Tj M
Use a spreader bar.
As Bill is telling You,but dont put the strapback to itself as such it pinches the roofline and wants to crush the gutters by pulling to the middle.
If the sling/strap or whatever runs thru the cab and padded at the top and go,s STRAIGHT UP to a Spreader Bar of sorts,
You are lifting Strait up not pinching the roof line.
Can be done with the doors on also.
Key is spreader HAS to be equal to the Total Width of Whatever You are Lifting.
Regards,
steve sr.
Very correct, "spreader bar", I have seen many that wrap a strap around the top, not good practice, as it multiplys the force against the gutters and top of cab. And likely will tweek something. DO NOT USE STRAPS.
Lifting on the upper part of the door opening in the cab is how the factory did it, at least on TF style cabs, and I suppose on the AD's as well. Do not do like others do and lift through the windshield opening and rear window resting on the pinch welds.
The cherry picker deal will work just fine, the trick is how the adapter is made. Mine has 2 parallel 2x6's that run just past the 2 door openings with angled (about 3 -5 deg) to miss the gutters 2x4's to make sure nothing slides off when picking, bolted between the 2, in the center is a stack of 2 short 2x6 to space the 2 long boards,
and then on each side of the stack making a T to the long boards is vertical 22 inch long 2x6's this whole stack has 3 long bolts holding it all together with long boards on the outside of stack. At the bottom center of the verticals up 3 inches is the hole that pins it to the cherry picker. I haven't measured how high it will go but I'm sure I could pick a cab easily out of a pickup and or a flat bed truck. Extending the 2 vertical boards down from the ones that support against the top of door openings is the trick to getting height in the lift. You just don't want to go to low and go below the center of gravity of the load.
My lift setup works great.
