Reviews for Smittybilt 510001 Hard Top Hoist for 76-18 Jeep CJ-7, Wrangler YJ, TJ JK & JK Unlimited
Works perfectly. have used it for two years now and it's still going like it was new
Price is just right, super easy to install - 1.5 hours. Does feel unbalanced once lifted but the two eye bolts smitttybilt provides allow you to stabilize it using additional bungees. This is so straight forward design, no multiplie pulleys etc. worth the investment.
The winch itself seems fairly solid and certainly powerful enough to lift the fairly light, but bulky JKU hard top.
The frame however leaves a bit to be desired. It fits together loosely, so a wobbly assembly is normal. The rubber coated hooks are a joke. The rubber tore just fitting the frame to the top, not even lifting it. I would advise trying to find a more robust material to use on the hooks to protect your top. My wheels are turning trying to think of something.
The large rear JK hook that slides between the top and rear window is a mess. The manufacturer's photo of this item illustrates clean, uncoated threads. I received a part with fully painted/powder coated threads. I attempted to chase the threads with the wing nut (which was a mistake). Both the wing nut and the rear hook threads are completely stripped. I would never trust them to support the weight of the top.
I will need to contact Smittybilt and hope they make good on this part.
All in all, a functional way to lift and store your hard top, but perhaps not the best design or quality hoist on the market.
Decent quality. Ordered for my JL which it is not designed to fit...I knew this ahead of time. Ordered Lange rear top lift bracket part which fits perfectly with Smittybilt rear bracket system. All working very well know for my JL...at a reasonable price!
Where to begin. Assembly is relatively straight forward but I will say the instruction offered are near garbage! They pretty much consist of a black and white picture from 5-6' back that just says "Assemble as shown below" which isn't even the case depending on your use. If you plan on mounting the winch on the ceiling and not using the wheeled option then you do not need to install the legs/wheels so that should save some time/effort. Another issue I ran into is once it was assembled the frame and the winch was installed I tested and had no response from the Winch. I double checked the Socket with a power tool and it works fine so I've isolated the issue to either the motor on the Winch or the Switch. I have emailed Smittybilt but they have not gotten back to me yet on this issue but to be fair it's only been a day.
Good choice for what I needed, but the instructions were definitely lacking. Even the YouTube video wasn't comprehensive...for the frame and electric hoist. For instance, I figured out that since I was going to keep my top suspended, there was no need to install the legs. (The instructions don't address that at all. SMH.)
Easy enough to assemble. But this is not designed to support the hardtop of my YJ. The pieces specifically used for under the glass are entirely unusable, the J-hooks and the support bracket are even labeled for TJ and JK. Very frustrating to spend $300 on a kit I can't use. A quick call to customer support left me even more upset as I spent 45 minutes on hold just to have my call dropped. There doesn't seem to be the correct parts available on the website or through Smittybuilt.
I only wish there was less than one star. This was a very disappointing purchase. When I first put it together, it felt so loose I thought I had missed something; Nope, that's how it goes together.
I tried to use the roll around legs which are a complete joke. They are so loose the jeep won't even stay off the ground, it looks like a newborn deer trying to walk. It scratched my top horribly. ( I have included pictures not sure if the'll be approved)
I was ready to quit there but I really wanted this to work. The lifting hooks bent before I even got the top off the jeep. They are so thin they bent like a wire. I will be returning this for another brand.