Like Your Wrecker JC ! Gotta love the Old Fords ! I have a 73 F350 Super Camper Special One Ton with Dual Wheels and Holmes 220 --The Longer wheelbase helps it Tow Great! One tip --You should put a shackle and safety chain on the loop on your boom and lower the weight off of the winch cable and drum and let it hang from the boom only. Extra safety and does not bounce and jerk on the winch and cable when you are going down the road. Done it that way last 32 years and never had a problem --but had a friend that never used a safety chain and he had his hook pull loose and lost a car going down the interstate !!
Your way is MUCH safer especially with non-worm drive winches! Best to use Grade 80 chain and Crosby (no ChiCom) shackles and wire rope clamps. I anti-seize the clamp threads for easy field repairs.
No, sling lifts are a rather old style, newer cars don't have the structural integrity in the bumper needed to be lifted by the front. Starting about the 90s in fact insurance companies insisted that new tow trucks have a wheel lift as well as a sling lift or in leu of one for that reason.
The thing to do is get (or make, it's not that hard to copy one) an old mechanical wheel lift which are designed to be lifted by the boom-style wreckers. If you don't feel like machining a pin etc just buy stock parts from whoever has something you like. You can use the whole back end and most of the boom off a hydraulic if you don't feel like fixing one or get one in pieces.
Good video. Just curious as to what you do or use for tail/brake lights and turn signals? Do you have like a lightbar that attaches to the back of the vehicle in tow? All I ever see anymore is the rollbacks around here by me.
I used to use an electric and I added a safety chain between the top of the sling and the eye hole under the boom, I would hook a loop of chain after the load and while hopping speed breakers in an apt. complex on a hill no less that safety chain saved my bacon.
Good job on the video ,very interesting. what size is your Harbor Freight wench? Has the HF winch been reliable has it given you any problems is that your first experience with a Harbor Freight winch? I am interested because I am looking at buying one but they do cost about $350 for the biggest one.
@@Defundemorats harbor freight does sell an even bigger one than the 12000 pound one but it's a bit more expensive and is on the website only and it's an 18000 pound winch intended for wrecker trucks.
12000 lb around 300 that truck and bed you have would be a good combo watch my holmes 440 electric winch wrecker bed conversion at the end screen on the left of this video all will be explained
I would shorten the sling I don't even use rubber sling anymore I just keep the bottom piece eliminate the two rubbers and the top use 1 chain like a triangle to lift from
We have a 3/4 ton Chevy with a boom and electric winch. We posted a video of us using it to load a 80's GMC we sold on to the buyers trailer. I always hook a safety chain from the top of the sling to the boom and back off the winch cable until that chain gets taught. That way the winch cable and mounting etc are not under pressure.
I have a Holmes 480 on a 1982 Chevy 4x4. It was my dad's, he owned a tow company and I was born in it on the way to the hospital. It was also my first vehicle and also the oldest truck in my fleet. But I love it. Great truck
We quit using our wrecker out on the public road. Insurance became too costly. We now have a tilt top trailer with a 20 ft bed and use a electric winch to drag vehicles and stuff up on the bed. Pull it with any truck no costly insurance. We also mounted the winch on a reciever. so we can move it around. using a shackle we can chain it to trees etc.
Nice to see how this type of tow truck works. Was about to check if there's one of those near me that I could go take a look at. Where I live I've only seen tow trucks with a wheel lift. The one that picked my car up when it was disabled, didn't even have a winch. So I'd say that was only good for what it came to do: pick up vehicles that just have to be moved (disabled, illegally parked, ...) Not a recovery truck. The wheel lift is understandable though with today's plastic bumpers. I'd be afraid to crush the bumpers of those new cars if they'd be carried in a sling like that. That's why I thought the sling would go around the axle though, to help hold the vehicle while you're towing it. Now I understand it's being used to keep the towed vehicle from slamming into the back of the tow truck. Just bought a scale model today of a 1970 Chevy C30 dually wrecker with similar setup, to try and get an idea of how they work. Mine seems to be modeled to depict a more complicated truck though. Split boom, dual winches, and it seems to have secondary winshes that would raise or lower the boom itself.
You want the weight on the CHAINS but the rubber sling tension protects the bumper and reduces slop. The geometry is interesting. There are some very wrong videos out there so go to professional wrecker forums and study so you don't die.
I really enjoyed your video, I found it very helpful in addressing my current predicament. I recently was given a gift by one of my neighbors. You see, I drop off shopping bags of fresh produce to my neighbors weekly when my gardens are kicking and this gift I was given was wonderful. It had been abandon on his property for over 5 years but hasn't seen the road in more than 15 years. Deep in the overgrowth stood an old 67 Ford F350. Looks like a big block, guessing it's a 352. Appears to be locked up though, but only somewhat. The motor turns about 30 degrees then stops. Not sure whats gone wrong with the engine, not even sure what size it is, it just looks like an "FE". However, the winch issue just turned my problems into clouds. Is it possible the winch is stopping the engine from rotating? Just learing about this new Gift. Thanks again and I Subscribed! Peace!
glad you liked the video and glad it helped and thanks for subscribing the winch could be stopping the engine from turning but highly unlikely the pto would have to be engaged and the winch and tranny stuck solid for that to happen just unhook the chain from the winch or unhook the pto shaft if you got doubts and start from there
It makes swapping beds or drivetrains (not every donor truck will have PTO or engine mount hydraulic pump) easy but I wouldn't remove a good working PTO or PTO hydraulic system to use one. I have three commercial Ramsey worm drive (same winch as used throughout the wrecker industry though mostly with hydraulic power, Ramsey just adapted an electric motor for their electric versions) and for my use the (much weaker but good enough) electric motors do the job with the aid of snatch blocks for more mechanical advantage.
I remember being a kid in the 70s and always thinking the sling tows were very cool. Of course most of the cars had the. Big chrome numbers still on them not like todays plastic and styrofoam creations What flat black paint is on your wrecker body ? It looks good in the video i was wondering if it was a por 15 or something similar I’m looking for a good flat black to paint Antique Airstream frames for estoration etc. and sometimes you. Need to. Strengthen. Up the. Originals with new steel so its best to have something that helps hide mending plates. And whatever. When you are camping
That's a lost art my friend. I knew how to use a sling before I even had driver's license. Thanks to my dad. The cops look at you weird now days when you pick up a wreck with a sling.
I have recently switched the bed over to a 4x4 diesel truck and i have bought some weldable hooks to put on the boom but i have never had any issues in the past but upgrading to be safe just the same
Has anyone thought about the difference in the way these electric winches lock in place vs the way a regular hydraulic winch does. Idk. I may be wrong but I'd imagine that the electric winch will never hold as well as an old hydraulic unit. What if you hit a pothole or anything really that would make the load bounce, temporarily increasing the load weight, and this winch let's go because it's not meant to hold like this. I'm just asking. It seems like something to really think about. Maybe I'm wrong and certain model winches have a great locking mechanism.
they actually hold better i need to do an indepth teardown one of these days and show the internals but i do have some weldable hooks i will be adding for extra safety
has it happened to you, that, sometimes when you get ready to unload a car from the sling, you find out that the chains on the jhooks are to tight that it's hard to get the jhooks out from under? what's the trick so this doesnt occur?
I love the look of the old Wreckers they get the job done you have to do a little more work but very reliable old system and like you said you don't have to keep the truck running you don't have to worry about hydraulic fluid leaking out of old hydraulic lines and freezing up in the winter and all that bulshit. For what you do that trucks perfect...
Always keep an eye on the pin and cotter pin on that harbor freight hook. My cotter pin came out and I almost lost my hook. I’ll post a video of my sling truck soon
I like the old school wreckers If you want more lift room on You’re sling just bring down the top part of your sling lower To the bumper and your be able to go a lot further up with You’re vehicle but overall it’s a great Video thanks for the memories 🤙🏾
Put that block in front of the bumper then when you hit the brakes it stops the truck he hit the brakes like that things going to ride up and pop a wheelie but I'm not going to say nothing
That winch brake is not designed to carry weight.... When it fails, and with no safety chains and the truck falls off.... The DOT is going have alot of fun with you!
@@Farmscrap1183 You can weld a hook on each side of your top piece with open end down. Put a short piece of safety chain over the boom and let the pressure off of winch. I don't tow on the road hanging on a winch and it's s big PTO winch. Can get a big shock load. Just watching out for you.
I used 12000 lb winch and i just put it in neutral because i was only going 2 miles and scrapping the truck but if you're doing it for hire pull the shaft so you don't damage transmission
Like Your Wrecker JC ! Gotta love the Old Fords ! I have a 73 F350 Super Camper Special One Ton with Dual Wheels and Holmes 220 --The Longer wheelbase helps it Tow Great! One tip --You should put a shackle and safety chain on the loop on your boom and lower the weight off of the winch cable and drum and let it hang from the boom only. Extra safety and does not bounce and jerk on the winch and cable when you are going down the road. Done it that way last 32 years and never had a problem --but had a friend that never used a safety chain and he had his hook pull loose and lost a car going down the interstate !!
Your way is MUCH safer especially with non-worm drive winches! Best to use Grade 80 chain and Crosby (no ChiCom) shackles and wire rope clamps. I anti-seize the clamp threads for easy field repairs.
This is great .. I could watch this for hours... Great truck✌️😎
Glad you enjoyed it
Finally someone who actually showed how to hook up the sling to the truck to e hauled. Thank you. 👍
youre welcome glad the video was helpful
yeah he hooked to the most fragile spot on the truck
This is pretty much the same thing my dad ran for years. When I was a kid my brother and me use to hook up the cars for him.
Can you tow vehicles with plastic bumpers with that style of wrecker? Great informative video!
No, sling lifts are a rather old style, newer cars don't have the structural integrity in the bumper needed to be lifted by the front. Starting about the 90s in fact insurance companies insisted that new tow trucks have a wheel lift as well as a sling lift or in leu of one for that reason.
@@sterlingodeaghaidh5086 Thank you for the info
no not unless youre taking them to the scrap yard tears up the plastic bumpers
The thing to do is get (or make, it's not that hard to copy one) an old mechanical wheel lift which are designed to be lifted by the boom-style wreckers. If you don't feel like machining a pin etc just buy stock parts from whoever has something you like. You can use the whole back end and most of the boom off a hydraulic if you don't feel like fixing one or get one in pieces.
The old Holmes wrecker unit was the best unit they built
What's the farthest you have towed a vehicle on that sling with that electric winch?.and did you run into problems?
Good video. Just curious as to what you do or use for tail/brake lights and turn signals? Do you have like a lightbar that attaches to the back of the vehicle in tow? All I ever see anymore is the rollbacks around here by me.
I use magnetic tow lights you plug them into the trailer plug on the wrecker and than run them back to the vehicle being towed
Is there a second winch to raise the boom up and down?
nope manual crank up and down
I used to use an electric and I added a safety chain between the top of the sling and the eye hole under the boom, I would hook a loop of chain after the load and while hopping speed breakers in an apt. complex on a hill no less that safety chain saved my bacon.
hmm I considered doing this years ago, does the winch ever drop with a load on it? Good Job!
never has and i have hauled alot with it works great
I like man tell about tow truck wheel life.i would like learn drive wheel life tow truck. I like video.
thanks
Good job on the video ,very interesting. what size is your Harbor Freight wench? Has the HF winch been reliable has it given you any problems is that your first experience with a Harbor Freight winch? I am interested because I am looking at buying one but they do cost about $350 for the biggest one.
its the 12000 lb it has been very dependable would highly recomend and if you will watch you can catch themon sale for 299
@@Farmscrap1183 okay I will thank you
@@Defundemorats harbor freight does sell an even bigger one than the 12000 pound one but it's a bit more expensive and is on the website only and it's an 18000 pound winch intended for wrecker trucks.
Thanks I'll probably have to keep watching this video I have a sling on my tow truck
Please dont thats a great way to destroy bumpers.
That's a old mechanical boom
what winch did you get from harbour freight and what did it cost? i have a 1986 chevy 11/4 ton single wheel 4x4 and i want to do a holmes 440 on it.
12000 lb around 300 that truck and bed you have would be a good combo watch my holmes 440 electric winch wrecker bed conversion at the end screen on the left of this video all will be explained
thanks much!! going to use it as a porta crain.
youre welcome should work fine
I would shorten the sling I don't even use rubber sling anymore I just keep the bottom piece eliminate the two rubbers and the top use 1 chain like a triangle to lift from
We have a 3/4 ton Chevy with a boom and electric winch. We posted a video of us using it to load a 80's GMC we sold on to the buyers trailer. I always hook a safety chain from the top of the sling to the boom and back off the winch cable until that chain gets taught. That way the winch cable and mounting etc are not under pressure.
I have a 78 4x4 supercab in building with 3 winches. a holmes 220 boom and 10k , 10k deck and 9k bumper.
First tow truck I ever drove was a hidden sling on a regular cab 2500 in high school used old conveyor belts for replacing the sling mats
I have a Holmes 480 on a 1982 Chevy 4x4. It was my dad's, he owned a tow company and I was born in it on the way to the hospital. It was also my first vehicle and also the oldest truck in my fleet. But I love it. Great truck
awsome
Great story. Have you ever had this conversation in that truck?....... "Guess where I was born? .....Right where you are sitting". LOL.
We quit using our wrecker out on the public road. Insurance became too costly. We now have a tilt top trailer with a 20 ft bed and use a electric winch to drag vehicles and stuff up on the bed. Pull it with any truck no costly insurance. We also mounted the winch on a reciever. so we can move it around. using a shackle we can chain it to trees etc.
U can short chain the sling for more lifting room on big trucks like that
Nice to see how this type of tow truck works. Was about to check if there's one of those near me that I could go take a look at.
Where I live I've only seen tow trucks with a wheel lift. The one that picked my car up when it was disabled, didn't even have a winch. So I'd say that was only good for what it came to do: pick up vehicles that just have to be moved (disabled, illegally parked, ...) Not a recovery truck.
The wheel lift is understandable though with today's plastic bumpers. I'd be afraid to crush the bumpers of those new cars if they'd be carried in a sling like that.
That's why I thought the sling would go around the axle though, to help hold the vehicle while you're towing it. Now I understand it's being used to keep the towed vehicle from slamming into the back of the tow truck.
Just bought a scale model today of a 1970 Chevy C30 dually wrecker with similar setup, to try and get an idea of how they work.
Mine seems to be modeled to depict a more complicated truck though. Split boom, dual winches, and it seems to have secondary winshes that would raise or lower the boom itself.
Nice setup you have there.
I have a question, so initially is most of the Weight on your rubber Slings?? Thank you on this..
You want the weight on the CHAINS but the rubber sling tension protects the bumper and reduces slop. The geometry is interesting. There are some very wrong videos out there so go to professional wrecker forums and study so you don't die.
I really enjoyed your video, I found it very helpful in addressing my current predicament. I recently was given a gift by one of my neighbors. You see, I drop off shopping bags of fresh produce to my neighbors weekly when my gardens are kicking and this gift I was given was wonderful. It had been abandon on his property for over 5 years but hasn't seen the road in more than 15 years.
Deep in the overgrowth stood an old 67 Ford F350. Looks like a big block, guessing it's a 352. Appears to be locked up though, but only somewhat. The motor turns about 30 degrees then stops. Not sure whats gone wrong with the engine, not even sure what size it is, it just looks like an "FE". However, the winch issue just turned my problems into clouds. Is it possible the winch is stopping the engine from rotating? Just learing about this new Gift. Thanks again and I Subscribed! Peace!
glad you liked the video and glad it helped and thanks for subscribing the winch could be stopping the engine from turning but highly unlikely the pto would have to be engaged and the winch and tranny stuck solid for that to happen just unhook the chain from the winch or unhook the pto shaft if you got doubts and start from there
I have to say that conversion to an electric winch is awesome! I have a fully functional Holmes 500 mounted on a 1981 C3500.
It makes swapping beds or drivetrains (not every donor truck will have PTO or engine mount hydraulic pump) easy but I wouldn't remove a good working PTO or PTO hydraulic system to use one. I have three commercial Ramsey worm drive (same winch as used throughout the wrecker industry though mostly with hydraulic power, Ramsey just adapted an electric motor for their electric versions) and for my use the (much weaker but good enough) electric motors do the job with the aid of snatch blocks for more mechanical advantage.
Good job. I'm glad you wrapped the chain for safety reasons.
thank you always try to be safe
I remember being a kid in the 70s and always thinking the sling tows were very cool. Of course most of the cars had the. Big chrome numbers still on them not like todays plastic and styrofoam creations What flat black paint is on your wrecker body ? It looks good in the video i was wondering if it was a por 15 or something similar I’m looking for a good flat black to paint Antique Airstream frames for estoration etc. and sometimes you. Need to. Strengthen. Up the. Originals with new steel so its best to have something that helps hide mending plates. And whatever. When you are camping
No safety chains?
Try crossing those chains on the sling.
Did you build that wrecker bed, I like it I will be building one like it on my C60 66
no it is a factory holmes 440 i just converted it to electric winch
@@Farmscrap1183 that’s pretty cool, I can’t seem to ever find any old wreaked beds up in my area
That's a lost art my friend. I knew how to use a sling before I even had driver's license. Thanks to my dad. The cops look at you weird now days when you pick up a wreck with a sling.
You've got a lot of faith in that winch brake I would of had chain from sling to boom
I have recently switched the bed over to a 4x4 diesel truck and i have bought some weldable hooks to put on the boom but i have never had any issues in the past but upgrading to be safe just the same
@@Farmscrap1183 I've had few issues with winches letting go
Yo se towen carro truck
Loved it! Clear, to the point, simple and effective. Thank you for posting! You’re getting a new subscriber
youre welcome, glad you liked it, and welcome aboard
man get you at least one safety chain on that thing geez if cable breaks bad things going to happen.
Has anyone thought about the difference in the way these electric winches lock in place vs the way a regular hydraulic winch does. Idk. I may be wrong but I'd imagine that the electric winch will never hold as well as an old hydraulic unit. What if you hit a pothole or anything really that would make the load bounce, temporarily increasing the load weight, and this winch let's go because it's not meant to hold like this. I'm just asking. It seems like something to really think about. Maybe I'm wrong and certain model winches have a great locking mechanism.
they actually hold better i need to do an indepth teardown one of these days and show the internals but i do have some weldable hooks i will be adding for extra safety
has it happened to you, that, sometimes when you get ready to unload a car from the sling, you find out that the chains on the jhooks are to tight that it's hard to get the jhooks out from under?
what's the trick so this doesnt occur?
really havent had much of a problem with that
Hello how do you get power for the winch do you have a separate battery in the back just for that? And thank you for your video
youre very welcome for the video all i did was run very heavy copper cable from one of the batterys to the winch
I love the look of the old Wreckers they get the job done you have to do a little more work but very reliable old system and like you said you don't have to keep the truck running you don't have to worry about hydraulic fluid leaking out of old hydraulic lines and freezing up in the winter and all that bulshit. For what you do that trucks perfect...
thanks
Just a quick FYI the higher you put your boom the more weight you transfer to the front axle
good to know
Awesome video. You taught me a lot AND you're a Ford guy! Subscribed.
thank you very much for subscribing glad you like the video more to come im a diehard fan of the 7.3 idi's
Always keep an eye on the pin and cotter pin on that harbor freight hook. My cotter pin came out and I almost lost my hook. I’ll post a video of my sling truck soon
i have upgraded the hook to a bigger heavier one than the harbor freight one
I like the old school wreckers
If you want more lift room on
You’re sling just bring down the top part of your sling lower
To the bumper and your be able to go a lot further up with
You’re vehicle but overall it’s a great Video thanks for the memories 🤙🏾
youre welcome and thanks for watching and the input
old video, still awesome
thanks
Great video I enjoyed watching.
glad you liked it
Put that block in front of the bumper then when you hit the brakes it stops the truck he hit the brakes like that things going to ride up and pop a wheelie but I'm not going to say nothing
Awesome thank for sharing
That winch brake is not designed to carry weight.... When it fails, and with no safety chains and the truck falls off.... The DOT is going have alot of fun with you!
Expert advice?
@@Farmscrap1183 You can weld a hook on each side of your top piece with open end down. Put a short piece of safety chain over the boom and let the pressure off of winch. I don't tow on the road hanging on a winch and it's s big PTO winch. Can get a big shock load. Just watching out for you.
That's how I'm doing mine. Let the safety chain take the shock. Cheap insurance for everyone's safety.
Badass brother! Thanks for the video. Always wondered how this wored.
thanks glad you liked the video
What size winch do you use? And, did you pull the drive line or just put it in neutral?
I used 12000 lb winch and i just put it in neutral because i was only going 2 miles and scrapping the truck but if you're doing it for hire pull the shaft so you don't damage transmission
So basically the J hooks are whats holding up the entire truck off the tie rod end?
no the j hook is hooked through the end of the i beam
@@Farmscrap1183 Ah OK thanks for clarifying!
What did you do with the red 1 ton 4x4 to your left? That’s a great setup you have.
I still got it future project and video
@@Farmscrap1183
Has it posted?
@@xmo552 sold the truck don't have it anymore
Sling a Lumina , Malibu , Cavalier , LS400 with out breaking anything .
you cant these wreckers were designed back when vehicles had steel bumpers now everything is plastic thats why i only use it for vehicles im scrapping
@@Farmscrap1183 Yes you can . I do it with an old Holmes 440 , but never on a cold day .
..they don't build em like they used to!! Now everything needs a flatbed and a ton more $$
We use to use 4x4 blocks between the sling and k frame on those cars pain in the ass but worked
safety chains and tail light on towed veh?
Always
damn, sure could use that seat......
if your close to oklahoma i can hook you up
just get a 2020 F550 mlp 4x4 diesle
their only 78k
only 78k!!! more than i got