i have an idea, but i don't know how

[welder_one]

i am currently working on a '78 gmc 3/4 ton 4wd with flatbed. the thread "rig truck help" shows pics and the story behind it. i built a new flatbed for it and i want to set the upright from a cherry picker on the bed behind the drivers side. several jobs that i come across requires me to pick up pieces to be welded and i have to waste time and money getting and waiting on help to lift them onto the bed of the truck. i have 2 cherry pickers so i want to "donate" one of them to the cause. figuring out how to tie it in to the frame is not the problem, it is somehow allowing it to swivel so that i can pick the pieces up, rotate over the bed and set them down. bind it and drive. my wife has put me on a close budget on this truck, so i wont be able to buy anything prefabbed. anyone have any ideas for this please help.

[dabar39]

crane swivel

I made one for my old utility body truck.

I made a plate for the frame and bolted a flange bearing to it, made a plate for the bottom of the hoist with a 1 3/16" shaft sticking down from it and slid that into the flange bearing on the frame. I'll have to see if I can find some pictures of the old beast so you can see better what I am trying to describe. Dave

[welder_one]

probably the heaviest that i will lift is 1,000 pounds. my engine drive is the heaviest that i have had to lift, my old one. its an old legend aead 200le

[Copperdog]

Pickup crane

I was at a flea market last week, they had a 1000# pickup crane for $90.
After i looked it over, I decieded I could not buy the box tubing to build it myself for $90, let alone the jack. It appeared to be a functional tool.
I am in central PA.

[rodweld]

hub and spindle from 3/4 ton rear end will work nice.

[Keyster]

I have used the axle tube and hub from big trailers.
Reinforced mounting plate on the floor with holes for the hub and wheel studs.
Bolt it in place with the lug nuts. It is removeable that way.
I made the arm moveable but not powered.
A small winch with a remote control made for a handy back saver.

hth
K.

[All-about-design]

hub and spindle

hub and spindle as said is a great way to solve this problem. I have seen many swivel rigs of some sort or another done this way and it works great!

[fun4now]

wile i don't know if its quality is any good (probably not) HF has a few versions of swivel lifts. you might stop by and see how they did it and see if its some thing you could make up your self or use as a design idea.
the hub sounds like an excellent idea also.
Keyster
welcome to the forum.

[welder_one]

http://www.benmeadows.com/search/crane/10219/126446/?isredirect=true

check this one out, for the price i might have to just order this one. freight and all is going to be around 100 bucks, and a warranty too.

[HMW]

Add a small winch to the rear of it with a couple of sheaves and you wont have to do as much jacking, would probably work good. Hows the truck coming along?? We used to have some similar that the boom pinned in position, instead of the jack, and the winch picked the load up. Real simple. I like the jack better since your height is infinite.

[welder_one]

a great find in some junk!!!

i was called to see if i could haul away some junk behind this man's house. as i was loading the truck, i came across an old trailer hub and brakes. it is off of a 10,000 lb axle. the hub still spins. i also found a small piece of pipe that is stout enough to start making my "crane". it is 4 inch schedule 120 d.o.m. pipe and also about 6 foot of 2x4 5/16 wall rectangle tubing. i have some a572 gr50 3/8 plate left over from another job. i also have a piece of 3/4 plate left over. with all of this, i can make my crane. i will post pics as i go. (i sold the scrap for enough to buy a bottle jack and a tank of fuel). now i wont have to sacrifice a cherry picker.