Winch to Use for Vertical Lifting Application

Question:

I have a Jeep I need to make a hoist for its hard top. Im wondering if this would hold up to 400-500 lbs weight hanging from the ceiling in my garage. I would mount four of them - one for each corner of the top. Thank you!

asked by: Dustin

Expert Reply:

ProGrip XRT Rope Lock Tie-Down # 317-404400 is intended for use to secure cargo items. It is not really intended for use as a hoist to lift and hold heavy items overhead. Although four of these would have plenty of weight capacity it might be tough to operate all of them at once.

A safer and better solution is a worm gear winch like # DL11011 which is designed for vertical lifting applications. With it you can use 25-foot cable # DL24100 for a 1400-lb lifting system that will hold the top still unless you crank the handle. You also can use the included hex drill attachment to speed things up if you like. Worm gear winches like this cannot pay out the cable unless you crank the handle and this safety feature makes them the right choice for lifting.

You'll probably want to use a couple of heavy straps on the top which can then connect to the hook on the winch cable. For example, the Erickson 10-foot ratchet straps might be used in a criss-cross pattern with the winch hook grabbing both where they cross.

expert reply by: Adam R