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Does anyone have one of these A-frame front hoist kits for the M37 with winch? I've never seen one, or even seen one advertised for sale, but it would be handy to have around my shop and property.

If anyone has one of these kits, but isn't interested in selling it, I'd appreciate having the dimensions (lengths, tube diameters, wall thicknesses, etc.) of the A-frame leg pieces.

The Federal Stock No. (FSN) for the 3/4-ton truck A-frame kit is 2320-833-7114, and the manual is TB 9-2300-248-30.



Not sure how safe it would be to operate with the cab canvas top draped over the windshield!





Apparently, there was a similar A-frame front hoist kit for the Canadian trucks, but other than a few photos, I don't have any information on that variation. Interesting, though, that the Canadian design uses a post in the front of the cargo box (sort of like the M24A3 gun mount) to lift the guy wire over their hardtop cab; the tailgate is cut open to allow the guy wire to pass through it, allowing the tailgate to remain on the truck in the open or closed position while the A-frame hoist is installed. They also used a small frame and bracket above the winch to steady one of the legs, likely to keep it from flipping back over the hood and cab.

Hard to come by. I'd like one myself some day.
Gary

It's an easy build since only a bolt & pipe are used at the tip of the frame to allow for use at varying extensions of the frame rather than a head block. Best material to build the legs from will be 2½ & 2" rigid conduit as they telescope nicely. Base legs want to be about 8' and the tops 8½ to 9'.
The tip pipes need to remain about 6" apart fully extended, and the base clevices need to accomodate some travel as the base changes angle relationship to the bumper hardware.

The stifleg behind the cab ABSOLUTELY needs to be there because the support cable will destroy the cab the first time somebody screws up lowering the frame.

The unit pictured is only usable in 1 position erected. It's a cheap and dirty build designed to be used by people with little training.

To erect the legs are extended and pinned and then walked up by a couple men until the gantry cable can be connected to the pintle at the back of the truck.. The distance between the base of the frame and the winch drum is too short for the winch to erect the frame without risking bending the frame.
Before erecting the frame a couple wood blocks should be indexed between the front X and the frame or any load will break the front springs.

The design is not good for traveling with a load on the hook as it puts way too much weight on the front tires.

NOTE the structure bolted to the top of the winch. That prevents the frame coming back over the cab in the event the winch cable lets go under load. The safety bar is NOT a load carrying element of the structure.