Removing the hard top on my CJ was easy.
I'd swing the spare tire away, drop the tailgate, put a concrete block on the ground below the tailgate, step up, lift the top on my shoulders, grab the gate supports with my hands, tilt up, step back, step down, then crouch down until it rested on the ground.

Needless to say, the rear crossbar of the rollbar on my JK makes my previous method an impossibility, despite the top being lighter. There's no way for me to put my shoulders under the center of gravity without repositioning around the crossbar. There's a pesky swinging rear gate, with spare attached, that doesn't swing FAR ENOUGH out of the way when attempting said repositioning. Ask me, I know. The new chips on the top edge of my gate can attest. My wife isn't strong enough to lift one side, either.

The best solution to carrying it off would be like a loading dock, where I could lift the top straight up with my arms and walk onto something the same height as the cargo area. Oh well, I guess it's time to revise my homemade CJ hoist if I plan to take this thing off again before winter.

 

That is one of the coolest ideas I have seen on this forum. Makes me wish I could box up that hoist I got yesterday and send it back! Thanks!

 

I have built a folding frame out of 2x4s, has casters for ease of moving, I used a marine winch with a strap that slides under the top and is used to lift the top effortlessly....and it stores the soft top while the hardtop is installed....I will post specs if anyone is interested.............

 

I haven't found this necessary. Although it might slide a little, 95lbs with 6"s of clearance is easy.
Although the casters, rollers, carpet, and bumpers are all good ideas, I just don't find them necessary...

 

How about some pictures???
Are you saying your frame/winch lifts from above?

 

Great job Sgt Adapt Improvise & Overcome the Marine Corps way, OooRaah! You did it the way I like to get things done, by myself so I don't have to wait around until somebody is good and ready to help. Bravo "Brother".
Semper Fi,
Tim

 

Sgt that's not VM-22 gray is it?
S/F
Tim

 

Nope! I was ground-side...

Tim, you'll like these... I got the USMC from Sgt Grit (grunt.com), but they're plastic and the chrome is starting to come off.
The bird, ball, and hook are from chromeemblems.com. Great products!



"One shot, one kill. Until we're at the FPF, then unload it all... Get some!"

Semper Fidelis!

 

ColoradoJeepMan.com has a manual lift to remove the top alone. It looks neat, but is expensive, and I question whether the wheels would go into my back yard...
But it's a nice option...

 

good job, creative, I have a 2-car garage and need to come up with something. My wife is getting a 4-dr Rubi and we're trying to determine how we'll swap hard/soft tops and have them both hanging while trying to fit back in there...