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HF Shop Crane

  1. #1
    Don't run with the pack. whynot's Avatar
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    HF Shop Crane to raise front end?

    Anyone using a HF Shop Crane?
    1 Ton Capacity Foldable Shop Crane

    ... for lifting the bike front end to remove fork legs.

    Looks like these straps would do the job:
    1 Ton Web Sling

    I've got a wheel chock bolted to the garage floor, I tie the back end into the chock, and lift at the front -- on bikes I can get a jack under -- or to just remove the front wheel, I use a front stand that lifts from the bottom of the fork legs.

    For the Ninja 1000, I'm thinking of using one of these cranes.

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    Last edited by whynot; 05-14-17 at 06:12 AM.
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  2. #2
    Lifer Imbeek's Avatar
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    Re: HF Shop Crane

    I screwed big hooks into the ceiling joists and used tie downs...I've also used jack stands under the frame sliders

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  3. #3
    Lifer
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    Re: HF Shop Crane

    A-frame ladder worked for me before I bought the front-stand.. or hooks into the ceiling. That worked well too.

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  4. #4
    Don't run with the pack. whynot's Avatar
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    Re: HF Shop Crane

    Thanks, Guys. The garage ceiling wouldn't hold more than 10# I think. I did use an A-frame ladder a few years ago when I had the Triumph 675, got it to work, but it was really tight straddling the bike, and the lifting was difficult as I recall ...and I'm not sure the ladder I have can carry the weight of the Kawasaki.

    I like the crane idea since it has a jack, and it's versatile. Just wondering if anyone uses one.

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  5. #5
    Wizard loudbeard's Avatar
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    Re: HF Shop Crane

    I have the big brother of that one and they good for an engine hoist or moving very heavy objects around the garage. I wouldn't recommend it for your application. I think you would be better served buying some 6x6" lumber and building a frame over the bike. Much cheaper and a lot sturdier than the engine hoist.

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  6. #6
    Lifer
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    Re: HF Shop Crane

    At what point do you just consider springing for a real front stand?
    Woodcraft. Pit Bull. Etc.

    They are handy.

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  7. #7
    Don't run with the pack. whynot's Avatar
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    Re: HF Shop Crane

    Quote Originally Posted by Pinned View Post
    I have the big brother of that one and they good for an engine hoist or moving very heavy objects around the garage. I wouldn't recommend it for your application. I think you would be better served buying some 6x6" lumber and building a frame over the bike. Much cheaper and a lot sturdier than the engine hoist.
    Good idea. And within my carpentry "skills." Add a hoist of some kind ...

    Back to the cranes, with 1-ton or 2-ton capacity, seems like they could handle the job, but maybe they have too many potential failure points?

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  8. #8
    Wizard loudbeard's Avatar
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    Re: HF Shop Crane

    Keep in mind the further you extend the boom, the less capacity the lift has. IIRC, my 2 ton has 3 boom positions; 2000 lbs, 1000 lbs, and 500 lbs at its furthest extension. If the same holds true on the 1k lift, you'd be looking at 250 lbs capacity fully extended.

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  9. #9
    Lifer Falko's Avatar
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    Re: HF Shop Crane

    I made an over the bike crane, similar to what Pinned describes with the wood, but I used steel. I used a trailer winch on the cross member to lift the bike. It lifted my FJR fully so the winch did alright.

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  10. #10
    Lifer Imbeek's Avatar
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    Re: HF Shop Crane

    No need to reinvent the wheel. Crane will be in the way, won't hold the bike dead still, costs a couple hundred, takes up space in the garage, and isn't very portable, if you wanted to be equipped for front end removal at the races or something.

    I'm not positive, but pretty sure Kates is the one who told me to use jack stands under frame sliders. He does this stuff for a living. Even if you have to buy the sliders and the stands, still better and cheaper than the engine lift route. Front stand can be good too but not if you want to get at the steering head bearings and need to remove the lower triple clamp

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    Re: HF Shop Crane

    Have you got a Harbor Freight motorcycle lift yet? (the table lift, not the roll-away jack) That, used in conjunction with this scissor jack makes removal of front wheel and forks pretty simple: Amazon.com: Extreme Max 5001.5047 1100 lb. Motorcycle Scissors Jack, Narrow: Automotive

    As long as you can get the special frame adaptors (or just the flat part of the jack) solidly under the bottom frame rails toward the front of the bike, you can get the bike up high enough. You'll want to have it strapped down as well, just to keep it from wanting to tilting one way or the other.

    The large 8' A-frame ladder trick works well too. If you already have the ladder, you just need some straps.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails HF Shop Crane-front-end2-jpg  

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    Last edited by tomk1960; 05-12-17 at 07:43 AM.

  12. #12
    Don't run with the pack. whynot's Avatar
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    Re: HF Shop Crane

    Quote Originally Posted by Imbeek View Post

    I'm not positive, but pretty sure Kates is the one who told me to use jack stands under frame sliders. He does this stuff for a living. Even if you have to buy the sliders and the stands, still better and cheaper than the engine lift route. Front stand can be good too but not if you want to get at the steering head bearings and need to remove the lower triple clamp

    I've got heavy duty jack stands ... could lift the front with the stand that grabs the bottom of the legs, then lower on to the frame sliders which I should get anyway.

    (I had a garage tip-over last month, seems the front turn signal acts as a frame slider. No damage, it just popped out of its mounting grommets inside the fairing.)

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    Last edited by whynot; 05-12-17 at 08:34 AM.
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  13. #13
    Don't run with the pack. whynot's Avatar
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    Re: HF Shop Crane

    Quote Originally Posted by tomk1960 View Post
    Have you got a Harbor Freight motorcycle lift yet? (the table lift, not the roll-away jack) That, used in conjunction with this scissor jack makes removal of front wheel and forks pretty simple: Amazon.com: Extreme Max 5001.5047 1100 lb. Motorcycle Scissors Jack, Narrow: Automotive

    As long as you can get the special frame adaptors (or just the flat part of the jack) solidly under the bottom frame rails toward the front of the bike, you can get the bike up high enough. You'll want to have it strapped down as well, just to keep it from wanting to tilting one way or the other.

    The large A-frame ladder trick works well too. If you already have the ladder, you just need some straps.
    Thanks. I do have the HF work lift and scissor jack and bottle jack. And I jack under the frame rails on my bikes that have frame rails. But the Ninja engine hangs, no lower frame rails, you'd be jacking against the head pipes. (Also, see my post above re. my experience with a ladder.)

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    Last edited by whynot; 05-12-17 at 08:30 AM.
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  14. #14
    Don't run with the pack. whynot's Avatar
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    Re: HF Shop Crane

    Quote Originally Posted by nhbubba View Post
    At what point do you just consider springing for a real front stand?
    Woodcraft. Pit Bull. Etc.

    They are handy.
    Yep, a front stand is handy and portable. But:

    Quote Originally Posted by Imbeek View Post
    ...Front stand can be good too but not if you want to get at the steering head bearings and need to remove the lower triple clamp.
    Thinking I'll go with frame sliders and jack stands.

    Shogun Frame Sliders Kawasaki Ninja 1000 2011-2017 - RevZilla

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    Last edited by whynot; 05-12-17 at 11:21 AM.
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  15. #15
    ain't nuttin wrong w/that scubasteveRR's Avatar
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    Re: HF Shop Crane

    this ----> I've also used jack stands under the frame sliders

    worked great for me.

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  16. #16
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    Re: HF Shop Crane

    You could also use the jackstand under the footpegs instead of buying frame sliders. If you have solid mount footpegs you are good to go. If you have folding footpegs, you should be able to swap the left and right footpegs and turn them upside down. This will make them not fold up and then you can place the stands under the footpegs.

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  17. #17
    Don't run with the pack. whynot's Avatar
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    Re: HF Shop Crane

    Quote Originally Posted by PeaPod View Post
    You could also use the jackstand under the footpegs instead of buying frame sliders. If you have solid mount footpegs you are good to go. If you have folding footpegs, you should be able to swap the left and right footpegs and turn them upside down. This will make them not fold up and then you can place the stands under the footpegs.
    Thanks. With this bike, the rider pegs are pretty close to the swingarm bobbins. Good suggestion, though, [edit: when I get to doing the front end] I could use all 4 jackstands, two under the pegs, two under the sliders. I want the sliders anyway for the next garage tip-over, don't want to ask the turn signals to do that job again.

    I've got the rear shock off now, front wheel tied into the chock, rear wheel supported, and jackstands under the rider pegs which I turned upside down.



    I sent the shock to Traxxion Dynamics for re-working. Fork legs later.

    Traxxion Dynamics Motorcycle Suspension Service

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    Last edited by whynot; 05-13-17 at 07:14 PM.
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  18. #18
    Lifer Garandman's Avatar
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    Re: HF Shop Crane

    Quote Originally Posted by Imbeek View Post
    //I'm not positive, but pretty sure Kates is the one who told me to use jack stands under frame sliders. He does this stuff for a living. Even if you have to buy the sliders and the stands, still better and cheaper than the engine lift route. Front stand can be good too but not if you want to get at the steering head bearings and need to remove the lower triple clamp
    They're compact, cheap, have multiple uses. 5 lbs, $40-45.

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    Last edited by Garandman; 05-13-17 at 03:06 PM.

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    Re: HF Shop Crane

    Quote Originally Posted by whynot View Post
    Thanks. With this bike, the rider pegs are pretty close to the swingarm bobbins. Good suggestion, though, I could use all 4 jackstands, two under the pegs, two under the sliders. I want the sliders anyway for the next garage tip-over, don't want to ask the turn signals to do that job again.

    I've got the rear shock off now, front wheel tied into the chock, rear wheel supported, and jackstands under the rider pegs which I turned upside down.

    I sent the shock to Traxxion Dynamics for re-working. Fork legs later.

    Traxxion Dynamics Motorcycle Suspension Service
    I was just out working on my bike and realized I mentioned the the pegs as support, but also that you wanted to do the front forks. I don't think using the pegs would work for the front forks because of the weight distribution, the front end would probably want to fall forward.

    I had this trick in my mind from when I was doing the rear shock, which it works perfectly for. I agree you will still probably need the frame sliders to do the front end in this manner.

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  20. #20
    100 X slower than Gerard scootertrash's Avatar
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    Re: HF Shop Crane

    I have used my HF 2 ton shop crane and some heavy duty straps to pull the forks on my ZX9R. I will caution you that HF is not the highest quality, and over time the crane will very slowly drop with heavy weight on it. At least mine does. I'm talking about an inch a day with a very heavy load. So I just use a chunk of 2x4 between the crane arm and the floor to keep the thing from sinking if it is going to stay suspended for any length of time.

    The crane is pretty useful for picking up heavy things. It folds up to a reasonable size. I got it off craigslist for dirt cheap from someone who was moving. He used it once to drop a motor in a cobra kit car he was building, so it has good karma.

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