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I've searched around on the forum...called my dealer (no idea)....and FoMoCo (slightly helpful).
I had read somewhere that the box link cleats withstood 275 lbs horizontal pull, and 600 lbs vehicle pull (ie. left front cleat to back right cleat angle), and FoMoCo pointed me to page 241 in the User's Manual, which had that same basic limited information.
I want to hook up a winch to pull my 500 lb lawn tractor up into the bed. 1st thought....a cable or something between both front cleats to hook the winch on in the middle....would it bend in the sides of the bed rails? 2nd thought....pressure treated 2 x 3s sticking up about 6 inches from each of the front post holes, with a pressure treated board (perhaps with a strip of steel for additional strength) between them, and the winch mounted in the middle....but, would the rearward pull on those posts break the plastic on the top plastic piece running down the length of the bed sides?
I figured with a 500 lb mower, pulling it up the ramps might result in an actual load of somewhere around 350 lbs?, divided by 2 (whether 2 post holes, or 2 cleats), would be about 175 lbs on each side.
Does anybody have any thoughts or suggestions on either of my design ideas? Or maybe some other way to do this? I was trying to avoid taking it somewhere to have some sort of steel plate mounted that could withstand that kind of pull.
You would actually be multiplying the amount of force on the cleats by doing that. There was an incredible post about this exact thing a while back, lemme see if I can find it. A member had a beautifully drawn up diagram of forces and it was incredibly helpful. I'll post back when I find it, it is exactly what you want!
I winched (come-a-long) a dead riding mower into my truck once with no ill effects.
It wasn't my F150 though.
I usually just drive them in. It's kinda butt-clenching the first time, but go slow and you'll be fine. Make sure to fasten the bottom of the ramps to your bumper or something because once the front tires hit the tailgate the rear drive tires want to shoot the ramps away from the truck and you come crashing to the ground. Don't ask how I know this.
You would actually be multiplying the amount of force on the cleats by doing that. There was an incredible post about this exact thing a while back, lemme see if I can find it. A member had a beautifully drawn up diagram of forces and it was incredibly helpful. I'll post back when I find it, it is exactly what you want!
muahha found it! Diagram wasn't made by a member that was my mistake trying to remember, but the diagram itself explains what I'm talking about!
So for every 100lbs of force being pulled, you would be exerting 574lbs of force on each tie down if you had a tight cable across the center. It all depends on the angle you end up with.
Thanks Berty. I knew the knowledge here would get me a quick answer, and your diagram makes total sense that it would work that way, now that I look at it. I would have gotten back to you all sooner, but my wife and i were outside....put the ramps up, and we rolled it right up....it actually took much less energy than we thought (I'm 59....and she's a cradle-robber ;-)
Oh, and to answer the other fellow(s?), I wanted to know that I'd be able to get the mower into the bed if it were dead. I also considered riding it up if it were running, but (with the mental picture someone painted about the ramps sliding off) I now plan on pushing it up even if it is running :-)
I picked up this Spitzlift with manual crank (they do make it with power winch too) off Craigslist. If your going to lift heavy objects into your truck often, I recommend this. Is lifts 700 lbs pretty easy and it's safe too. I use it to place a Yahama V-Max into my bed.
03-31-2016, 12:50 PM
HELP: I want to winch my mower into the bed
