The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Tool Chest Home Built Cab Lifter

Some time ago at a swap meet there was a fella selling a contraption to go on the end of your shop crane to lift the cab off a truck, I got a good look at it and how it worked with plans on building one someday.
So sunday morning I got to the point of pulling the cab on my 53 and decided I needed one. The metal store isn't open on sunday and after looking through the scrap pile I decided I could build it out of some CCA 4X4's I had and some deck brakets.
Here is the result.

Mind you I wouldn't recommend it for repeated use, and I do plan on building a proper one out of metal but I was amazed at how well it worked for the 5 minutes or so I had invested.

MONGO

MONGO,

Very impressive..I don't a see any need to build anything else. Is there a big square hole in the firewall?


Stuart

Mongo Great weekend engineering. Since the Jack brings it up at an angle did it present any problems? Would a swivel at the midpoint that allow the load to balance be worthe the added trouble? I may need to do this in the near future as well.

The big square hole is what you have to do to get 3 2 Barrels on a 235, it will be boxed in nicely. Also all the holes in the firewall will be filled and smoothed, I'm going to run all my wireing down the frame rail.
It was a lot more stable than I had expected and the fact that the deck brackets were a little bigger than they needed to be allowed it to angle back and forth about 20 degrees, with it in the center of the cab it allowed to get somewhat level itself.
I think I took pictures of the one at the swap meet made of metal, I'll try to post them once my website comes back up this morning..
Mongo

Mongo, Very cool and timely, since I am planning to remove my cab from the frame shortly. How stable is the whole setup once it is in the air as far as being able to move the lift/cab assembly off the frame. I ask since my frame is not on wheels and I would like to lift the cab off the frame and then pull it away from the frame. Thanks.

Mongo now that is using your noodle and you should get a patent for it before someone on this site does.
Jamo

I did this on the weekend with my 57 3100 - worked like a charm - though I should have thought about my cab dolly a little more - had the cab in the air, and the dolly would not go over the legs of the engine hoist - made it real fun to lower and get in place on my own

Thanks for the idea!

Thanks about the tip on the dolly height! I probably would have forgotten to check that before I attempted this in the near future. Were you able to move the cab on the hoist or did you just move the truck frame from under it? My frame is not on wheels at the time, so I am hoping I can manuver the cab on the hoist.

I moved the cab on the hoist a couple of feet and then rolled the frame out of the way. If I had a remotely smooth driveway, it would have been easier to roll the hoist.