Suggestions for Spreader Bar for Lifting PA18

WindOnHisNose · Aug 16, 2020

When Roger and Darin rebuilt my wings they discovered that the Atlee lift rings had been installed incorrectly. The new setup moves the rings an inch or so further apart...so I need to make a new setup for lifting the cub.

I would like to know what you folks have made for this. Photos would be appreciated.

Thanks!

rsc

wireweinie · Aug 16, 2020

Flat, steel, bar stock, about 3/8" thick, six to eight inches wide, and long enough to extend beyond each lift eye. On one long edge, drill two holes, the same distance apart as the lift eyes. On the opposite long edge, drill one hole, centered between the two holes previously drilled. Go to the hardware store and buy five chain shackles and install one at each hole. To use the bar, hang it from the lift using the single, centered hole and one shackle. Lower the bar over the lift eyes. Connect the bar to the lift eyes by slipping one of the remaining shackles through an installed shackle and running the bolt through the lift eye. Repeat this for the other lift eye.

One big advantage of making a spreader bar this way, is that it can be drilled to fit many other aircraft as the need arises.

Web

WindOnHisNose · Aug 16, 2020

I found a photo of this arrangement. Similar to yours,Web?

Randy

OLDCROWE · Aug 16, 2020

wireweinie said:
Flat, steel, bar stock, about 3/8" thick and long enough to extend beyond each lift eye. On one long edge, drill two holes, the same distance apart as the lift eyes. On the opposite long edge, drill one hole, centered between the two holes previously drilled. Go to the hardware store and buy five chain shackles and install one at each hole. To use the bar, hang it from the lift using the single, centered hole and one shackle. Lower the bar over the lift eyes. Connect the bar to the lift eyes by slipping one of the remaining shackles through an installed shackle and running the bolt through the lift eye. Repeat this for the other lift eye.

One big advantage of making a spreader bar this way, is that it can be drilled to fit many other aircraft as the need arises.

Web

I have one just like you describe that a friend built, first time use and it started to buckle on my 180, might have been ok with the Cub but it failed before we even got one wheel off the ground. Modified it with angle iron on each side to add stiffness to resist the ends trying to meet in the middle.

If I was doing it today I would use square tubing with boxed ends and weld a flat plate on edge to attach the drop chains to and one on top for the lift point. The. Hang it and do some grinding to balance it and give it a coat of paint.

wireweinie · Aug 16, 2020

OLDCROWE said:
I have one just like you describe that a friend built, first time use and it started to buckle on my 180, might have been ok with the Cub but it failed before we even got one when off the ground. Modified it with angle iron on each side to add stiffness to resist the ends trying to meet in the middle.

If I was doing it today I would use square tubing with boxed ends and weld a flat plate on edge to attach the drop chains to and one on top for the lift point. The. Hang it and do some grinding to balance it and give it a coat of paint.

View attachment 50596

Make the bar wider, around six to eight inches, and you can lift Beavers.

Web

wireweinie · Aug 16, 2020

Mine is similar to Oldcrowe's. Just make the bar wider. But I do like the angle welded across the length of the bar.

Web

stewartb · Aug 16, 2020

Made from things I already had. The flat steel doesn’t need to be this wide. Holes for standard Cub, PA-12, and Skywagon.

wireweinie · Aug 16, 2020

stewartb said:
Made from things I already had. The flat steel doesn’t need to be this wide. Holes for standard Cub, PA-12, and Skywagon.

This is what I was trying to describe. The only difference is I us a single shackle to hang from the hoist.

Web

stewartb · Aug 16, 2020

The simplest spreader I’ve seen, and the lightest, was a piece of 1-1/2” pipe with holes drilled through at the proper width. Cable ends threaded through the holes and were swaged with thimbles for shackles. Above the bar the cable was choked to make a loop for a lifting eye and cable stops were set to fix the distance of the pipe above the airplane. Simple, easy to stow, and effective.

Bill Rusk · Aug 16, 2020

Doc

A little info taken from my "Building a Javron Cub" thread.

I purchased a 3/16 thick by 2" square 3 foot long steel tube from the local steel supply company. 14 Bucks. I purchased a Gibralter Shoulder eyebolt # 73108219 from McMaster-Carr (MSC Supply). This is for the center of the lift bar that the hoist attaches to. This eyebolt is rated at 5000 pounds with a safety factor of 5X. Then I purchased two eyebolts # 73108144 for the ends. These attach to the lift rings on the Cub Via 1/2" quick links part # 67785606.
I also got two eyebolts for the Cub # 73108144 rated at 1400 pounds each, again with a 5X safety factor.

I did a little homework on the net and I don't think you want to get a Harbor Freight Hoist. I went to a company called CM and as best as I can tell they make a good hoist (actually they have several lines/grades), and I got the Hurricane (Line/series) Hoist. Cost about 320 bucks. Then I had to make sure the rafters in the hangar would support all this so I had a civil engineer look at my hangar truss system and run some stress analysis to make sure I was not going to pull the hangar down when I lift the Cub. Then I mounted a 4X6 beam in the rafters, per the engineers recommendation, to attach the hoist to. Whew. Takes a lot of work to mount the floats, and I haven't even done anything yet.

Hope this helps

Bill

OLDCROWE · Aug 16, 2020

stewartb said:
The simplest spreader I’ve seen, and the lightest, was a piece of 1-1/2” pipe with holes drilled through at the proper width. Cable ends threaded through the holes and were swaged with thimbles for shackles. Above the bar the cable was choked to make a loop for a lifting eye and cable stops were set to fix the distance of the pipe above the airplane. Simple, easy to stow, and effective.

Pipe is an excellent choice shape wise.

mvivion · Aug 16, 2020

Square tubing is easy to set up and rig.

MTV

nanook · Aug 16, 2020

Swaged cable to a lifting eye and the ends of a large turnbuckle. Adjust the turnbuckle to whatever width you need.

gahi · Aug 16, 2020

I use a high lift jack main shaft for the spreader

courierguy · Aug 16, 2020

The spreader bars I use in my crane biz, have two eyes or flanges, on each end, one for the load below, and the top one for the sling (two slings being used, one on each end of the spreader flange, both going to the load hook). That way the load is being carried though the flat bar (or whatever) on the ends of the bar, meaning the bar is pretty much just taking compression loads. This means the bar can be a lot lighter/smaller. If you had only one pick point in the center going to the load hook of your lifting device, the bar has to be comparatively massive, not to mention more tippy side to side. Here's a shot of a 55 gallon drum I rigged to pour concrete out of, about 3/4 drum full at a time. Note the thin wall pipe, taking the compressive loads, but the 1/4" flat bar taking the lifting loads.

irishfield · Aug 16, 2020

Mine fits all makes...

daedgerton · Aug 18, 2020

Cheap and secure... not pretty but gets the job done...

DENNY · Aug 18, 2020

This is one I made for a friend. DENNY

wireweinie · Aug 19, 2020

While all of these work, keep in mind that the ones made from bar stock can be drilled to fit different widths between lift eyes.

Web

courierguy · Aug 19, 2020

Telescoping pipe (one sliding inside the other) with a series of holes and a big pin is what I use for my nickel and dime crane business, 8' for transport, extendable to 14', in 1' increments. Same concept would work smaller.

Tim · Aug 19, 2020

Here's what I use

Sent from my Pixel 2 using SuperCub.Org mobile app

cubdriver2 · Aug 19, 2020

Tim said:
Here's what I useView attachment 50696

Sent from my Pixel 2 using SuperCub.Org mobile app

I forgot you were an electrician

Glenn

Tim · Aug 19, 2020

It's a 24 volt winch, I just use a 12 volt jump pack, works fine

cubdriver2 said:
I forgot you were an electrician

Glenn

Sent from my Pixel 2 using SuperCub.Org mobile app

Paul Heinrich · Aug 19, 2020

This is what I had specially built for float changes on the Beaver and PA12. It has the correct lifting ring spacing for each.

hotrod180 · Aug 23, 2020

Those that described their spreader bars, but didn't post a pic, please do so.
A couple sounded pretty slick but I've having trouble visualizing.

OLDCROWE · Aug 23, 2020

wireweinie said:
Make the bar wider, around six to eight inches, and you can lift Beavers.

Web

But Beavers don’t get that big in Oklahoma.

Gordon Misch · Aug 23, 2020

The new setup moves the rings an inch or so further apart...so I need to make a new setup for lifting the cub

If the drops from the spreader are more than a couple inches, that 1" increased spread doesn't really matter. It's a trig (sine) thing - - - Holler if you'd like a more detailed reply - -

wireweinie · Aug 23, 2020

OLDCROWE said:
But Beavers don’t get that big in Oklahoma.

You know . . . . A gentleman from Tahlequah almost stomped me out for making a joke about a line like that. So, I think I'll let it slide for now.

Web

stewartb · Aug 23, 2020

Used a dozen times in the past few days. The only thing I'd change is the bar width. Mine's heavier than necessary. The spacing of the lifting eyes matters. The closer the lifting eyes are to the airplane rings the smaller the bar needs to be.

Gordon Misch · Aug 23, 2020

The spacing of the lifting eyes matters. The closer the lifting eyes are to the airplane rings the smaller the bar needs to be.

Not quite that simple. The bar has to support the horizontal part of the strap tension from the hook. Just like the spar carry-through would if there were no spreader bar.

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