Knuckle Boom Crane on M35A2C

[nf6x]

I've always thought that Bjorn's deuce with a crane looked really neat and quite practical, and lately I've been wondering if my needs might be better served if I put a similar crane on my M35A2C and then sold off my M543A2 wrecker (which I just use as a yard crane). About the biggest job I typically use my wrecker for is swinging my S250 commo shelter on and off of my HMMWV, so I need to lift about a ton at a suitable height and radius for that task. I don't know where my old MVM back issue with Bjorn's crane installation article is, and I have no experience with knuckle boom cranes, so I have some questions:

How much space is needed behind the cab for a crane with hydraulic outriggers like Bjorn's?

Could I just slide back the regular bed on my dropside deuce and replace or re-locate the bed mounting brackets, or would it be better to chop the front end of the bed off instead of having it hanging a few feet off the rear of the truck?

Would a 24VDC electric-powered hydraulic pump be able to handle the pressure and flow requirements of the crane, or would I need to use a PTO-driven pump?

How would one of these cranes mount to the truck? I.e., would it need to be welded to the frame like a lift gate would be, or would it just straddle the frame and clamp on to it with big U-bolts, or what?

Any suggestions on how and where to find a suitable knuckle boom with outriggers, and how much it ought to cost?

Finally, would any of y'all be interested in some sort of crane/wrecker swap?

I'm getting ready to start building a house on my property, and I need to fix some financial damage from some recent surplus-related indiscretions , so I'm thinking of thinning my herd a bit both to free up some cash and to better align it with my needs. My HMMWV stays no matter what, but my deuce, wrecker, M38A1, scissor lift and Bobcat are all candidates for reassignment.

 

[BKubu]

Hi Mark,
Try to find a HEMTT knuckleboom. It will mount directly to your chassis. They can lift 4500 pounds within 9 feet and 2500 pounds out to 19 feet. I hope that one of the other SS members will respond. Someone on this list...I believe his screen name is REBLAWYER or something like that...bought such a knuckleboom from me and planned to mount it on his deuce. With that said, my recommendation would be to mount the knuckleboom on a 5 ton chassis and mount a deuce bed behind it.

Good luck!

 

[JohnnyReb]

Oh how soon they forget Bruce, I bought your truck from our buddy Joe and yes the HEMTT Crane. Also have the remote control.

Not interested in the wrecker but may be interested in selling the crane. I actually ended up buying a larger commercial cranetruck for my timberframe business.

 

[cranetruck]

This may be the Grove (HEMTT) crane Bruce is referring to. Not a true knuckleboom, but has a lower profile when retracted.

 

[cranetruck]

Pictures of the HIAB at work.
They go for $3,000 to $9,000 these days.
Total weight is about 4,000 lb. Requires about 15 hp to operate. Pump should be capable of delivering up to 10gpm at 3,000 psi.

 

[cranetruck]

More images.
The crane is mounted to the frame using long bolts, no welding.

 

[maddawg308]

Man, Bjorn, that's a very useful tool you got there! Love the pics!

 

[cranetruck]

This is one of my favs, sideways "winching". A couple of snatch blocks and the block anchors in the pipeline bed does the job.

 

[tklm539]

Wow what a useful tool. Could the bed on an A2 be pushed back to accommodate the crane or would the frame need to be extended?

Tom

 

[nf6x]

That HIAB crane looks awesome. I think I'm in love.

The ability of that HIAB crane to do close-quarters work is what I find especially interesting. My wrecker's hydraulic crane is pretty nice, but it can't lift stuff off the wrecker itself, like the spare tire. My deuce would be a lot more useful for my upcoming move if it could load itself. I'll be moving by myself, so it would be a PITA if I had to shuttle both a cargo truck and my lifting equipment back and forth separately.

How close in can that HIAB crane work? Can it get in as close as a 12" radius (that is, to lift something right next to the crane itself)?

Can that Grove crane pictured above work at close quarters? Is that what your crane looks like, JohnnyReb?

I can see how a 5-ton chassis could be a better host for a 4,500 pound crane, but I don't have a 5-ton cargo truck to put one on. Unless somebody wants to trade their 5-ton for my deuce and let me keep the dropside bed...

As long as Bruce is forgetting people, I bought one of my shop vans from him a while back. I sold it later, and I just saw it come up on eBay again recently. This is the one:

http://www.nf6x.net/greentruck/truck4/truck4.html

 

[Steamynachos]

All they did on my truck was cut the front section of the cargo box off and shorten it a little and move it back a foot. Then the Hiab was mounted it's just bolted on. The pump for it is run off the rear pto just as if it had a rear winch like a wrecker. You can pick stuff up right at the base of the crane.

 

[BKubu]

Mark, how did you think I remembered your name? Of course I remembered you...I remembered you so well I recognized your ham radio handle.

JOHNNYREB, no offense meant. At least I remembered some of your screen name.

 

[Recovry4x4]

While I can load and unload stuff off the bed of the deuce wrecker with its boom, there's not much bed to haul stuff. I've had the pleasure of watching Bjorn use his crane many times and have used it myself. I'll tell you this, It would take several hours to recall all the different things Bjorn has done with that crane and many more to write them down. There is no place on the truck that crane can't reach. The outriggers make a jack obsolete. Got a flat, lift the truck with the outriggers. Think if it as more of a large robotic arm, it's that useful. It takes about 2' of frame to mount it. A 5 ton would be easy considering you pull the 14' bed and install a 12' bed but the deuce is very well suited for the crane. Mark, I'll bet lunch anywhere that if you put the Hiab on the deuce, you would never ever regret it and never be able to live without it again.

 

[Tomtsled]

We thought about moving the entire bed back on my truck but are going to cut approx. 30" off the bed behind the cab. Will still give me enough length to haul log length trees home to process into firewood. Got my HIAB k-boom on ebay for $ 2500.00.

 

[cranetruck]

We thought about moving the entire bed back on my truck but are going to cut approx. 30" off the bed behind the cab. Will still give me enough length to haul log length trees home to process into firewood. Got my HIAB k-boom on ebay for $ 2500.00.

That's a great deal!
As far as hauling long log etc, they can be loaded all the way to the cab by driving with the boom extended over the rear (not folded into a figure 4).
I have hauled 18 foot logs without a problem. The pipeline bed is just over 10 ft long and provides ample loading space.
If the truck becomes light in the front, simply extend the boom over the front as a counter weight.

 

[cranetruck]

You got me on a roll, here are a few more images.

 

[nf6x]

Bjorn, are you sure you don't work for Hiab? Because I'd be calling them up first thing next business day to buy one if I had the cash to do it with.

But seriously, seeing what a knuckleboom can do has me thinking that I ought to sell off my wrecker, deuce and Bobcat, and then buy a 5-ton cargo truck (maybe a 900-series?), replace the bed with a 12' deuce bed, and put on a knuckleboom big enough to lift my S280 shelter from the ground onto the bed.

 

[rchalmers3]

Notice: Thread resurrection!

I'm jumping onboard this thread 12 years later 'cause I'm considering adding a Hiab K-boom to my truck. This is not a definite project, even though I already have the crane (Hiab 174) and have fitted a transfer case PTO. I'm needing a whole bunch of assistance with understanding the Hiab. It needs a ton of love to make it worthy of installation on my truck.

I need really basic, introductory info: How is the hydraulic system fed, where does the oil return, where do I get parts and a manual for this old timer?

Thanks in advance to all, and Happy New Year to all of you,
Rick

 

[cattlerepairman]

Notice: Thread resurrection!

I'm jumping onboard this thread 12 years later 'cause I'm considering adding a Hiab K-boom to my truck. This is not a definite project, even though I already have the crane (Hiab 174) and have fitted a transfer case PTO. I'm needing a whole bunch of assistance with understanding the Hiab. It needs a ton of love to make it worthy of installation on my truck.

I need really basic, introductory info: How is the hydraulic system fed, where does the oil return, where do I get parts and a manual for this old timer?
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Thanks in advance to all, and Happy New Year to all of you,
Rick

Resurrection of the thread resurrection (Maybe you should start a new thread?)

Did you ever get started on the crane project?

 

[DZelmer]

@Steamynachos

Last year i picked up a old duce with a dump bed and crane that looks just like the on in some pictures you posted i need some info on it if possible i can find no identification on it. I let a buddy use it and i doesn't know how but he managed to blow a downrigger cylender cap apart slid the hole rig sideways about 6 inches to a food and tells me it just blew apart...if i can figure out what the crane is hopefully incan find some parts. Any help would be appreciated. Previous owner of the truck had a tree service and unfortunately is no longer with us for me to pick his brain on this thing.