Rigged up a Hoist for my K5 Top

[bigschuss]

Been wanting to do this for a while. I used to use my Rotary lift, and that worked good, but I wanted something that would store the top all summer up and out of the way.



Bought some 8x8" L-brackets from Home Depot and bent them to shape and covered them with foam. I also had to buy en electric hoist from HF and some pulleys. Everything else I had laying around.

Works pretty good. Gets the top up high and out of the way without tying up my lift all summer. Think I need to add some kind of a catch or hook or something bolted to the wall so I can take the weight off the hoist once the top is lifted to the ceiling.

 

[muddybuddy]

Very cool. Nice to have that ceiling height! Guessing there isnt a smooth way to get the top off the truck to get onto the hooks, other than lifting by hand one hook/side at a time.

 

[mechted]

Run straps from the hooks by the shell vertically up to your anchor points on the ceiling to remove the load off the hoist line without having to add another anchor point. I just use 4 ratchet straps on mine.

Also might think about something going side to side under the top to prevent it from splaying and maybe cracking the fiberglass over time. Again with a simple ratchet strap.

 

[bigschuss]

Very cool. Nice to have that ceiling height! Guessing there isnt a smooth way to get the top off the truck to get onto the hooks, other than lifting by hand one hook/side at a time.

Thanks Muddybuddy. Yes, it's still not quite a one man job. I had to have my son stand outside the truck as I lifted the cap slightly from inside and he slipped the hooks under.

 

[bigschuss]

Run straps from the hooks by the shell vertically up to your anchor points on the ceiling to remove the load off the hoist line without having to add another anchor point. I just use 4 ratchet straps on mine.

Also might think about something going side to side under the top to prevent it from splaying and maybe cracking the fiberglass over time. Again with a simple ratchet strap.

Great tips. Thanks. Do you just go around and lift each ratchet strap a little a time until the cap is at the height you want?

Another member on a different forum suggested the same thing about securing the cap with a brace or strap. Didn't even think about that. Thanks. I'm on it today.

 

[Truckman4life]

To keep the cap from spreading apart while hanging you could simply run ratchet straps across from your L-bracket on one side to the other side L-bracket. I saw they had holes in the ends before you covered them with the foam. That would just keep the vertical rope from adding any spreading affect to the sides of the cap.

As far as anchoring it so the load is off the winch, I would just do a short safety chain and run it from the wall the winch is on and then make it the length to attach the other end to the same place you have the winch hook on the rope. That way when you have it all the way up you simply clip on the safety chain and release the load off the winch if you want to.

 

[bigschuss]

To keep the cap from spreading apart while hanging you could simply run ratchet straps across from your L-bracket on one side to the other side L-bracket. I saw they had holes in the ends before you covered them with the foam. That would just keep the vertical rope from adding any spreading affect to the sides of the cap.

As far as anchoring it so the load is off the winch, I would just do a short safety chain and run it from the wall the winch is on and then make it the length to attach the other end to the same place you have the winch hook on the rope. That way when you have it all the way up you simply clip on the safety chain and release the load off the winch if you want to.

Thanks Truckman...those are excellent ideas. Thanks for taking the time to respond.

 

[Moody Bricker]

I would be more worried about the ropes then the winch break,if you put knot in a rope it can cut the work load in 1/2, if you hook the ropes from front to back then you need to just push the top back just enough to hook up the ropes then lift,then the strain will be off the sidesyou