Wild Boar JKU Fastback Hardtop Hoist
09-04-2012, 07:10 PM
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I love my Wild Boar Fastback hardtop; however, removal and storage of this hardtop is not practical without a hoist. Wild Boar's website has a video that illustrates how simple it is for 4 men to install. At my home, there are not 3 men to assist me with removal/installation. Furthermore, storage on the floor of my garage is not an option. Besides, it does not sit proper without a sawhorse under the front to hold it up. Therefore, if I want to remove my hardtop, I need a hoist.
Many hardtop hoists exist on the market today. Each with differing features that give it advantages and disadvantages over it's competing models. Unfortunately, none that I have found are out-of-the-box compatible with the Wild Boar JKU Fastback hardtop. The majority of the hoists on the market lift from a single cable that located at the hardtop's center of gravity so that it balances as it is lifted. The Wild Boar hardtop has a very different center of gravity. The Wild Boar lacks the removable freedom top panels and in my case, has two sunroofs. Most hoists attach to the hardtop with 3 hooks. The hook that grabs the back of the hardtop slips into the gap above the open rear window. This gap is less than 1/4" and at a bad angle on the Wild Boar. Some other hoists employ ropes that pass into the open back window, under the top, and out the opening for the back doors. Again, the center of gravity on the Wild Boar makes this option incompatible.
I attempted phone calls and emails to Wild Boar to get their advice. Predictably, I got the well described (on this forum and elsewhere) response from their "customer service" - nothing. I also searched this and other forums without finding any solutions. So, I devised one on my own.
I started with the Racor hoist as it has 4 separate lift points and has had very good reviews. Plus, I can not afford any risk of dropping the top while lifting it on my own (as I imagine can be done with the Harken hoist). As a bonus, I got the Racor hoist really cheap on Amazon.
I dispensed with the basket/platform. Others have described using it for additional storage (i.e. freedom tops/I don't have them with my hardtop). I chose to maximize clearance by eliminating it. I gained further clearance and flexibility by replacing the cables and hardware with technical rope (480 lbs test strength) from REI for $16.
I made the hoist larger by extending the lift points (pulleys) farther apart. It is 48" by 48" out of the box. The cross member that the cable (rope) coils up on is two pieces that slide then bolt together. I obtaining an additional cross member from the manufacturer, cut it to down to 16", drilled a couple bolt holes, and assembled. Now, it is a longer, 3 piece cross member. This results in lift points that are 64" by 48". This wider size now fits better across the hardtop. The 64" width was determined by the spacing of my ceiling joists.
To secure the front, I simply pass the two ropes under the top (over the roll bar) then join them in the middle with a carabiner. The back is more difficult. The roll bars make passing the ropes as in the front impossible. I ended up making brackets that hold the edges of the top, just under the back windows.
I do trust it to hold my top, but I can't afford to be wrong. So, I hang 2x4's under each end with chains that have separate anchor points. I then lower the hoist 1-2 inches until the hardtop is resting on the 2x4s.
I think it turned out well. My only real issue is the tendency for the ropes to fall off the pulleys on the front. The top of the hardtop is narrower than the base. Therefore, in the back, the brackets are just about straight under the pulleys. In the front, however, the ropes point inward. This results in the ropes pulling out of the grooves on the pulleys while the top is being lifted. It still works, just not perfectly.
Many hardtop hoists exist on the market today. Each with differing features that give it advantages and disadvantages over it's competing models. Unfortunately, none that I have found are out-of-the-box compatible with the Wild Boar JKU Fastback hardtop. The majority of the hoists on the market lift from a single cable that located at the hardtop's center of gravity so that it balances as it is lifted. The Wild Boar hardtop has a very different center of gravity. The Wild Boar lacks the removable freedom top panels and in my case, has two sunroofs. Most hoists attach to the hardtop with 3 hooks. The hook that grabs the back of the hardtop slips into the gap above the open rear window. This gap is less than 1/4" and at a bad angle on the Wild Boar. Some other hoists employ ropes that pass into the open back window, under the top, and out the opening for the back doors. Again, the center of gravity on the Wild Boar makes this option incompatible.
I attempted phone calls and emails to Wild Boar to get their advice. Predictably, I got the well described (on this forum and elsewhere) response from their "customer service" - nothing. I also searched this and other forums without finding any solutions. So, I devised one on my own.
I started with the Racor hoist as it has 4 separate lift points and has had very good reviews. Plus, I can not afford any risk of dropping the top while lifting it on my own (as I imagine can be done with the Harken hoist). As a bonus, I got the Racor hoist really cheap on Amazon.
I dispensed with the basket/platform. Others have described using it for additional storage (i.e. freedom tops/I don't have them with my hardtop). I chose to maximize clearance by eliminating it. I gained further clearance and flexibility by replacing the cables and hardware with technical rope (480 lbs test strength) from REI for $16.
I made the hoist larger by extending the lift points (pulleys) farther apart. It is 48" by 48" out of the box. The cross member that the cable (rope) coils up on is two pieces that slide then bolt together. I obtaining an additional cross member from the manufacturer, cut it to down to 16", drilled a couple bolt holes, and assembled. Now, it is a longer, 3 piece cross member. This results in lift points that are 64" by 48". This wider size now fits better across the hardtop. The 64" width was determined by the spacing of my ceiling joists.
To secure the front, I simply pass the two ropes under the top (over the roll bar) then join them in the middle with a carabiner. The back is more difficult. The roll bars make passing the ropes as in the front impossible. I ended up making brackets that hold the edges of the top, just under the back windows.
I do trust it to hold my top, but I can't afford to be wrong. So, I hang 2x4's under each end with chains that have separate anchor points. I then lower the hoist 1-2 inches until the hardtop is resting on the 2x4s.
I think it turned out well. My only real issue is the tendency for the ropes to fall off the pulleys on the front. The top of the hardtop is narrower than the base. Therefore, in the back, the brackets are just about straight under the pulleys. In the front, however, the ropes point inward. This results in the ropes pulling out of the grooves on the pulleys while the top is being lifted. It still works, just not perfectly.
Last edited by Rubicon Beast; 09-04-2012 at 08:45 PM.
09-04-2012, 07:32 PM
#3
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Join Date: Apr 2012
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Damn good write up man. I just got my Wild Boar like a month an a half ago and had to get 2 guys to help get it on. Definitely gonna use your info to try an figure something out on taking mine off...
How much does yours weigh with the sunroofs, cuz mine is the standard one piece an about 380lbs already...
How much does yours weigh with the sunroofs, cuz mine is the standard one piece an about 380lbs already...
