Hoist

[Hawk]

I am looking for a good layout for a hoist to install in my garage (or outside) to lift bodies and such. Right now the garage has a standard 12 foot hieght limit. Weak 2x4 30 foot truss. Material is not that much of a limit due to have great resources for Iron, Steal, wood. Its starting to look better to do an outside setup due to hieght limits. But living in town limits already has its draw backs.

[Ron in Indiana]

Are you looking to just lift off bodys etc or a hoist to lift an entire truck? A jib crane would be handy with a chain hoist on a beam. It can be set in concrete in a corner then swung in a arc to do the lifts. The trick is picking a capacity then having it engineered to achieve that capacity. Another choice is an A frame with a trolly to do much the same thing. My father in law has one in his garage that he used to pull engines before he had his stroke. He said the thing is mine when he's gone but I don't know where I'd put it. It rolls on steel wheels the size of large casters . I'd rather have a twin post hoist to get vehicles in the air so I don't have to TRY to roll on a creeper. I hate working on creepers with a passion.

[pieter]

I'd say like Ron, it all depends on what you want to do??
If it's just a body, how many times are you going to be lifting a body?
Unless your the Overhaulin crew, your not doing 1 a week.

When I was doing a Land Cruiser and pulled the body, I was in a 1 car garage.
I had doubled up 2x12's in the ceiling and I used those. I also had a 4x4 stiffner from the bottom of 2x12's to the ground and each point of lifting (4).

I'd think a Jib crane would be handy... a 2-post lift, a 4-post lift.
add a Boom truck out back and I'd be all set

That is unless you would want a full bridge crane setup in your garage.
You might be able to get one designed to take only 2' giving you a 10' clearance....

You did say "Material is not that much of a limit due to have great resources for Iron, Steal, wood."

Pieter

[Hawk]

You did say "Material is not that much of a limit due to have great resources for Iron, Steal, wood."

Pieter

Yes, I did. I have several friends that work in Metal shops (iron steal)
And I have several friends that do construction/carpentry work (work sites are always happy to have you haul away what they don't use, due to they have to pay to get rid of it)
And a few that work in a lumber yard. There are construction loads being returned all the time that they reject and/or over order. On a few ocations you end up with a spilled load (straps break) those are INS. loads. These are always discounted out the door if not given to an employee.
And last but not least I have a friend who runs their own carpentry business. They take home what they dont use at the site.

Heck last year I hit an auction and hooked up with about $4,000 in lumber (was split in 7 piles) for $1 per pile.

[pieter]

Now that we are all jealous of your friends, what kind of lifting do you want to be able to do?

[JimmieD]

Yeah, what you're lifting is the question. Mopar Norm, Joe Cimoche and many others have built trolly carts for moving bodies. Jack up the body using wood pads to distribute the lift force [especially on rust outs] then roll the chassis out from underneath. Roll your custom built trolley cart under the body parts and then you can wheel it around the shop or whatever. Cheapest and easiest if that's all you really need it for. A $200 engine hoist can take care of the rest.

If you have clearance under the chassis it's nice to mount larger air-filled rubber tires on the engine hoist, or use what Ron's talking about..

[Paul Cook]

Moving the shop

We are moving most of the heavy duty tools and equipment from the Museum's current 24' x 24' workshop out to my son's nice 50' x 50' workshop at his ranch. This past week-end we erected the new 11,000 pound capacity, twin post, vehicle lift. Because a workshop can become cluttered, he has the lift inside its own door so vehicles can drive into the lift area without having to move anything in the rest of the shop - like his '41 WC, or his wife's Harley. The side walls are 14' high.

[Ron in Indiana]

Paul, serious envy on this end. Who's hoist is that? Cost and height? I have a 60 x 80 metal building with 14 eaves but it's only a 2/12 pitch roof so placement is an issue. I would want a unit as heavy as yours to lift my '01 3500 work truck. The Townwagons and Power Giants wouldn't be a problem. How thick is your floor? I'm sure you will enjoy working under your vehicles much more with that lift.

[pieter]

Ron, you have nothing to be envious of.
I'm sure if you wanted one, you'd have gotten one by now.

Guy I worked with bought one a few years ago and put it outside (here in Michigan) and I thought he was nuts for doing that. Anyway the one he got required it's own footing/reinf to be poured. Went down pretty good, although he was a structural engineer so I don't know if he over engineered it...

I personally couldn't decide on a 2-post like these that grab onto the frame or a 4-post type that you drive up on that has sliding hydraulic jacks as required for changing wheels etc... To me it is a toss-up as I believe both have their merits.

I think a 2-post with your 3500 might scare me just a little though. I'd have to really believe in the quality/stability of the hoist to really romp on a wrench of an old rusty truck. Not that you would envision moving the truck, but how about a little car.

At least I don't have to decide on a 2-post or 4-post today...

walking away smiling

[JimmieD]

That's one beautiful hoist, Paul, and lots of neat toys in the shop!

There can be other considerations on these hoists besides pad thickness. The type, thickness, spacing and tieing of the rebar can have a major effect on the finished product. Also other factors come into play.

I set some turbine and generator sets in a co-generation installation. The specs called for Falk couplings between motor/generator/turbine sets to be dialed in with feeler gauges. Nothing was working and I was the 3rd guy sent on this one to troubleshoot. Dial in one face and move to another and everything's wrong, so go back and check the first clearance and it's way off! HUH? Again and again. So I set up a dial indicator and mag base [not in specs] and checked things out.

It turned out that everytime the plant forklifts would get within 400 feet of the machinery the dial would go nuts! This was on a top quality 6" concrete slab over 30 years old. The problem? The construction fill beneath the plant was inferior and had a high moisture content so that the whole slab would ring like a tuning fork according to vibrations!

Details, details, gotta take care of the details.

[Hawk]

Send me that "SHOP" and I will be in heaven. Would have to remove my house to have it fit, but I am sure I could make do :)

Any how, yea looking to be able to remove (not just cabs only) but bodies off of the frames. Figure with the hieght limits I have in the garage, I will have to do an outside setup. Or raise the top of my garage, which I might have to redo the garage anyway due to a SUPPER CRAPPY so called carpenter that is supposedly a lienced contractor (BULL). Already looking at about $40,000 in redo work in the house and another $25,000 in a new foundation. Then have to raise the garage floor 4 to 6 inches due to improper setup of the flooring (did not let things settle before pouring the cement its all wacked & cracked for being a 4 yr floor) and a 5-10 foot move back (there goes my addon I wanted to put on) due to too close to the alley (not within city and state code). I really got screwed on this house, but per city hall there are no building codes for my town (YEA RIGHT). And the realitors delayed enough in the mediation that most time limits for a lawsuit are expired (not a lawyer here but that is what I have been told).
Well enough of my rant here, guess back to figuring out new ways to finace the repairs and upgrade to the house and still have some toy funds left over LMAO or CRY I dont know which to do first (oh my dog has the right idea) dont worry about it til the house falls down til then be happy, go play, and act like a kid again. Got to love my dog even though I have no idea what she means when she gives me those puppy dog eyes with her tail just a flying when she jumps up into my lap :)

[Paul Cook]

Hoist Information

Ron, and any other interested folks.

Here's some information about the hoist we installed in my son's shop last week end and pictured in a post above.

Purchased from Pace Tools http://www.pacetools.com/Products/VTP-11CD Discount price $1850 plus freight.

The same lift is available from Panther Lifts http://www.pantherlifts.com/shopping/index.php for the same price. I would shop for lower freight rates depending on the vendors' locations.

The same manufacturer's model number 165948 is listed on the downloadable instruction manual for the lift from each vendor.

The installed height is 143.75" or just less than 12 feet. There is a safety shut off kill switch on the top cross member that is designed to sense the cab top. The lift is 67.5 inches. The lift pads have adapters so that you lift the frame that amount. That means you can install it in a building with 12' side walls. You could actually install it in a building with 10' side walls if you oriented the lift parallel to the ridge and had the 12' clearance.

The shipping weight is over 1600 pounds. You will need something to lift that weight off the delivery truck. The main columns probably weigh 400 pounds. With the lift mechanisms assembled, the main columns probably weighed 600 pounds. We used the front bucket of my tractor to move them around and get them lined up for installation. After that, everything can be manhandled. Three younger guys raised the primary columns into place with all the inner parts assembled. (I stayed out of the way.) All that was left could be done from stepladders or even regular ladders.

I really anticipated that the installation would be more challenging. The instructions are very straight forward. I recommend down loading the ones from the web site - they include some operating instructions that were not in the assembly instructions that came with the lift.

This will lift cabs and beds off frames. With a cross bar on the lifting arms and some chain, it will lift engines, transmissions, and transfer cases off frames. If Stacey did it on "Trucks", you can do it at home. The utility it provides may replace some other equipment which makes the price pretty reasonable.

[Gordon Maney]

Ron, and any other interested folks.

Here's some information about the hoist we installed in my son's shop last week end and pictured in a post above.

Purchased from Pace Tools http://www.pacetools.com/Products/VTP-11CD Discount price $1850 plus freight.

The same lift is available from Panther Lifts http://www.pantherlifts.com/shopping/index.php for the same price. I would shop for lower freight rates depending on the vendors' locations.

The same manufacturer's model number 165948 is listed on the downloadable instruction manual for the lift from each vendor.

The installed height is 143.75" or just less than 12 feet. There is a safety shut off kill switch on the top cross member that is designed to sense the cab top. The lift is 67.5 inches. The lift pads have adapters so that you lift the frame that amount. That means you can install it in a building with 12' side walls. You could actually install it in a building with 10' side walls if you oriented the lift parallel to the ridge and had the 12' clearance.

The shipping weight is over 1600 pounds. You will need something to lift that weight off the delivery truck. The main columns probably weigh 400 pounds. With the lift mechanisms assembled, the main columns probably weighed 600 pounds. We used the front bucket of my tractor to move them around and get them lined up for installation. After that, everything can be manhandled. Three younger guys raised the primary columns into place with all the inner parts assembled. (I stayed out of the way.) All that was left could be done from stepladders or even regular ladders.

I really anticipated that the installation would be more challenging. The instructions are very straight forward. I recommend down loading the ones from the web site - they include some operating instructions that were not in the assembly instructions that came with the lift.

This will lift cabs and beds off frames. With a cross bar on the lifting arms and some chain, it will lift engines, transmissions, and transfer cases off frames. If Stacey did it on "Trucks", you can do it at home. The utility it provides may replace some other equipment which makes the price pretty reasonable.

I really like the lift capacity on that lift. I have long thought that if I would install a lift in a building a high capacity would be very important, given what some of these trucks weigh with special beds and diesel engines.

[rickt4498]

Electric Truck Lifts

pieter... concerning your concern @ twin post electric lifts and 3500's

most dealerships have moved away from inground pneumatic lifts because of the expense of repairs due to corrosion, etc. especially in high water content soils. bringing a jackhammer and backhoe inside a busy service dept. will definitely rattle your cage.

LWB crewcab are not a problem if your lift has that capacity, just position correctly, (center the weight) we also use axle stands (5ft tall jackstands) for additional bracing when necessary.

my last dealer experience averaged one chassis replacement a month
to repair collision damage -- insurance co's are very reluctant to total a
30K TO 45K 4X4 truck if they can replace the twisted frame for 2k plus labor. our tech had it down to a science... 1 1/2 - 2 days.

[farmer0_1]

us farm boys are always looking for stout and cheap. this drive on hoist is rated for 22,000 pound lift. bought it at a old auto body shop for $500. bucks. will be set up in my storage building because it would fill my shop. going to pour concrete this summer and yes it will have radiant floor heat. i have used the two post air over hydrolic hoist for years when i was a fleet mech and really liked them. and yes they came in and jackhammer the floors to death fixing them. anyway this hoist will be inconvenient to walk out from underneath the rig but it gives me loads of usefullness servicing equipment like tractors and the like. i hope the ramps will part enough to lift bodies off of frames.