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cmcbronco

cmcbronco

Base
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curious when you found the CG, did you measure back from leading edge? how far back about is it? would be some handy info. you have that thing sitting nice and level.
It Took some trial and error. Now I just line it up with the notch in top and it lifts perfect every time. I also scuffed the roll bars a but but it buffed right out. Now I just take it slow and I haven’t touched the bars since.
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Rubisquatch

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Here’s mine. I had this already from my Jeep days. All I had to do to modify it for the Bronco was move the forward 2x4 support back (as the Bronco rear clamshell doesn’t have the extended front section like Jeep does).

This is a few 2x4s, rope and harbor freight hand crank. Works awesome (and now using it for 8 years), can park under it and cost about $45.

Ford Bronco "Homemade" hard top lift tips! F1EE1659-08F8-4F7E-AFBC-B40DDED976B8


Ford Bronco "Homemade" hard top lift tips! BF15689D-4816-4B2E-ACB3-AF0C4441823B


Ford Bronco "Homemade" hard top lift tips! ABBC4F4C-C0B9-43C3-A389-31AABD010705


My old 2013 Rubicon, same roof lift.
Ford Bronco "Homemade" hard top lift tips! 1651022301467
 

ZipZit

Badlands
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Here’s mine. I had this already from my Jeep days. All I had to do to modify it for the Bronco was move the forward 2x4 support back (as the Bronco rear clamshell doesn’t have the extended front section like Jeep does).

This is a few 2x4s, rope and harbor freight hand crank. Works awesome (and now using it for 8 years), can park under it and cost about $45.

Ford Bronco "Homemade" hard top lift tips! 1651022301467
I'm confused by this picture. Possible for you to take a close up photo of the two areas circled in yellow? Also, what is that single diagonal rope doing? why is that rope there?

Ford Bronco "Homemade" hard top lift tips! hardtop with marku


Many thanks.
 

Rubisquatch

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I'm confused by this picture. Possible for you to take a close up photo of the two areas circled in yellow? Also, what is that single diagonal rope doing? why is that rope there?

hardtop with markup.jpeg


Many thanks.
The diagonal rope is extra, me just tying one side to the other for extra safety and not super necessary. I don’t use it all the time. In pics below you’ll see the extra rope is wound around the front left hanger.

Pics below best close up I could get as the roof is on as it’s raining today. Basically my hanging brackets are metal and I taped slides of pool noodles to them for padding. See below for pic of bracket from Home Depot. They have a tip on them that prevents the roof from sliding off. Hope this helps.

Ford Bronco "Homemade" hard top lift tips! 7CE0789A-85EB-486D-833F-E90363367D87


Ford Bronco "Homemade" hard top lift tips! E067DBEE-01E1-41C7-B1A2-EE4979124D1A


Ford Bronco "Homemade" hard top lift tips! 95D3F2D5-21E8-4019-9E20-80A203F7D111


Ford Bronco "Homemade" hard top lift tips! 3F9404E5-E1CA-47B3-A01D-52D11F6EF968
 

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Hatman

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A non-attic option would be to mount the winch at the top of your wall and run the cabl
Just wanted to share my experience I had with installing my “homemade” hard top hoist. I ran into a few problems so I thought id make a short thread to help others who have the same agenda as me. A somewhat cheap lift that’s quick and easy.

i ordered an $80 electric Hoist on amazon and a couple 10’ Straps for $30. The rest of the stuff I used I had laying around my shop at work.

i originally mounted it on the ceiling of my garage. It would have worked fine but it was too low for my liking. I wanted my bronco to easily fit underneath with no worries about hitting The top when I backed in so I ended up mounting it in the attic. It gave me the height I needed and looked cleaner as well.

my main point of this thread is the lifting part. With a single point lift like this it’s critical that you find the balance point of the top. I found out the hard way the first time I lifted the top off lol. It was all over the place. I attached some pictures to show the balance point of the two door top. I’m sure the four door will be different.

in the end it all worked out great. I’ve practiced a couple times and It takes about 20 min are so to remove the top. Im sure I’ll cut that time down once get more accustomed to the system. Reinstalling is fairly simple as well. I don’t even have to really worry about getting the bronco perfectly centered as there’s plenty of swing with the lift set up the way it is. I just lower slowly and line the pins up and it falls right Into place.

anyway I hope this helps anyone hoping to have a nice lift and not spend $500-$600. It’s fairly simple but hey it works! And for about $100 you can’t beat it.

Ford Bronco "Homemade" hard top lift tips! 20210815_173240


Ford Bronco "Homemade" hard top lift tips! 20210815_173240


Ford Bronco "Homemade" hard top lift tips! 20210815_173240


Ford Bronco "Homemade" hard top lift tips! 20210815_173240


Ford Bronco "Homemade" hard top lift tips! 20210815_173240


Ford Bronco "Homemade" hard top lift tips! 20210815_173240
A non-attic option would be to mount the winch at the top of your wall and run the cable over to a pulley on the ceiling.
 

atx_chance

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8ft ceiling
Ford Bronco "Homemade" hard top lift tips! 20210815_173240


$15

<15min w/ impact gun
Can you park under there? And how do you get the top up there - just lift with a partner and place it there?
 

ZipZit

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The diagonal rope is extra, me just tying one side to the other for extra safety and not super necessary. I don’t use it all the time. In pics below you’ll see the extra rope is wound around the front left hanger.

Pics below best close up I could get as the roof is on as it’s raining today. Basically my hanging brackets are metal and I taped slides of pool noodles to them for padding. See below for pic of bracket from Home Depot. They have a tip on them that prevents the roof from sliding off. Hope this helps.
Ouch. That did not communicate well. The area I'm interested in is the rooftop, not the metal hooks. I can easily understand how an S shaped hook is shaped. What I can't see is what that mates up to on the roof. My suspicion is that perhaps there might be a more optimal shape, then a big honking S-Hook. (I should explain... I'm an engineer of the open source variety. Design products for all of us, share the knowledge...). And the engineer in me says hey, that extra diagonal rope? Why is that not simply cut off and rope ends sealed. Less is more. What happens when that extra rope is dragged on the floor, you step on it and the whole roof goes catty wampus?

Now if I had my Bronco, to see those areas of the roof would be an easy task. However... I don't expect my Bronco before 2023. Sigh.

No rush, I understand the weather conditions drive your photo availability. If possible, and at your convenience, possible to get a closeup photo of the mating area on the vehicle roof, so we understand how you hang this thing? Many thanks.

My goal? An inexpensive D.I.Y. Instruction kit for hanging your own roof with bill of materials including prices and sources, with plans publicly posted on this forum for all to use. (Open Source! When we share our ideas all of us win...)
 

Bradyrufenacht

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I used a boat winch mounted on the wall with ceiling pulleys on my shell. Plan to do the same with my Bronco in 2025 when I get it :mad:
Ford Bronco "Homemade" hard top lift tips! 20220427_071327
 

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My JL set up from another thread. Takes 15/20 minutes on or off. Manual pull is easy - one arm for each line - and sits flush against the ceiling. Strap is just safety insurance after it's lifted and tied off....


I removed the 'hooks' that were on the hanging pully and use the bolt/washer to secure the paracord to it.
Hoist
550 Paracord
Cleats

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Bronkers

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Can you park under there? And how do you get the top up there - just lift with a partner and place it there?
Yes i do park under it, plenty of clearance. I'm 6ft and I can walk under it too. I can pull and reinstall all by my not-small self.

I use some bits of 2x4 to initially prop it up off the sills, then route the straps thru to the cam buckles, insert the cardboard corner protectors between the straps and the roof edges, and use a sort of seesaw technique to draw it up off the truck.

Bit tricky, have to be careful of roll cage paint, but I have it down to a science after the first few rounds
 

Go Devils

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Ford Bronco "Homemade" hard top lift tips! 20220427_071327


$15

<15min w/ impact gun
I think that is what I’m going to do. I don’t need to take it off and on every day. Here in Arizona it will be off for a few months in the spring and then a few months in the fall. Otherwise it’s either too hot or too cold. Relatively speaking of course.

And you’re doing this by yourself each time?
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