How I single-handedly remove the top from my
1972 Chevy Blazer

Here are step by step directions as best as I can describe.  As with all "some assembly required" type projects, I suggest you read through the directions once completely before beginning and hopefully be able to visualize the concept.  And please, anyone of you clever, mechanically inclined owners who can come up with improvements to this design, please let me know.  Even if it's just to praise/curse my writing or spelling!  And definitely, if you use this and during the process discover that I have made an error in these directions, notify me so I can fix it for future users.

Also, if you have any questions regarding any part this process, feel free to contact me.  It's not that hard once you remove & install it a few times.  I can now remove or install mine in about 30 minutes if I really push it, but average time is about 45 minutes.  I made mine in the spring of '96 and that first winter, we had an unusually warm weekend in December, and my neighbor directly across the street from me went with his wife for a motorcycle ride to take advantage of it.  That looked like fun and I had just washed my blazer and decided it was worth the effort to remove the top and go for a 3 hour ride and then put it right back on - no hassling my friends or family!

First of all, you should know that I had a new garage built when we added on to our house, so it has ceiling joists at 16" centers.  Some garages are built with 24" and even 48" centers.  If yours is 48" you may want to add a couple more joists for strength, not to mention that it may be necessary just to get the proper support at the location you intend to lift the top from.

Also, I recommend you only lift it about 2 inches (actually about 3-1/2" total.....2" clearance from the truck + the 2x4 thickness), because as you lift it one corner at a time it tips just a little, so the higher you hoist it, the more tipping you will get (originally I tried 6" and had to drop it a bit).  IMPORTANT!!  If your back seat is in, be careful driving out from under it when you are done, I push my truck forward until the front 2x4 is at the seat and then lift over the seat back and go, hopefully you'll understand what I mean by that by the time you have read ALL of this.  Don't call me cursing if you yank the top off by dragging it across the rear seat like I almost did the first time I tried this!  Move slowly!  I will remind you of this caution once more later near the end.

Materials:  From the local hardware store, I purchased the following:

8 eyebolts, mine are approx 1" diameter eye-loops with 1/2" threads X 4" long, be sure the threaded section is long enough to pass thru the 2x4 and allow a washer on each side and nut for attaching (mine are actually too long).
16 flat washers (same thread size)
8 nuts (same thread)
4 pulleys, sized to match the rope thickness you select, mine happen to be rated at 480lb each.
4 "S" hooks, to hang the pulleys from.
rope - some strong stuff, mine is approx 3/8" thick and cut into four 8-ft pieces.
one 2x6x8
two 2x4x8's (or 2x6 if you prefer)

One of the advantages for you, because of me having done this first, is I know a bit more about planning ahead now.  For instance, figure out exactly where in the garage you want the top to hang.  I estimated as best I could but actually have it a little too close to one side of the garage, making it difficult to work with that side of the top when I'm removing or installing it.  If possible, I suggest you leave room to be able to walk around both sides of the top (or the truck, while the top is still on).  I was concerned with having it in the way, "in the middle of the garage" so I cheated it to one side, but have found that once it's hanging, it's not in the way!  Actually, if I could move it over about a foot, I'd have better access to shelves on that side anyway.  Someday I'll move it over.  Right now mine hangs about 1-ft from my wall-shelves, so I guess I'd recommend about a 2-ft clearance.

Also, any measurements I provide are for reference based on my experience.  You should measure your own top hole-patterns, etc.  Since I am not building mine now, some of this is from memory, but I did take rough measurements as I went through this.  Be sure you have thought this through before cutting, nailing, etc.  just to save yourself time later.

I chose to support the top using the 2 most forward mounting holes and the 2nd set of holes from the rear of the top.  This is actually the recommended method of removal in the owner's manual.  Those holes on my top are 67-1/2" across the top and 58" along the rail of the top.  I only attach the rear-most 2x4 to the top during removal/storage, so that is the more critical end (this will be further explained later again).

If you have your materials, it is probably easiest to unbolt the top now and slide it back, at least until the 2nd set of rear mounting holes are clear of the back of the truck by about 3" so you can attach a 2x4 to those holes.  What I do is after removing all the bolts/screws, open the tailgate and close the top hatch door.  Then I stand (bent over) just behind the front seats and using my back I lift and slide the top back just far enough to get the front lip of the top past the windshield.  DO THIS CAREFULLY being sure the sides of the top stay as centered as possible on the blazer rails!!  I then continue very slowly a few inches at a time until the top is clear as far as noted above.  This is an area where if you can think of a better way to do this, please  tell me!

I cut the two 2x4's about 86-1/2" long, so they are 19-20" longer that the width of the top's holes.  This is because they will be under the top, laying across both blazer side rails, and they will stick out each side where I mounted the eyebolts for lifting.  I drilled holes and mounted the eyebolts 4" from each end of both 2x4's, loop side up with a washer on each side.  Next, on the rear 2x4, I drilled another set of holes about the same diameter of the top's mounting holes at exactly the width on the top's holes.  I attach that 2x4 to the 2nd set of holes from the rear using some bolts & nuts I had around.  That's a little tricky if you're alone, just because it's a stretch to hold one end while bolting the other.  I normally sit in the truck facing the rear and use my knees in the center to hold the 2x4 up while I stretch to either side to put the bolt in.  You definitely don't want to attach one end and drop the other end, I suspect the top mounting surface would tear right off!  I just put these in hand tight.  I didn't bother mounting the front 2x4 since it can rest on the blazer rails the entire process, but I did go ahead and drill the 2nd set of holes, just so I can visually verify that I have it near where I want it to be when I hoist the top up.  So now you should have 2 boards under the top, one is attached near the rear and the other is between the top and the truck, lined up with the front set of holes.

At this point, if you haven't already, park the blazer in the garage so the top is where you want it to hang when you are done.  Then cut the 2x6 into four 2-ft pieces and place them ABOVE the joists to take advantage of the strength of the joists.  These need to be placed directly above the 4 eyebolts you will be lifting from, but given that the top hangs down almost 2-ft from the ceiling, there is a pretty good margin of error.  You want to be sure to hang from the space BETWEEN the joists and not accidentally bump into a joist, so make a last adjustment to the blazer location if necessary.  Now you can nail them in place and drill holes in line with the eyebolts below and install the other 4 eyebolts & washers with the loops down.  Hang the S-hooks and pulleys on these.

Now you are ready to hoist!  This is where you grab a rope.  Attach one end of the rope to the eyebolts in the boards on the truck, using the best knot you know and feed the other end up through the pulley and let it hang down.  Do this with all 4 corners.  Take the free end of the rope and make a loop, large enough to easily pull down and over the end of the 2x4 that it is pulling upward.  This way as you pull down on the loop and slide it over the end of the board, the weight of the top is actually used to hold it up in place.  Great thinking, Pete!  I had to tie a few loops until I got it the right length, then cut off the excess and either tape or burn the ends so they won't fray.  There is probably some kind of clamp for doing this if you don't trust your boy scout knot memory (or girl scout?  don't want to appear sexist).

Now tie the other 3 loops the same length and hoist it up, matie.  I have found it easiest for me to lift the rear first, since the front has the advantage of resting on the truck rails.  I leave the loops in mine at all times and if I need to move the 2x4's out of the way when they're not supporting the top I choose to unbolt them, rather than untie the ropes, that way I don't ever have to figure out the length again.  For reference, here is a picture of the loops holding the boards in place like they do when the top is off.  This could probably be done with some kind of cables and clamps if you prefer.  Or some Home Improvement type person could develop a plan to attach all 4 lines to a center pulley and connect it to a garage door opener!  Perhaps someone can develop version 2.0 - the automated top removal system!  Lastly, once again...be sure you get the forward 2x4 clear of your rear seat before driving out from under the top!!

Here are 3 photos of the top hanging.
 

Now get out there and have fun in the sun, but don't forget your sunscreen!
Sorry, that's Debbie's line!