Hoist
- For the first step, you would clamp your stack of 2 by 3s or 2 by 4s on the ceiling hoists. These stacks would be at opposite sides, running along the ceiling hoist.
- Then, you will secure your electric hoist to your unistrut and bolt it in.
- Next, bolt the unistrut to the stack of wood using clamps. Done?
- Now, you want to cut out the ceiling into two holes. A big circular hole and a smaller hole. Slip PVC rings into those holes.
- Pass the electric hoist wires through those rings. Join the power cord to a power source and pass the control down through the smaller ring.
- Use the screw eyes, one to hold the cable and carabiners. The other is at the other side of the hoist.
- Drill the ceiling and use zip ties to tie the power cable to the ceiling.
- That’s it. Your electric hoist is ready to use.
FAQs
1. How much weight can a Jeep hardtop hold?
A Jeep Wrangler hardtop can hold up to 70 kg weight. This is important information if you are thinking of putting accessories on your Jeep Wrangler rooftop.
2. Can you change a hardtop to a soft top?
Yes, you can. You can do this by removing the hardtop and its mounting parts. Replace those parts with soft-top parts. However, you can only do this one at a time.
