Removing a 4Runner top by yourself??

[wakkjobb]

I was thinking the other day (I know, bad idea...) could it be possible to make some sort of eye bolt and brackets to take off the top? As in: 4 big eye bolts through the roof corners (braced with 3/16" or so plate) and hook some rope or chain to them then hoist off the top? I have a lot of trees with hefty lower branches and was thinking of a dual pulley hoist or something so I could take it off by myself. If I was smarter I'd try to do some photoshop diagrams but...    not so much.

Input? Other ideas?
>>Dan

[Sleeve of Wizzard]

A friend of mine uses 4 tall jack stands to take off his fiberglass bed cover. That thing is stinkin heavy! I think he puts to long pipes between the stands, under the cover. Then drives away.

[BUDDERS]

My brother had a sweet setup in his garage to take his shell off by himself.  He 2 pulleys in the rafters in his garage and had a couple 2x4's with eye bolts at either end that he slid under the shell.  He tied it all together with some nylon rope and used a come-a-long to pull on the rope and had it tied off to another eye bolt anchor in a stud in the wall.  He just backed the truck up, pulled the clamps off the shell and slid the 2x4's under the shell and cinched in up to the ceiling in his garage.

I'll see if I can make a diagram for you.








Awe nevermind....I can't figure out how he did it right now, but I know a come-a-long some 2x4's rope and pulleys were used.

[TacoRunner]

 

[TacoRunner]

 

[jonathan82toy]

TacoRunner, you cheated

[SQUIRREL MONSTER]

i hope you have a really good heater....... 

[chim]

I just walked mine off the back of the runner and carried it off my back.... got tired of trying to round people up to help me when i was taking it off and on every week

[wakkjobb]

I have the best heater ever: Carhartt coveralls!
This would be for the warm season here in Colorado... August.  I had the doors off my 67 K10 for a while; best A/C Chevy never did!
I'll think of something; I live "way far out of town" as my friends say so I don't have volunteers near by to help.

[***YELLER***]

I run a ratchet strap thru the window in front and hook it up to my  rafters in da garage and same in rear just ratchet it up

[wakkjobb]

Thanks for the ideas; I'll get around to making something work...   

[Sleeve of Wizzard]

Oh I got an , what about some sort of arm that comes off of the rear wall of your garage? Roll down the rear window back the runner up to it and shazzam!  There could be two arms side by side and could slant upwards so it lifts as you push it farther back. Then a strap or something to hold it in place. The arms could be removable or hinged. What do ya think? eh, eh? 

[BUDDERS]

Oh I got an , what about some sort of arm that comes off of the rear wall of your garage? Roll down the rear window back the runner up to it and shazzam!  There could be two arms side by side and could slant upwards so it lifts as you push it farther back. Then a strap or something to hold it in place. The arms could be removable or hinged. What do ya think? eh, eh? 

Sounds like the front end of a forklift and a little too expensive to make work for the garage.

[TacoRunner]

 

[TacoRunner]

 

[Eric_M]

I just take mine off and on by myself. Help is nice but sometimes hard to come by.

Remove all the bolts, Slide the top back to almost tipping and get under it. Tip the front off and grab it and set it down on the back leaning up against a wall.

Its much easier then you think. And I am sitting on 36s.

[Sleeve of Wizzard]

just use the rear of an old yota frame that is in your back yard, cut it up and slap it on the wall.

[wakkjobb]

 
That Can-Back looks really slick but is costs almost as much as I'm getting the Runner for... almost.    
I'll have to start working out I guess; need to get all buff this winter for sun-tan weather. Got to look good for the girls!   
All good ideas; it's probably not as heavy as I think it is.    

[86turboyota]

unbolt it, slide it backward enough to put a towstrap under it lengthwise and side to side through the windows, then attach that all to a single point above the truck

[SQUIRREL MONSTER]

yea...... honestly. its fairly easy doin it yourself. easier if you had help but not impossible if you dont. i took it off same way these guys mentioned but being 6'3" its hard to get it down on the saw horses from that altitude

[bleakhorizon]

I pull it off/install it myself (but im a big strapping young man)   , but my friends dad has a TJ and he put eyebolts on each corner and used a couple of pulleys of the roof of his garage to lift it straight up and drive off (one pulley for the front one for the back)..... the eye bolts are ugly but they work for him...


pretty much i pick up the back slide it to were it pivots easily then just pivot it down to the ground, from there i walk around to were im "underneath it" and i grab the passenger handles and use pretend like im a turtle  ..... install is reverse... you just gotta be carefull not to set down the shell on top of the locating dowels in a thin spot it can crack it...  on that note, i only run 4 bolts 2 in front 2 in back, so i can....get it off (LOL)... in less than 3 minutes

[fortysixandtwo]

I just take mine off and on by myself. Help is nice but sometimes hard to come by.

Remove all the bolts, Slide the top back to almost tipping and get under it. Tip the front off and grab it and set it down on the back leaning up against a wall.

Its much easier then you think. And I am sitting on 36s.

Thats what I do.

[Dooner]

I do the same thing with my factory FJ40 top. I found that walking around with a land cruiser roof on your back builds character. Its kinda like carrying a telephone booth around with you! Ill be looking for volunteers next time though!  's anyone??

[yoter4x4]

thats what i did when i had my 87 runner.. slid it back to tipping and eased it down to the ground so it sat on its rear corners, than i'd use my trusty ol' childhood radio flyer to wheel that baby behind the house. i'm only 5'8 and 135lbs too.

[fatlife]

yea...... honestly. its fairly easy doin it yourself. easier if you had help but not impossible if you dont. i took it off same way these guys mentioned but being 6'3" its hard to get it down on the saw horses from that altitude

6' 3" i feel your pain.  I would just walk mine off and set it against my house never had a problem

[Rocksurfer]

If you have a garage 4 eye bolts and 4 ratchet straps..........










Need I say anymore?

[anfkndy]

i always grabbed the back and pulled til its barely on the truck still, set it down and get under it and carry it on your back

[NITE KRAWLERS]

Tocorunner has the fastest and easiest way to. I love it, those things are heavy... to heavy. Ya i can do it myself to but my back does not like it at all. My bro has a loft thing in his shop and he just drives up to it and lifts the front up to shelf and then pushes the rest up. Real easy like! 

[austintaco]

i always grabbed the back and pulled til its barely on the truck still, set it down and get under it and carry it on your back

Yeah, I used to do that when I first owned the truck, but now I use an extra set of hands or some straps, two boards, and pully system with a come a long.

[Toyotero]

I've considered setting up something like that to hoist my top up by the rack, but I've yet to try it.

4Crawler has a good system.
http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/4R_TechInfo.shtml#Shell

Here's how I store mine. I use 4 straps, not the ratchet type - those only have limited take up length, but use the toggle-clamp style as shown in image A above. They are attached to 4 bicycle hooks screwed in the rafters of my garage. The hooks are spaced wide enough to clear the sides of the top and far enough apart to line up with the front and rear windows. Then, I use my roof rack bars, to which I fasten screw eyes to the ends. They are just wider than the top is, a pair of 2x4s would work, too. I slide the front window back and slide the bar though the opening, lift the top up with my shoulders and pull the straps tight on each side. Then in back, I lift the top up and slide the bar under the rear corner. Then, its a matter of lifting the top and snugging up the straps until the top is against the rafters and then I simply drive out of the garage (I have to air down to 3 psi to get my 4Runner under the garage door!). To install is the reverse, back in, lower the top, remove the bars and install the bolts. Simple, one person install and removal, no danger of dropping the top, either.

I was thinking the other day (I know, bad idea...) could it be possible to make some sort of eye bolt and brackets to take off the top? As in: 4 big eye bolts through the roof corners (braced with 3/16" or so plate) and hook some rope or chain to them then hoist off the top? I have a lot of trees with hefty lower branches and was thinking of a dual pulley hoist or something so I could take it off by myself. If I was smarter I'd try to do some photoshop diagrams but...    not so much.

Input? Other ideas?
>>Dan