Truck Cap Lift II

Author: Dave
Date: 08.17.12 - 7:55am

Another season, another chance to tweak the proceedure of putting the cap on and off again with one person.

Update 4.21.13 - Video is now available:

If i was more motivated I would really design something, but for a twice a year operation, I just make do.

Improvement this fall, was to ditch the clunky lifting frame from underneath it, and replace it with an overhead spreader bar made from C-channel. Actually "made" is a pretty strong term to use for having just drilled a couple holes in a piece of stock, but hey it works.

I did want to build a load leveler screw into the center mount, but I just dont use it enough to care. You will see a bucket full of scrap metal tied to the front of the cap. This worked just fine and took all of 1 minute to implement. I should use some clevis instead of the climbing D clips. If the load had shifted, the weight could have beared directly on the D clips gate which is a really bad thing.

Comments: (3)

On 08.27.13 - 4:06pm Gordon wrote:
Great idea, just what I was looking for. Thanks

On 02.21.15 - 9:16am Tim wrote:
I just got around to looking for ideas to help me with this very issue. The one question I have is did you make the upright arm for the cherry picker? I have searched around for the term and cant seem to find anything the ol internet that fits this description. Which leads me to believe you may have made it. In which case I would ask how? Thanks and great idea!

On 02.21.15 - 11:06am dave wrote:
Hi Tim,

Yes I fabricated the upright arm myself using a welder.

All of the parts were really from teh scrap bin of the local distributor I took a close up picture of the contraption with a measurements in the pict. not an engineer so use at own riskbut has been working for me on a smooth surface with a heavy fiberglass cap. maybe add weight to back of engine lift for safety

so the bottom part slips inside the original engine lift arm, then the top part has another slider inside of it that slides into the extendable part of the cherry picker which is now relocated to the top. a bolt through both keeps it from sliding anywhere

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