One-Man K5 Top Removal- DIY structure *Idea*

[AFUFO]

Thought this up last year, just now remembered it, made an improvement , and drew it.
Let me know what you think
It would of course have to be built specifically for your own trucks ride height. If you lift it your truck a little later on you could place a spacer ontop the beams.
For lowering the truck, airing down would be the most obvious choice.. loading the suspension, or using air bags would probably have good results too.
Maybe if it works good, add on some sort of roller hardware? Maybe make a track w/ directional wheels to roll it back and fourth?

Heres the computer sketch

I don't know if anyone has thought of/posted this before but figured why not. What do you think? Anyone want to try it? It would have to be measured perfectly and tested before you made it permanent

Morgan

PS- Yeah, i know it looks like a panel/utility truck. =P

EDIT- Where the beam sticks out off of the rest of the wooden structure, you could have a hinge for the arms to fold to the side, but it would weaken the arms.. Maybe with some thinking it would work.

 

[cegusman]

Here is another way.

http://coloradok5.com/topstorage.shtml

 

[AFUFO]

Need a garage for the 2nd to work :...but then again you need an accessible yard for my idea. I guess im SOL on both. (My house is blocking the path to the backyard)

Oh, i forgot something. Edited

You could also have shelves on the K5 top support structure, and if you were able to successfully make folding arms you could have a tarp that goes over the whole thing, and store parts underneith. Might be a way to keep the yard neat(er) depending on how much stuff you have. Hell if you wanted to go for it you could make it into a shead underneith..(or outhouse!)

 

[Leper]

I unbolt mine and get inside and lift it with my back. Walk it to the edge of the tailgate. From that point, it is a crapshoot about what happens next. I just make sure there is nothing vauable within a 8 foot circle.

 

[goldwing2000]

I unbolt mine and get inside and lift it with my back. Walk it to the edge of the tailgate. From that point, it is a crapshoot about what happens next. I just make sure there is nothing vauable within a 8 foot circle.

That's what I do, too. Except I just back my utility trailer up to the Blazer and then slide the top onto it. No carnage required.

 

[70jimmy]

I had something sort of similar to take the top off my 74. 4 4X4 posts in the ground, 2 on each side of the vehicle with L brackets on the posts. I would back in between the posts, unbolt the top and on the back 2 posts I would slide a 2 X 4 across the top of the bed while lifting the back of the top with my back.

Then since I had a roll bar I couldn't just do the same to the front so I would have somebody get in the driver seat and as I lifted the front they would drive forward a few feet so the rollbar would be in front of where I needed to put the other 2 x 4 in. They would stop and I would lift the front of the top and slide the other 2 X 4 in and they would drive off with me in the truck.

Then I strap the top down and when a friend would come over I would have them help me put it on the ground inside the 4X4's. I have put it down and picked it up alone also. There would be another 4X4 directly across with an L bracket going the other way.

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Like this. I rented at the time and asked the landlord if I could do it first. My kids also liked to throw tarps over the 4 poles and used it as a fort when the top was on the truck.

 

[diesel4me]

got a swingset??..

I've used a kids swingset to hoist my cap off my K5's before!..used a 2" ratchet strap tied around the center of the cap,around the swingset pipe,and just ratcheted it up a few notches,and then drove the truck out from under it.. ...2 straps are even better,so it wont tilt down on one end..

This worked so good I ended up making a smaller version of a swingset,out of 1-3/4" electrical conduit,and I put old lawnmower wheels on it so I could roll it around,and it had a hand winch and a pulley, to do the hoisting..

I used it to load engines and other heavy stuff in my truck too..I also cut the pipe going across in two, so I could load it in my truck, and bring it with me--a heavier peice of plumbing pipe slid over both "halves" of the swingset,and bolted them together..I wish I kept that thing when I moved--I now have a larger,more heavy duty similar "swingset",made of schedule 40 pipe,with a hand crank winch on it--but its hardly "portable" very handy though.

 

[BKinzey]

In your drawing you could add some old truck jacks to the legs so you don't have to air down.

Two a-frames (like swingsets) and pulleys would probably work best though.

 

[AFUFO]

Nice tool diesel4me

My only likely option would be the structure in the front yard.. I'm 17 and my mother owns the land/house, so i suggested growing ivy on it and maybe a swinging bench under it (lol).. but i think that would attract ants/pests to nest in the cap. Plus, imagine driving by a house with one of those arbor style ivy'd swing benchs...with a truck cap ontop. Wtf??? Don't think my neighbors would like it Probably be worse with a blue tarp covering it.

Might just have to make the structure in the backyard and get permission from both of my neighbors to cut through their yards every now and then in exchange for something. Both have let me drive through before. The Jimmy is currently in the backyard until its road worthy. I guess during rains i could toss a tarp over the jimmy to keep rain out when the top is off. No chance of a softop anytime soon.

EDIT, I like the jack idea, the scissor style jacks.. shouldn't be too hard to make an attachment for the arms.

 

[Ressurection]

Back in my college days of going out on the town I had 2 ratchet/socket wrenches in the glovebox of my '73. Whichever friend I was going out on the town with would grab one, I'd grab the other. We'd each take care of a side, then I'd do the lift with my back thing and he'd help guide when I got to the gate. The result....top of in literally 5 minutes, that would include replacing the side rails for aesthetics.

 

[454k30]

I unbolt mine and get inside and lift it with my back. Walk it to the edge of the tailgate. From that point, it is a crapshoot about what happens next. I just make sure there is nothing vauable within a 8 foot circle.

 

[diesel4me]

more brainstorms...

I've seen other K5 owners use the jacks from a slide on camper, to lift the cap off too..I didn't like those,they seem very "tippy" and unstable,IMO...plus its easy to knock them over while backing under the cap!..

I also used another trick to get mine off,I had a fleetside pickup too,and I used to just back it up to the K5, and "walk" the cap off, on my back like a turtle,and walk right into the pickup bed,and just set it on some 2x4's laid across the truck bed!..but my back won't ever let me do that ever again..might be fine for a 30 year old to do it that way,but I cant lift squat anymore !~..

A word of caution..once the cap is off,its pretty flexy and easily cracked!..I used to bolt two 2x4's to the bolt holes that hold it to the truck,one on each side of the center of it..it keeps the sides from spreading,and gives you a good place to grab onto it..I used ones that are about a foot wider than the cap--then if you have any helpers they can grab the 2x4's instead of the cap itself..makes it easier to handle..and you can lay it on the ground,and the wood keeps it out of the dirt..

Also--once you get it off,beware that BEES and WASPS think the K5 caps make an excellent place to build nests! ..I got stung BAD by bald faced hornets when I went to put my cap back on,there was a football sized nest inside one corner of the cap!!..other things like snakes and rodents also like living under them,they act like a greenhouse..nice warm "home"!..

My neighbor uses his pickup cap as a "doghouse" for his dog, while it was off his pickup!--maybe you could do the same??..that'd be one way around the "eyesore" problem!... I used to just stand mine up on end against the back wall of the garage,where no one could see it...

 

[DustinK5]

I'll take some pics tonight of my pulley system. All the parts bought cheaply at Harbor Frieght. Stand by....

 

[DustinK5]

pics

see pics...description later

 

[AFUFO]

Damn not a paid member yet. Any chance of an emailing or an imageshack upload? The member fee isnt in the budget right now (between jobs).

 

[DustinK5]

A little description:
The center pulley in the second pic and the rope came as a pulley system at Harbor frieght. It came with two pulleys and the rope. Each pulley having 3 wheels. I took one wheel from one of the pulleys and simply added it to the other pulley, makeing a 4th wheel with longer and stronger bolts. The board it's attached to, I drilled 3 matching holes and ran the longer bolts through the wood(with a washer on each) and then the pulley with the 4th wheel. The board is secured to the rafters.
The pulleys at each corner (also Harbor Frieght) came in packages of 2 for like $2. I screwed in the open eye screws into the rafters equal distance apart from one another. Then hooked the pulleys to them.
Then I ran the rope through the pulleys and center pulley tieing the 4 ends of the rope to a metal ring.
I attached the manual crank (Harbor Frieght) to the wall. Ran the wire it came with through another pulley directly above it and centered it or placed it in line with the center pulley with the 4 wheels. Then simply attatched the hook to metal ring.
Next I secured the top to 2X4s with an eye bolt on each side. I then ran rope to each corner. I didn't make precise measurements on the rope. I just tried to gage the tension on each corner so that it felt equal and tied it each corner. In the picture you can see that I was off a little as it drops a little lower in the rear.
It won't drop the top to the floor, but it takes it off the truck and gets it high enough out of the way so I can pull the truck in front first because I put a soft top on.

 

[walla2k5]

see pics...description later

Nice job.