I just received the Lange Hardtop hoist for the 4 door, paid $210 from central4wd.com and it was drop shipped from Lange. I'm NOT impressed at all. The quality of the hoist looked like a high school metal shop teacher asked students to help out with the design and build. The right angles were anything but right angles and the kit was missing an eye bolt and nut. I spoke with central4wd.com and they apologized for the poor quality and offered to "cut me a break" on my next order. I also spoke with Lange directly and they were nice enough to offer to send me the missing bolt and nut. After waiting 3 weeks for the hoist to arrive I told them I'd be better off just going to Home Depot and buying them myself. They said ok and told me give them a call if I needed anything else.

I'll try and post some pictures of what I'm talking about, hopefully before I get hammered with "this thread is worthless with out Pictures"

Anyway, bottom line you can definitely build something on your own just as good if not better for a lot less.

 

Did you get the auto one or manual pull? I got the automatic one and I thought it was pretty good.

 

I got the manual one but that wasn't the issue

 

I'm planning on building my own, but with a similar design. If you could post some measurements off yours that would be great. My jeep hasn't been delivered yet, but I could get the hoist built.

Thanks in advance
Todd

 

I second the above, please post some measurements and maybe a mini-blueprint or something for us to look at (or pics of the hoist)?
Thanks

 

I included some measurements on my homemade hoist writeup. If you need more specifics I'd be happy to help.
Here's the link: https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/jk-write-ups-39/hardtop-hoist-storage-write-up-5559/

 

i agree that the top hoist by lange seems poor in quality. i have assembled mine, but a havn't installed it yet. it makes me nervous to have my top hanging from that.

 

Thanks. I like how you used the channel strut, especially to get an easy balance point. Any ideas regarding hooking to the back corners, so the back window could stay down. I wasn't planning on using the shelf, but that is probably the best way to store the top. I may have to think up a pulley system to just raise a shelf. Just back the jeep up to the shelf, slide the top back, and hoist it up.

 

It would be easy enough to sub out the back hook for 2 straps with hooks to the back corners. I really like this homebrew hoist.

 

Sorry the pics took so long to get posted. Anyone thinking of buying the Lange hoist would do better, in my opinion of course, if they followed the design posted by HG97TJ. Awesome job!!!

Hopefully this is clear enough to give eveyone a good idea.