Pulley system?

[94broncoboy]

So with this GORGEOUS weather here in Oklahoma. I wanted to take the top off my 76. I cant do it myself and I dot really have many friends that would help me. And personally it would be better to have the system setup for when I can't have any help. So how many pulleys do I need and how do
I set them up and also how do I preform the task of taking it off? Thanks for the help!

 

[Steve83]

There are a thousand ways you could build it. Depends on where (indoors/out), how much overhead there is (a few inches/several feet), how the structure is built (tree/garage/barn/shed/wood/steel...), and how much you want to spend.

I'd get a cheapo 12V ATV winch, attach it to a wall or beam, and go from there. You can power it from the truck battery, which would prevent anyone from messing with it when you're not there.

 

[94broncoboy]

I heard a system that uses 3-4 pulleys. I'm just looking for the cheapest way to go. I have about 4-4.5 feet between the top and ceiling.

 

[Steve83]

Cheapest would be no pulleys: put 4 screw eyes into the ceiling, hang a hook on a rope from each, park under it, manually lift the front of the top onto the front hooks, then lift the back onto the back hooks, & drive out forward. But I'd spend a little extra and use plastic-coated galvanized cable.

Anything involving pullies will require some kind of winch to prevent the load from falling free - you can't trust your grip. A boat-trailer style crank would be fine if it's mounted correctly.

 

[94broncoboy]

I would go with the 4 hooks but I can't back into the garage. I just looking for using 4 pulleys and some good rope. I would love to do a wench but
I don't have enough money to get one. Being 16 sucks haha. So using 4 pulleys how would I get the top off?

 

[Steve83]

I can't back into the garage.

Huh?

I would love to do a wench...

%) ;D

So using 4 pulleys how would I get the top off?

Like I said: without something to prevent the load from falling, it's gonna fall. Buy a winch; even if it's a used one off a junk boat trailer. This one is $27 new shipped free. (Click it)



Mount it to the wall, then use as many pulleys as it takes (probably 2) to get the rope/cable to hang over the center of the truck. Then you have to figure out how to connect to at least 3 points on the top; 4 if you like, but 3 is enough. You could build a spreader frame with the main cable in the middle & shorter cables hanging from each corner with hooks. Or you could just tie 2 more cables to the main, with no spreader, but they'll drag against the roof as you raise & lower them.

No matter how you do it, don't test it with the top. Test it with several 5-gal buckets of water, just a few feet off the floor, letting them hang for a few days. Then add more. Then more, until you're sure it's MUCH more than the weight of the complete top. If something rips loose, it's just spilled water. But if it can hold the water for a few days, it should be safe to hold the top.

 

[94broncoboy]

With our drive way there's physically no way to back up into the garage it's hard to explain. I'll end up getting a hand winch. I hate autospell haha. And I have a bunch of 45lb plates from my bench set so I'll use those to test. Is there a way I could just set the pulleys above the middle of the top and string he ropes through the top like a net kind of?

 

[Steve83]

If you can drive out forward, you can back in, but whatever.

I don't follow what you're saying about a net, but it sounds like it would involve a LOT more cable. Can you sketch it MSPaint and upload it to an image hosting site?

 

[94broncoboy]

I wish i could show you. But im doing this from my phone. What I meant was a rope through the back widow and front and then a rope through the side windows

 

[Steve83]

If these are loops, how do you get them under the top while it's on the truck, or back out after you set the top down onto the truck? If they're not continuous, how do you connect them inside, and how much are you going to spend on connections that are secure? What happens if the top shifts in the loop? The rope/cable rubs the paint & headliner. And it'll always put a load on the liftgate hinges where it wraps under & around the edge.

Yeah, it can be done that way, but it's not very safe or reliable.