My knuckleboom hooklift mecanil sg160 build

[climbhightree]

My old knuckleboom truck the outriggers couldn't even lift it off the ground (especially in the sense of a stick crane). I expect the new one to have more power there.

I hear what you are saying about sinkage, and it is true. It is equally true though with a knuckleboom you want your steer and drive tires always touching the ground once set up...and not a huge deal if you see an outrigger slightly lift off the ground. Sounds weird to a stick guy, I know.

 

[chipper1]

That's funny, back in the day I ran a skyhook, had to set the outriders by swinging the boom and then pinning the outriggers lol. I would expect your new one to be able to lift even if you were extended with a load on, the safeties won't allow that though.
One time I had just gotten a brand new set of tires for the KB I was running delivering drywall, ran over a piece of steel on the job site(front tire), hurried to my setup point and made it just in time, called the boss to let him know what was up, the truck came and changed it out while we were unloading, $600 later we were unloaded and had another new tire, expensive delivery.
I've seen them way off the ground , it just seems to happen a lot quicker when the tires are touching. I was never taught to leave them on the ground, and was curious about it as I'm always wanting to learn. There were many times on sites that were not graded you couldn't get them off the ground and be set up in the right spot, on some that were only froze a bit you would send a pad into the abyss.

 

[climbhightree]

New pictures: crane is on the truck, front outrigger is on, rear outriggers on, rear bumper done, and bracket for mounting the mat rack (and hopefully the mecanil holder)

 

[chipper1]

New pictures: crane is on the truck, front outrigger is on, rear outriggers on, rear bumper done, and bracket for mounting the mat rack (and hopefully the mecanil holder)

Looks great, they do nice work.
What are the hoses by the container rollers on the very back, temp location?

 

[climbhightree]

Walk around video

 

[climbhightree]

Looks great, they do nice work.
What are the hoses by the container rollers on the very back, temp location?

Yeah, the hooklift is not hooked up yet...neither is the crane (they will share the same hydraulic tank).

 

[chipper1]

Yeah, the hooklift is not hooked up yet...neither is the crane (they will share the same hydraulic tank).

Seeing their work I didn't think they would leave those their.
Is the other western star yours too.

 

[climbhightree]

Seeing their work I didn't think they would leave those their.
Is the other western star yours too.

Nope. Just the green one. I kind wish Western star made a smaller truck...to replace my chip truck sometime with.

 

[chipper1]

Nope. Just the green one. I kind wish Western star made a smaller truck...to replace my chip truck sometime with.

I've never driven one.
When I used to pick up south of Detroit there was a wester star dealer there, same guy owned it that owned a large trucking company, used to haul with a lot of his guys and they liked them.
Back then I was pulling a sled(8 axle hauling steel) they are much like running a crane/boom in that it's 90/10, 90% you telling it what to do and 10% it telling you what to do.

 

[Steve Connally]

That's coming along nicely. Very happy for you. In answer to the question about stability. Technically speaking articulating boom cranes (k-booms) don't have outriggers. They have 4 stabilizers. As already stated the chassis is part of the stability footprint of the truck. The chassis has to be in contact with the earth at all times. I have and air suspension on my kw. I have to remember to dump the air before I set up and load the "outriggers" otherwise the chassis isn't stable. I have forgotten and man that thing is wobbly. I've got a mental checklist I go through and also stand on the bed as I'm working. I've got a good feel for the truck's response to boom movement. I know instantly if I forgot to dump the air while I'm setting up the saw or the load hook. ABC cranes are a funny beast. This thing amazes me every day.

Again, slick looking unit. Cant wait to see a grinning selfie on the way home from delivery.

 

[Lumberjack]

Would their be a downside to rigging your pto switch to your air dump valve?

 

[chipper1]

Thanks for the answer.
So you dump the air to lower it as well as get onto something more stable as the air bags give/aren't stable.
What does ABC stand for.
I always liked the KW's, that's mainly what I drove when hauling heavy.

 

[Lumberjack]

Thanks for the answer.
So you dump the air to lower it as well as get onto something more stable as the air bags give/aren't stable.
What does ABC stand for.
I always liked the KW's, that's mainly what I drove when hauling heavy.

Articulating Boom Crane.

 

[Steve Connally]

Would their be a downside to rigging your pto switch to your air dump valve?

Way beyond my mechanical ability. Sometimes I will PTO and extend only the outriggers just to finesse the set up. Once I'm good then i'll dump the air. It takes a few minutes to air up again so I try to not slow myself down by having to do it twice. I learned this while moving the truck a few feet with the air dumped and the riggers out. Crushed the bracket for a brand new airbag. That was an expensive lesson. I would like to have a buzzer so when the pto was engaged and the air dump switch wasn't activated it would buzz. Several of the guys I work with regularly know if they don't hear the air draining, they ask.

 

[Steve Connally]

Thanks for the answer.
So you dump the air to lower it as well as get onto something more stable as the air bags give/aren't stable.
What does ABC stand for.
I always liked the KW's, that's mainly what I drove when hauling heavy.

Yes. Keep in mind I'm not a mechanic. So as it was explained to me the airbag is a system not individual airbags. As the chassis shifts on the suspension they transfer air from bag to bag to compensate, or drain and refill. Having the truck on a bag instead of metal on metal allows the airbag system to try to compensate for what the boom is doing to the suspension of the truck. It makes it much less stable than the steel on steel. I like this feature. I think my chassis with the air drained is even more stable than a truck with a non air suspension system. Plus I drop the bed about 4 to 6" so I lower my outriggers even less. Another good thing is I can back in over things and dump the air and set up where I wouldn't have cleared it before. For instance bottom rail to a fence, landscape features. It's the next best thing to the pivoting outriggers they install. I just couldn't justify the cost on that feature. This jacking and lowering with the airbags is the next best thing.

I love the KW. Wish it was (A) new and (B) not an 18sp. Other than that the AC pumps the cab down to 47f. Who doesn't like that in summer.

 

[Stephen Moore]

Yes. Keep in mind I'm not a mechanic. So as it was explained to me the airbag is a system not individual airbags. As the chassis shifts on the suspension they transfer air from bag to bag to compensate, or drain and refill. Having the truck on a bag instead of metal on metal allows the airbag system to try to compensate for what the boom is doing to the suspension of the truck. It makes it much less stable than the steel on steel. I like this feature. I think my chassis with the air drained is even more stable than a truck with a non air suspension system. Plus I drop the bed about 4 to 6" so I lower my outriggers even less. Another good thing is I can back in over things and dump the air and set up where I wouldn't have cleared it before. For instance bottom rail to a fence, landscape features. It's the next best thing to the pivoting outriggers they install. I just couldn't justify the cost on that feature. This jacking and lowering with the airbags is the next best thing.

I love the KW. Wish it was (A) new and (B) not an 18sp. Other than that the AC pumps the cab down to 47f. Who doesn't like that in summer.

The air bags could be set up with a solinoid to dump air as soon as the PTO engages, however it’s just another thing that could go wrong and potentially create an issue if it malfunctioned.

 

[craneguy1]

I wish my truck WAS an 18 speed. An 8ll is crap for something pushing 50...let alone over...consider yourself lucky steve.

 

[Lumberjack]

8LL are good vocational trans, but an 18sp is great all around, IMO. You can skip as many gears as you want. If you don’t split, it’s an 8 speed plus low and reverse.

 

[chipper1]

Yes. Keep in mind I'm not a mechanic. So as it was explained to me the airbag is a system not individual airbags. As the chassis shifts on the suspension they transfer air from bag to bag to compensate, or drain and refill. Having the truck on a bag instead of metal on metal allows the airbag system to try to compensate for what the boom is doing to the suspension of the truck. It makes it much less stable than the steel on steel. I like this feature. I think my chassis with the air drained is even more stable than a truck with a non air suspension system. Plus I drop the bed about 4 to 6" so I lower my outriggers even less. Another good thing is I can back in over things and dump the air and set up where I wouldn't have cleared it before. For instance bottom rail to a fence, landscape features. It's the next best thing to the pivoting outriggers they install. I just couldn't justify the cost on that feature. This jacking and lowering with the airbags is the next best thing.

I love the KW. Wish it was (A) new and (B) not an 18sp. Other than that the AC pumps the cab down to 47f. Who doesn't like that in summer.

That's what I was picturing.
On the setups I've ran the boom was attached to the outriggers and that to the frame, to me the only benefit to using the frame/axles/wheels that way is to prevent sinking, but if your set up tight that's not been a problem, and I figured the unit to be self supporting and not reliant on those other components.
I know what you mean about waiting for the bags to fill, try that when you have a system with 20 bags lol. Most of the trucks I ran hauling heavy had what we called 4 down 4 up or 5 down and 3 up, the up axles were tags on air and then the truck had air, even on those it took forever to fill them. Many of the trucks the air dumped when you turned the key of, so you didn't turn the key of when you were loading or unloading.
I wouldn't set the air to pump with the PTO unless there was a manual override which would be pretty easy to set up, but as Stephan was saying it's one more thing to go wrong and one more thing to bypass if something goes wrong.
This is the kind of trailers I pulled when hauling heavy the last 7yrs I did that.
I know all to well about 18's, 15's and 13's, never really need to split the low side, but the top was always needed when loaded.

 

[Steve Connally]

Yikes that's a lot of rubber. I've managed to teach myself how to shift without the clutch. I don't split the lower gears but do the uppers. It's flat here so it's easy. I did learn to turn off the jake while shifting without the clutch on the low side. Took a few baths of coffee to learn that one. I just don't get anywhere fast and cars hate me. Makes it fun sometimes.