Reviews for Lange Originals 014-SIMPLE Hoist-A-Top Simple for 76-26 Jeep CJ7 & Wrangler YJ, JK, & JL

Nice product at a good price. Only complaint is I wish the pullies would rotate, instead of being one directional, this would allow for adjusting where you put your hand crank. I had to modified this system because my garage does not accommodate positioning the hand crank directly behind, simple by buying swivel pullies at Lowe's. Overall good quality product that works as advertised for a low price.

Price

Does what it is supposed to do.
The instructions say to lube the gear mechanism well before and during use. Well, I did that but, I still see lots of metal shavings. So I hope it lasts.

A 2 hour install in the garage. The product works well. Just wish there was a better system to attach to the back. If not careful could damage the rear window. I had to make spacers to hold the rear window open a little to relieve the pressure of the hook on the rear glass. Works well. Every spring the hard top comes off and the soft top goes on. Reverse in the fall. It takes about 40 to 45 minutes to switch them out.

This product is hard to install, but so are all the other products so I am not taking any stars off for that. It is just how it it is with these hoists. I had to buy 16 lag bolts and 2x6's in order to install this, so be prepared to run to a hardware store at least once before installation. I see in many reviews the straps leave marks on the hardtop, but that has not been my experience. I will continue to monitor this though just in case. The metal line included is very strong, but does not wrap around the crank nicely, which is not too big of a deal. I removed a star because the instructions could be much better. Also the straps are hard to put on. You need to lift the top up to bolt them in, which doesn't make sense if this hoist is made for one person to remove the top and put back on.

Installation is a bit of a pain if you don't have exposed studs, but it's doable with one person and the hoist is secure once up. Instructions are clear. It does move slower than I would have liked, but a power drill can fix that.

Seems well made , would have a 5 if it had a locking , mechanism. It remains in the lifted position on friction. Other than that very happy

I have an older version. Looking forward to simplicity of newer version. To fix slowness of crank: I welded a socket onto the retaining nut and now I can use a power drill to raise and lower the top in 10 seconds. For any areas of contact with the straps, I recommend a chamois or similar washcloth between the straps and the paint.

This works great, and with some on-line video help, the installation wasn’t too bad, even for a novice. Big problem, though, is the strap WILL leave a permanent discoloration on a white top wherever it touches it. To avoid this you must put a cloth between the strap and the top. That’s the only reason for 4 instead of 5 stars.

This is a good product and installs pretty easy. The instructions provided are not the best. However, there are enough videos online that you can figure it out. It comes with everything you need except the lumber. The crank and gearing rotate smoothly and the top lifts easily. I could definitely recommend this product.