On 2012-02-05, Bruce L. Bergman (munged human readable) wrote:
On Sun, 5 Feb 2012 10:10:48 -0600, "RogerN" wrote:


I have an engine hoist similar to this one:
http://www.ruralking.com/engine-hois...m-midwest.html

It's useful within it's range but I was thinking about making some parts to
adapt it for more height, so I can load and unload taller things out of the
back of my truck.

You are hoisting very heavy things over yourself as you are
unloading them - things that fall and crush people on a regular
basis...

DON'T **** WITH MURPHY, HE WILL BITE YOU. If you modify that engine
hoist to extend the reach or the load ratings you are going where even
professional engineers fear to tread, and you will have to totally own
any accidents that happen.

Go buy/rent/borrow a gantry crane, a trolley and a good chain-fall or
electric hoist for lifting your loads out of the bed of the truck -
http://www.harborfreight.com/1-ton-t...ane-41188.html
http://www.harborfreight.com/1-ton-p...ley-97392.html

Northern Tool has a whole assortment of Vestil gantry cranes in an
assortment of sizes in both adjustable and fixed height up to 8000#
load ratings, and all the trolleys and hoists too.

And McMaster, Grainger and the other A-List suppliers have varying
width and height gantries that go to 10,000# and beyond, but you pay.
Even "Easy Store" ones that break down and assemble by hand with Dzus
Pins, can be slid into the back of a pickup or stuck in a corner when
not in use. Biggest piece is the load beam, and all Aluminum.

Put the gantry over the truck, lift the load, then drive the truck out
from under it. Then you can lower the load into final position, or
onto a set of machinery moving skates where you can horse it into
final position. And for loading, you do the opposite.

Even with a wheeled gantry you still don't try moving a load swinging
from the hook alone - it gets tippy, the load starts swinging, things
go bad really fast.

You get the load on the ground, then you use a fortklift or pallet
jack or those machinery skate wheels to make horizontal moves.

-- Bruce --

I think that he was trying to find a solution that does not cost as
much money.

Also, lifting stuff out of a truck is not overhead lifting.

i