Anyone here with a hardtop hoist in garage for their FJ40? (1 Viewer)

[Last Flight Out]

Looking at building a garage in the next year or so I’m just trying to get an idea of ideal garage interior height for a DIY hoist system. I was thinking 8 foot but now I have to look at some photos. I can clearly see it needs to be 10 or 12 feet but curious to know if anybody has one now and what your garage dimensions are like.

Looking for a height that will safely get it off the rig with room (pic below for reference)

 

[1911]

There are some other threads on this, with examples and photos.

I had one in the shop at a previous place I lived; it was a metal building with 12' high walls and the ceiling was 14' at the peak. I hung the hoist just above the 12' level, and I could easily park underneath the stored hard top. You could make it work with less height, but 12' was about ideal for me.

 

[GA Architect]

Installed a ceiling mounted unistrut system with an electric hoist in my shop last Summer. The ceiling is 10'...< Click Here >

 

[Last Flight Out]

Installed a ceiling mounted unistrut system with an electric hoist in my shop last Summer. The ceiling is 10'...< Click Here >

View attachment 3627590

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Man the unistrut system is amazing! Love the functionality

 

[MOTOV8R]

My garage was just under 12 feet.

 

[knuckle47]

When Harbor Freight has their sales, this winch is usually under $120.00 I slide it across a 10’ 1.5x1.5 11 gauge box tube and it will slide left or right easily. This T-bird top is about 85 lbs but the winch will handle 5 times that easily. I have not yet removed the Land Cruiser top but it is a 1 man job this way. 5 decades ago, my wife and I lifted it off with just us two.

These trusses are 12’ high

 

[rex in bama]

When Harbor Freight has their sales, this winch is usually under $120.00 I slide it across a 10’ 1.5x1.5 11 gauge box tube and it will slide left or right easily. This T-bird top is about 85 lbs but the winch will handle 5 times that easily. I have not yet removed the Land Cruiser top but it is a 1 man job this way. 5 decades ago, my wife and I lifted it off with just us two.

These trusses are 12’ high

View attachment 3627644

I used this same hoist for a jeep JK top with great results in a prior garage. Have been considering doing the same for the 40, though it must be a heavier top

 

[knuckle47]

This lift capacity is 400lbs direct pull and 800 if you use the supplied pulley…should not be a problem

 

[DeskJock]

I originally build my own, finally when with this from amazon. works fantastic.

Amazon.com

 

[rex in bama]

I originally build my own, finally when with this from amazon. works fantastic.

Amazon.com

Even for the weight of a 40 top? Says 200 lbs - is that enough? Would want something with abundant capacity

 

[DeskJock]

Even for the weight of a 40 top? Says 200 lbs - is that enough? Would want something with abundant capacity

I've used it without an issue. Make sure your solidly into a beam.

 

[cruiserkev]

I used one of these hoists from Amazon in my carport with 9' of clearance as my garage ceiling is low. Works great, can easily handle the weight of the top plus it's a 1 person job getting it on and off. Only really need it twice a year so it doubles as storage the rest of the time. I built a simple rolling dolly to store the top upright a couple years ago that also works well. It gets shoved in the corner of my garage each summer and can hold all the doors inside to protect them from all the crazy projects I always have going on in there.

 

[Sethro60]

X2 on the Amazon get up, been using it for years. I have a low ceiling garage, so when I take it off I back into the garage. Then when parking, I pull in hood first and sort of park in the top. Works great.