restoration SPARKY lives again.

[ChasSomT.]

Just me 'Worrying', but if you hit a bump, 'Sleeping policeman' etc. when the first rear axle hits it, you have got two tonnes bending the chassis at the point the 'walking beam' attaches to it - the counterweight at the front, and the Hiab at the back. Anyone else care to comment?

[Richard Farrant]

Just me 'Worrying', but if you hit a bump, 'Sleeping policeman' etc. when the first rear axle hits it, you have got two tonnes bending the chassis at the point the 'walking beam' attaches to it - the counterweight at the front, and the Hiab at the back. Anyone else care to comment?

 

I cannot really see how this crane is mounted any differently to a lot of modern trucks that deliver building materials or handle timber, with cranes on the back of the chassis. The length of chassis from fulcrum point of walking beam to the rear is so short and substancial, that it should not present a problem.

[phil munga]

Great looking truck doing a great job , very useful size HIAB :-) ,

 

Originally Posted by ChasSomT.

Just me 'Worrying', but if you hit a bump, 'Sleeping policeman' etc. when the first rear axle hits it, you have got two tonnes bending the chassis at the point the 'walking beam' attaches to it - the counterweight at the front, and the Hiab at the back. Anyone else care to comment?

 

I cannot really see how this crane is mounted any differently to a lot of modern trucks that deliver building materials or handle timber, with cranes on the back of the chassis. The length of chassis from fulcrum point of walking beam to the rear is so short and substancial, that it should not present a problem.

 

Do not think it would be a problem and would think it would lift the front before the chassis would bend , anyone else bent the chassis on one of these ?

quite a few of the modern trucks like Richard mentions may not have an axle set up as good , separately sprung axles I know most have compensator rods but don't work as well , so surely the rear front axle would get more stress ,,,,,, than the Walking Beam type ,,,, have built trailers with axle setups like this as they ride much better over rough terrain especially sleeping policemen ,,,, just my thoughts ,,,

[croc]

I can't see why a ton of Hiab should be any issue to something designed for suspended towing, even if the crane was overloaded the front would lift before the chassis came to any harm. The only thing that stikes me as odd was using a counterweight behind the cab rather than the original setup of removable weights on brackets at the front.

[R Cubed]

Great rebuild, is this an old restoration as I have seen this, or one very similar with a Hiab on the back at an Isle of Wight show a couple of years ago could you confirm this ?

[HWade]

Hi thats a nice restoration you are doing I like the idea of the hiabb. I know its for lifting gear about but do you have a task for it, do you have a flat bed trailer you plan to tow behind, keep the pics comming, your doing a great job.

 

Howard.

[R Cubed]

Here are a couple of views of the rear and the front after cleaning all the dust off.

 

 

Then after a few phone calls, the HIAB doner vehicle was found just down the road.

After measuring the fixing points the bolt on part was welded up and fixed to the rear using 16, 16mm high tensile bolts, so the whole assembly can be removed if required.:wow:

 

I have read the posts about the Hiab at the rear of the truck and how it is fixed to the chassis rails, despite there being 16 16mm dia bolts, looking at how close they all are to each other and the potential lifting ability of the crane the forces on those bolts I would think that if it did not shear the bolts off it would rip the end part of the chassis to pieces, unless there is more to the installation than in the pics.

 

I you look at commercial Hiabs they have large plates running down the sides of the vehicle chassis which the Hiab frame bolts fix to, these are then welded to large pieces of box section or c section which runs the whole length of the chassis rails on top of the vehicle chassis, this is designed to spread the forces down the vehicles chassis, also the use of the stabilizer legs helps to prevent over loading the chassis when lifting.

If you are going to use it in a serious way I would suggest you get it inspected and certified that way you know what you can lift and there is no danger of it all falling off and causing damage.

 

Only my thoughts and I don't really know what I am on about.

[ace1]

Just to put your concerns to rest, (and they are quite valid) the rear construction goes round the entire back of the chassis members, like a sleave, so it would take the full lift even if all the bolts were removed. As for load testing, the eye on the end of the first section of the arm can lift approx 6 tons, which it has done and so long as the legs are on solid ground there is very little stress on the chassis.

 

Alan.:writing:

[ace1]

As I said earlier in the thread, we had two homes for the scammell before settling down, these are some pictures of the first move, but this time it drove itself onto the loader. After unloading it took about 2 weeks to build the "car port" bolted to the side of the container.:-D

[ace1]

Great rebuild, is this an old restoration as I have seen this, or one very similar with a Hiab on the back at an Isle of Wight show a couple of years ago could you confirm this ?

 

Yes i have been going to the IOW for a number of years now, with HMS Sultan steam lorry, there are some pictures of one of the "adventures" in the pioneer thread.:red:

Hopefully will be there again this year, then on to Dorset, 10 days away, Bliss!!!:-D

Alan.

[R Cubed]

Just to put your concerns to rest, (and they are quite valid) the rear construction goes round the entire back of the chassis members, like a sleave, so it would take the full lift even if all the bolts were removed. As for load testing, the eye on the end of the first section of the arm can lift approx 6 tons, which it has done and so long as the legs are on solid ground there is very little stress on the chassis.

 

Alan.:writing:

 

Fair enough, pictures can be deceiving good luck might see you over on the IoW this year then.

[ace1]

Hi thats a nice restoration you are doing I like the idea of the hiabb. I know its for lifting gear about but do you have a task for it, do you have a flat bed trailer you plan to tow behind, keep the pics comming, your doing a great job.

 

Howard.

Thanks, no specific task, but the HIAB will load things in the back, like the spare wheel, so i lift out the wheel, lift the offending wheel off the road, change, then put the flat back in. Also we have done some "extream" gardening (see pioneer thread) other than that it is usually in demand at steam rallys etc, "please can you load this pallet of coal on my trailer?" or some thing like that. Always pleased to help if i can, dont be backward in comming forward if anyone needs a lift with something.

 

Alan.:-D

[ace1]

Here are the last few pictures of the restoration, not having the HMVF forum to look at the rear was made compleatly from RSJs and steel sheet, but this does add more strength to the rear of the chassis.

The first tests of the HIAB were succesfull, but we tryed 2 or 3 methods of driving the pump for the hydraulics before settling for a flex drive from a speed boat. It was out of balance at 10,000 rpm, but just fine for our use, (and free):cool2:

[ace1]

Sorry, but the pictures of the rear assembly were lost, but you can get a reasonable idea from the last three pictures. The sides will drop down to 90 degrees to the lorry, held by some very large chains to give a quite large flat area, which is what was planned because beleive it or not, the back is used to launch fireworks, and i dont mean what you buy in the shops! I work for a fireworks company in Selsey as a hobby and we used the lorry for a show, launching 10 and 12 inch shells, it bounced a bit, but was otherwise unharmed, hence the name SPARKY.

So, i finish with a before shot, and 3 of us arriving at Dorset up the playpen last year.

 

Alan.

[gritineye]

Thanks for all that Alan, the firework usage came as a surprise!

 

Just a thought, but when I first saw Sparky I wondered about the lack of a winch, as one would make him even more useful, presumably you used the winch PTO to drive the hydraulic pump, which would prevent using the original winch.

 

As the crane blocks the normal path for the winch rope have you considered a simple under body hydraulic winch using the front fairlead, if only for self recovery? This would replace the dead weight block with useful weight

Edited February 2, 2010 by gritineye

[ace1]

Thanks for all that Alan, the firework usage came as a surprise!

 

Just a thought, but when I first saw Sparky I wondered about the lack of a winch, as one would make him even more useful, presumably you used the winch PTO to drive the hydraulic pump, which would prevent using the original winch.

 

As the crane blocks the normal path for the winch rope have you considered a simple under body hydraulic winch using the front fairlead, if only for self recovery? This would replace the dead weight block with useful weight

Hi, yes you are correct, the PTO drives the pump, i did have a hand winch, but decided it was to small to be used for self recovery, the other problem is where to fit a winch as the body comes right down to the chassis, but i would appreciate any advice that came my way for the position and type of winch that would suit.

A recent addition was the low pin hole on the front, the hook is to high, i found that most traction engines have quite low pins and this has caused the front of the lorry to take off when the wheels of said engine hit the ramps on a low loader(i have seen sky already on the IOW, it makes your a---se pukker) The last picture shows the bracket quite well.

 

Alan.:cool2:

Edited February 2, 2010 by ace1

[radiomike7]

Must be the only Pioneer with pantograph wipers:shocked:

[AndyFowler]

Lovely job Alan ! She's a credit to you ! :-D

[ace1]

Must be the only Pioneer with pantograph wipers:shocked:

I wouldnt know, but they keep the rain in nice straight lines down the windscreen.:-D

[ace1]

Playing with steam engines at the Sultan show 2009.:clap:

[ace1]

Lovely job Alan ! She's a credit to you ! :-D

 

Thanks, come and have a drive at the next GDSF, if we both make it back from Haven street.

Those roads on the IOW are tricky.:laugh:

 

Alan.

[AndyFowler]

Will do mate ! Thanks for the kind offer ! :-D

[ace1]

Here are a couple of pictures from the IOW rally 2009. There was a nice collection of vintage vehicles as well as the steamers.:laugh: I think this is one if the most friendly rallys of the year, and would reccomend a visit if you are looking for a good day out.:goodidea:

 

Alan.

[ace1]

Here are a couple of pictures of my first run out, to Burseldon Brickworks.

[abn deuce]

Very Clever scale model steamer !