A crane for the m1028 bed!

[combat jump]

I'm putting a crane in the bed of my M1028.

I'll share some construction info as I go, in case anyone else is inspired. Here's what I am going for:

1. Low cost. Using a modified Harbor Freight truck bed crane, on a mast, with both ram for raising the boom, and a hand crank winch.
2. Braced well, not simply bolted to the floor. will have to augment the original hardware, and fab up some bracing.
3. Fairly low profile. Must look like it "belongs" to the casual observer.
4. Must be removable. I like keeping my truck looking like an original CUCV.
5. would like to lift my 550 pound motorcycle into the back of the truck with it. if I could pick up my spare 6.2L engine with it, that would be even better.

Tools on hand:
1. 4x6 horizontal bandsaw. Mine is a Jet, but its identical to the HF model.
2. Miller 211 mig
3. Miller 375 Xtreme plasma cutter (for punching bolt holes into the plate)
4. Oxy cutting torch (for the same, until I ran out of gas)
5. 4 1/2" and 7" Dewalt grinders
6. Drill press and hand held drill, plus good bits for steel

First stop was the steel yard, which also sells scrap (Sims Metals in San Jose, CA). I found some scrap 3/8" plate for a base, and bought some 1 1/5" x 1/4" for to fill the valleys of the bed floor. I have a length of 4" x 1/4" wall square steel tubing that I'll use as a mast (you'll have to wait for the pictures).

I cut the 3/8" plate into a shape that would drop into the space behind the right wheel well. Nearly up against the bed reinforcements that come with an M1028, I'll weld a tab on to brace it there.

1/2" all thread connects the 3/8" plate to a brace underneath that I fabbed from smaller square steel tubing x .120 wall.

So far, I'm off to a good start. I'll post pics as I make progress.

CJ

 

[gimpyrobb]

Might want to consider adding a brace to the top of the bed rail, it adds considerable strength to the assembly.

 

[silverstate55]

What Gimpy said; that would give it a good "L" shaped reinforcement to provide more rigidity & less sway when loading/unloading.

Nice work! Keep us posted!

 

[combat jump]

Gimpy and Silver,

Good ideas. I put a tab at the base - 1/8" angle, that will bolt to the vertical brace. I also welded 1/4" tabs at the top.

 

[combat jump]

Here's a shot at the brace that goes underneath the bed, leaning against the tacked-up pedestal base.

Two under-bed cross braces support the bed, and sit on the frame. These appear to be 14 gauge. Rather than drill through them (possibly weakening them), I made the brace to connect long bolts to kind of "U-bolt" around them. I'll post another shot of this once its installed to give a better idea.

One more thing...

Eight 1/2" bolts sucking a 3/8" plate to the bed of the truck would flatten the ridges and valleys in the bed. To make a good contact of steel against steel, with no air gaps, I tacked these 1 1/2" by 1/4" bars under the plate where they would sit in the bed "valleys".

 

[gimpyrobb]

Everything looks really good! I still think your missing out on strength by not attaching to the other bed side. I put a hoist in my deuce bed, You can't imagine the stresses they see. I would want it as boxed/strong as I could get it right away. I actually bent my deuce's bed floor by not attaching to everything I had available.

Your lift is only as strong as the weakest link!

 

[combat jump]

Everything looks really good! I still think your missing out on strength by not attaching to the other bed side. I put a hoist in my deuce bed, You can't imagine the stresses they see. I would want it as boxed/strong as I could get it right away. I actually bent my deuce's bed floor by not attaching to everything I had available.

Your lift is only as strong as the weakest link!

Gimpy,
Are you taking about the right side bed wall? The top plate has bolt holes that will go through that. Unless I am missing something...

 

[gimpyrobb]

Ahh, optical illusion, I didn't think it was anywhere near there. I see it now. DERR

 

[silverstate55]

Very nice! That should be more than strong enough! Can't wait to see it when it's all done...keep up the good work!

 

[SETOYOTA]

Subscribed

 

[Danger Ranger]

Me too, I wanna see, I wanna see.
No seriously, I do, and we need more pics for that....

Can't wait to see it in action!

 

[combat jump]

What is wrong with this picture?

Ok, so I was welding the the dark, and didn't see that I welded the top base plate without tacking a nut to the underside. Now there's a hole that is useless. Can't bolt one corner of the crane down. Any ideas, guys?

Other pics: The basic HF crane I started with. Then loped off a chunk out of the mast (want it short as possible).

 

[Danger Ranger]

Drill and tap...

 

[silverstate55]

...or weld a stud in the hole & tighten a nut down on it. 6 of one, half-dozen of the other. Good job! I can't wait to see the shortened crane mast.

 

[combat jump]

Both good ideas... I opted not to thread the hole, as its just mild steel. I'd want grade 8 hardware holding the crane down. I welded a tab of 1/2" plate to end of the crane base, and drilled it for a bolt. There's a lesson here somewhere, haha! So, the crane is done. I welded a nut over a hole, and then fabbed a bolt with a cross bar that screws it to secure the crane from rotating while driving. The crane removes with five bolts, leaving only the flat mounting surface of the lower base visible. I have lifted my spare 6.2L diesel with it, but stopped short of loading it into the bed - the winch was straining. The engine weighs about 750 pounds. It does lift my 200 pound air compressor nicely, though.

 

[marchplumber]

Sa-weet!
God bless,
Tony

 

[gimpyrobb]

Thats b1tchen! Now you need to do away with that hand crank and hook up a HF electric winch. Might also think about a stabilizer foot(out rigger) to help when you lift heavy stuff. As stout as the deuce is, I made one for my lift too.

 

[combat jump]

Gimpy,
You are right about the stabilizer foot - lifting that engine really compressed the suspension. I'm also looking at an HF 2,000 pound electric winch which would look nice on the boom. Next upgrade, though, is a longer boom arm. The extension piece is a 30" 2x2" section of steel tubing. I'll pick up a 24" longer section so that I can crane my tool box out of the bed. I'll also weld an HF pulley to the end to be easier on the cable. I'll post pics later...

 

[gimpyrobb]

HF has little snatch blocks for about $12, might help the one you have right now.

 

[Danger Ranger]

I like it. Keep us updated....and look into the electric winch. I think It would be worth it.