No problem. I've made use of many write-up posts from this forum so this was my contribution. I can't wait to use my hoist as well but the weather has been real back and forth here on the East Coast :sad2:. Waiting for a string of nice days in the forecast. (is there such a thing in PA :what?:)... trying to be being patient :waiting:

For those that are not using a platform, how stable is the top when it is hanging there from wind. I have a garage problem, I don't have one, I have a carport. I have got to have a way to pull this thing off by myself. I need something to be able to pull in, pull off, drive off, then repeat, later that day. I will be taking the top off on weekends only, then putting back on for the week, due to job and security reasons.

I've been looking at the one at a 4 wheel part store.

I'm looking at the same problem when I put my lift on.
I am moving my hoist out of the garage (A frame on wheels), and then lowering it onto a platform on wheels to roll it back into a shed.

Maybe something like that would work for you.
But if you want to hang it by the hoist, I steadied mine with 2 bungie cords so that it wouldnt twist while I was backing up to it. Something like that could work for you if you need to keep it up and out of the way, but really the platform doesn't hang much lower than the top itself.
I use 2 pieces of wood (1X4) hanging from chains.
I was thinking of replacing the chains with straps so that I can crank them higher once the top is on it, since the hoist hangs down 6 inches because of the pulley etc. I gave up on figuring out how I could do this when I decided to go with the lift though since I wont have the height I need in the garage.

cheers

Which dimension is which on an eye bolt? In other words, which dimension does the 1/2" refer to and which dimension does the 3" refer to? I've had different people tell me different things. When measuring the length, I've had some people tell me you measure from below the eye to the end of the bolt while I have had others tell me you measure from the top of the eye all the way through the length of the bolt.

When you say the important part is the 1/2 inch, which measurement is that?

Distance to back wall of garage? Trying to save space!
 

I'm planning to build my hoist over the next few weeks. I'm planning on using the U-Bolts to hold up the left/right sides, but will use webbing to support the front/rear. In order to save as much space as possible, I plan to store the hardtop with the rear window down and mount it as close as possible to the back wall of my garage. My question is: assuming the rear window is down, how close can I mount the hoist assembly/hardtop to the rear wall of the garage? I was planning on backing the Jeep up until the spare tire is almost touching the back wall, then mount the hoist directly above that. Any other ideas for saving space?

The 1/2" measurement indicates the thickness (or diameter) of the threaded end and should match the hole size of the nut.
The 3" measurement is shown below for an eye bolt.

http://www.boltdepot.com/Images/char...olt-forged.gif

Unless your ceiling mount is a track (like YellowToy's post in this thread https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/show...t=5559&page=11) then yes, you'll be limited to how far you can back up in your garage (with or without your spare tire).

Then it would seem to me that since a channel is only about 1 1/2" deep, the ideal eye bolt would be 1/2" x 1 1/2". That way nothing protrudes out the other side, no need to cut off any excess, or double up on washers under the eye.

true - you just may be limited as to how short the bolts are sold in the 1/2" diameter variety. I will double check the bolt length on my hoist later tonight ... Again - it's been two years but I'm almost certain I cut it down a bit.

the eye bolt I used had about 1" of thread.

If you are going to try to put the top closer to the wall you have to have enough headspace to raise the closed rear glass above the brake light. I didn't, so I built the rails.

After I built it I found out you can buy rollers to use the super strut as a trolley rail. That may have been a bit cheaper.