Hoist mounted on ceiling joists

RatLabGuy

RatLabGuy

You look like a monkey and smell like one too
Joined
May 18, 2005
Location
Churchville, MD
Looking at adding a hoist to the garage. Short term for lifting and storing the 4runner top against the ceiling, but longer term that will be elsewhere and I'll likely end up using it for lifting "stuff" around the garage. Likely Bronco top. Ideally pulling an engine from the Bronco but I'm unsrure of the weight distrobution.

which leads to the question... how much is a reasonable load, and what is the bst way to brace it?
it's a 60s Ranch w attached garage, joists are only 2x4s, mounting point would be ~16' in from the door and ~6' from wall along the joists if that matter. Attic has purlins and braces.

Can I get away w/ just running a big steel bar across 4 joists? Would it be better to mount it on the purlins so the pull is at an angle and pushes the weight out?
 
What's the weight of the top? I'm not an engineer, but I wouldn't hesitate to hang the top from the joists if you're spreading the load. My shop is nothing but a metal carport with walls and a door and I hang my CJ top from the metal arches with ratchet straps. I hung from 1 strap with my svelte 250# ass and it held so I figured 4 straps would be fine.
 
I'm guessing the 4runner top is around 150 lbs. 2 guys can carry it no problem.
I'm not at all worried about that... I mean a grown man can walk across joists.

What I AM worried about is when I get randy and decide to use it to pull an engine ;-). Or to drag a non-running vehicle the last 30' into the garage.
 
tknopp said:
Have you thought about just buying a gantry crane?
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yes... but no space to store it. It's just 450 sq ft attached garage.
 
Oh, I missed the "other stuff" part of that. FWIW, My dad used a 4x4 across maybe 6 trusses to lift a SBC long enough to put in in the bed of a truck. nothing creaked or groaned and felt pretty stable.
 
Pretty sure @jcramsey pulled a service bed off his '63 c20 with a 4x4 laying across a couple trusses with a crap load of junk already piled up on them....add some plywood gusset over the existing truss plates and some scab boards to the bottom cords if ya scared
 
If you want to know how a metal building could fall down, it starts with shit like this.

Assuming it's properly engineered, the bottom chord of the truss or the ceiling rafters are designed for a 10psf distributed dead load, inclusive of all fixtures, insulation, gwb, etc. No live load or point loads.
 
shawn said:
If you want to know how a metal building could fall down, it starts with shit like this.

Assuming it's properly engineered, the bottom chord of the truss or the ceiling rafters are designed for a 10psf distributed dead load, inclusive of all fixtures, insulation, gwb, etc. No live load or point loads.
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that sounds really low. How is it full sized guys walk across them all the time? Hell how much does an 18' garage door weigh, that is held up by a single bracket on either side?
 
RatLabGuy said:
that sounds really low. How is it full sized guys walk across them all the time? Hell how much does an 18' garage door weigh, that is held up by a single bracket on either side?
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You asked how much weight they can support. That's likely what they were designed for.
 
Like @shawn said, it'll be fine. Just add weight slowly and use auditory clues. Also, make sure to flick the strap or chain periodically and say "sure is tight" to let it know who is boss.
 
ramjo said:
Pretty sure @jcramsey pulled a service bed off his '63 c20 with a 4x4 laying across a couple trusses with a crap load of junk already piled up on them....add some plywood gusset over the existing truss plates and some scab boards to the bottom cords if ya scared
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Never pulled the service bed. Pretty sure it would’ve taco’ed in on itself if it was separated from the frame. I cheated on the 66 stepside bed too and put a little frame underneath it to take some of the load. You right though....probably 300 pounds worth of almost empty paint cans and junk stacked up there :rolleyes:

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I guess imma die cause I have no telling how much stuff up in the rafters of my shop LOL

I am planning a hoist for the hard top made from a boat winch and a couple of pulleys. I used this setup at the old house to lift my zero turn up in the front to swap blades.

I plan to hang the main pulley from the part of the truss the roof steel sits on and come down between the rafters.
 
RatLabGuy said:
that sounds really low. How is it full sized guys walk across them all the time? Hell how much does an 18' garage door weigh, that is held up by a single bracket on either side?
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My answer comes from a structural engineer sitting beside me that will remain nameless that works at a firm that rhymes with mutten-timmerly :cool:

He laughed when I read this post and the replies to him.

"We typically design for 300% because of dumb stuff like this taking place....the fat guy walking on the rafters, the occasional 60mph downburst winds, but to even consider using the rafters to support an engine other than a weedeater is asking for trouble"

Keep in mind...this is also the guy that puts a 12x24 footer 18" BFF to support a CMU shower enclosure :shaking:
 
CasterTroy said:
My answer comes from a structural engineer sitting beside me that will remain nameless that works at a firm that rhymes with mutten-timmerly :cool:

He laughed when I read this post and the replies to him.

"We typically design for 300% because of dumb stuff like this taking place....the fat guy walking on the rafters, the occasional 60mph downburst winds, but to even consider using the rafters to support an engine other than a weedeater is asking for trouble"

Keep in mind...this is also the guy that puts a 12x24 footer 18" BFF to support a CMU shower enclosure :shaking:
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Sounds like mah boy is the kinda dude that never ran with scissors even once in his life.
 
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