Just need to know! I was told by a buddy of mine that I could lift my sled off the ground completely by attaching a strap to my handle bars then to an ceiling mounted engine hoist(which I already have in my garage). Is this true? If so how balanced is the sled going to be?

It's just to get the sled onto the back of my pick-up.
Sled:
1996 Formula STX583

What? :!: Let him show you w/ his sled first. I've never heard of that method. I don't think the parts for supporting the steering "column" were designed to hold the weight of the sled.

IMO I wouldn't try it.

Like Revrnd says. I don't think handle bars are meant for that. The engine hoist should work, but I'd make some sort of cradle to lift from under the running boards and stabilize to the rear bumper.

maby he wants the riser bar effect with the bars bent forward...LoL

well, I've seen this method in watercross races. Cables were attached to the stearing colume with a floating boy, and they used a little crane on a pantoon to bring the sled out of the watter. I would personnally would never try that.

Got tired of the sore back, load mine with a come along all the time. Made a harness consisting of 2 identical ropes with S hooks on each end. Run them front to rear on each side, hooking to spindles and rear bumper. Lift in center of rope (loop), have never had a problem. Even if one rope let go for some reason, the other would prevent sled from hitting the ground.

Geez, just make sure you don't pull the garage down on top of you... make sure you reinforce the building structure to handle this. Standard construction is not going to cut it.

The other thing I just thought of, if you have a full size truck, you may not have enough clearance to get a loaded sled through your standard size door opening... My 4x4 Dakota is VERY close to hitting a 7' doorway with the sled's windshield.

All i do when there isn't a bank to load off of, i pull the sled in the shop, "catwalk" it from the front bumper with the engine hoist, back the truck in so the skis will sit on the tail gate, slack off the hoist, pick up the back by hand and push it in, usually witha little bit of effort involved. you can rehook the engine hoist the the rear bumper and use it to lift it up, but it takes too much time.

Acouple of things for you to think about though

1. This engine hoist is a self supporting hoist meant for lifting tractor/cat engines. It is NOT attached to a roof or rafters.

2. This is how i loaded into my dads 94 ford half ton. I haven't yet tried it in my dodge 3/4 ton, so i don't know quite how well it will be working for me then.

HOpe you find something to work for you.



Bauer

I cut a piece of 2x8 and used lag bolts to attach it to two rafters in the garage, then attached an eyehook in the middle of the 2x8 so that the weight would be distributed over the two rafters. I use this for my chainfall for lifting just the back end of the sled for maintenance. I don't think I'd try it for the whole sled, though.

Thanks for the replies guys...
When my buddy told me this, I was looking at my sled and I just couldn't believe that the steering system would handle this weight...
As for the ceiling mounted hoist, it lifts the back of my 4x4Dakota completely off the ground, structure is build for this.
And thanks for the note about the garage door height ;) fuk I would have pissed if I got the sled up but couldn't get it out of the garage (inside garage is about 16' high, but door is standard size :unsure:

I guess I'll think something else to get her up there?

" I wonder if my wife would mind if I just used her Integra as a ramp :devil: That car is pretty low up front, then I could just ride up the hood, over the car, right into my box :D "

I was at the Arctic Cat plant last summer and they were lifting completed sleds off the assembly line by the steering column.

2slow2go, not sure if you can doo this in the area you live. I built a wodden ramp out of waste lumber and slab from a buddies sawmill. The price was free and I can drag it out of the way in the off season.
Jeepster I could see them hoisting it out of the water that way as much of the weight is displaced, but on dry land I would never hook it by the bars and lift.

Originally posted by permafrost@Sep 10 2004, 02:47 PM
2slow2go, not sure if you can doo this in the area you live.* I built a wodden ramp out of waste lumber and slab from a buddies sawmill.* The price was free and I can drag it out of the way in the off season.
Jeepster I could see them hoisting it out of the water that way as much of the weight is displaced, but on dry land I would never hook it by the bars and lift.
344347

Yeah the whole riding the sled up the Integra is a joke... The only reason I'm not riding her up, is because she's gotta go down to the shop for the clutch. So she must be lifted onto my truck.

I'm thinking I'm gonna just back the truck into the ditch and pull the sled onto the bed by hand.

(inside garage is about 16' high, but door is standard size :unsure:


A 16' ceiling with a 7' door! Now somebody wasn't thinking when they built that garage. Take a tape measure and measure that door, maybe you have more clearance than you think.

I have often lifted my mach in the air using the following method.
1 chainfall hooked to back bar (using a strap of course)
1 chainfall hooked to ski tips (regular logging chain)

I wasn't sure the first time, I only lifted about 4 feet off ground, but now I will bring it up so I can walk under it. Oh the chainfalls are on an overhead trolley.