Jeep FAQ How-To Articles Quick Reference Product Reviews My Buildup Random Home	Harken Hoist   I've had my Jeep for almost 15 years now, and the hard top has only been off a handful of times due to it just being so large, heavy, and awkward. After reading many reviews, I decided to go with a Harken hoist, which had pretty much entirely positive reviews.   After you have the kit, you will still need to buy some hardware most likely some lumber. Since this stuff can be unique to each install, there really isn't anyway it could be included. Harken does list exactly what you need if you can install it exactly how the instructions show.   The instructions, well they could be better. They aren't the worst I've seen, but they definitely need work. There are some key points that are not explained very well, especially if you aren't familiar with the system. I would say the key is not to get overwhelmed by it, the instructions make it seem more complex than it is.   My mounting boards needed to be a bit different than shown in the instructions because I have trusses that run in both directions in the garage, and it had to be spaced to clear lights. If you have dry wall in the garage, you need the mounting boards. If you have exposed trusses, you can mount everything straight to the trusses.       With the Harken system you can pretty much take the top up pretty much to the ceiling.     Lifting the top is very easy, just like their YouTube videos show. The automatic brake works fairly well, and does hold the top up fine. Lifting it off is quite easy with a single person. Putting it back on you may want a second person just to guide it down correctly. That's not to say it can't be put back on with a single person. Make sure the welded eye follows the angle of the rope, if you put it straight into the board and it pulls at an angle then it will bend.     The key to the system is make sure you keep adjusting the knots until the top lifts up evenly and level. I got fairly close then used a silver sharpie on the black cords to measure the distance I needed to move the knots. Unless you were a boy scout, their 15 step knot instructions look fairly complicated. I suggest following the instructions on one leaving it loose, and look at it. You'll see you can just thread it through the webbing, loop it around and through itself. The instruction make it seem much more complex than it is. You will be adjusting these knots to get it right, so don't just tie a regular knot, as it will be difficult to remove for adjustments.   Over all I will say I'm very happy with the kit, and definitely would recommend it.
© Copyright 2006 - 2024 Mike Lee