Hi All. I've installed a harbor freight truck bed crane (yes I am a HF addict, they have so much good stuff for trucks) in my 2018 F250 long bed. Here's a picture of the under bed brackets. The bed flexes when I use the crane. What's the best way to beef up the under bed mounting? Can I weld to that C channel part? It seems really thin. Not sure if it's steel or what. Looking for any suggestions. Thank you in advance!

 

The bed is aluminum so is that C channel.

It appears the aluminum is just sandwiched between the crane and it's under brackets?

It's only a matter of time for that aluminum rips.

 

I don't remember if the changeover to aluminum was 2017 or 2019. Quickest way to check would be to try to stick a magnet to the bed of the truck.

That said, everything you've got circled and where your crane appears to mount to is all sheet metal. I wouldn't lift much with it even with reinforcements, even if it IS a steel bed. You could try putting a 1/2" thick plate in there and using longer bolts but I'm not sure that's going to help you out much.

Something like a crane should be attached directly to the frame - it's the strongest part of the truck.

 

2017 was the first Alumiduty.

 

I wouldn't mount it to the bed at all; only the frame or something bolted to the frame (like the reciever)

2 cents,
Dave

 

I love the notion that Harbor Freight has "so much good stuff for our trucks"... Sure if you like cheap Chinese garbage. The truth is, there is very little I would ever buy there and I would never buy a HF product that I had to count on for work because, it is going to break...

 

 

Can you name a reasonably priced USA alternative?

HF’s hydraulic stuff is actually pretty good.

 

Yeah sorry but I have to agree to disagree, I love Harbor Freight. You can get real work done with their stuff. Welders, tool storage, hand tools, shop fans, fasteners, tape measures, concrete mixers, ladders, garden hoses, welding gloves, helmets, the list is huge (and all in my garage). They have different levels of quality depending on the brand and the tool. But even their cheap stuff, I mean the one time use tool you know is a one time use tool, you still get work done with it. And why would I pay extra for a company to makes the tools in China anyways. You're basically buying their marketing at that point.

 

HF sells a lot of stuff that works good. You have to be careful because they do have some really crappy stuff too. I bought a screwdriver set in an emergency situation and it was absolute garbage. I did get my ATV going again but I gave them to a neighbor kid when I got back to the house. Their garage tool cabinets are awesome. Well built, sturdy, hold a LOT of tools and still roll easily. Why anyone would pay Snap-On 5X or more for the same thing is proof of the adage about a fool and their money... I also have their large welding cart - it holds my Lincoln MIG, my Hypertherm plasma cutter, a 4 ft. AR-CO2 cylinder, spools of wire, tools, gloves, a HF fiberglass welding blanket, HF leather welding apron, etc. Got it with a coupon for $149 and it has been perfect for shop use. I have their 1.5 ton aluminum floor jack. Been using it for 10 years or more. Low enough to fit under the Vette, lifts a corner of my tractor, will lift one side of the rear axle on my Super Duty. Super light to pick up and cost me $49 with one of their stupid "coupons" back in the day. I haven't even added oil to it yet.

I have an arbor press, a 20 ton air / hydraulic press, a metal bender, a 6" bench vise, a tire bead breaker and several cast iron stands for my drill press & bench grinder, a couple of steel 4 legged tool stands for my band saw and arbor press, etc. that all came from HF. All of that stuff gets used weekly and has held up for years. I have a small number of their air powered tools - and they work just fine as well. The other thing they are great for is buying fabrication consumables. Their cut off discs, grinding wheels, etc. work awesome and are less than 1/2 the price of the same crap at Lowes or Home Depot. Believe it or not their welding helmets are an incredible buy when you catch them on sale for $35. Auto-darkening, no batteries, replacement lenses readily available. You can adjust the brightness and they are fairly light too. I sold my way over-priced Miller battery-powered helmet after using it a few times and seeing how the HF unit worked just as well and didn't require 2 - 2032 batteries every time I turned around.

"American made" doesn't necessarily mean quality any more. It's sad but it's true. As ATC said if you can find an alternative it is not usually reasonably priced. I am old so I have a metric ton of hand tools made by various American companies when that meant quality. There are still some hand tools that are somewhat reasonably priced still made in the USA but it is getting harder and harder to find them. I like to hit garage sales in old neighborhoods. I can often find quality old tools like that.

Back to the OPs situation - you definitely need to make a large steel plate, get it bolted to the frame and then mount the crane to that. The aluminum bed is going to tear unexpectedly, costing a fortune to replace and possibly injuring someone when the bed mount fails with a heavy load on it. If your truck has the 5th wheel / gooseneck plate already installed that may open up some creative possibilities. It is certainly sturdy and it s mounted to both frame rails.

 

Woke up the HF defenders club...LOL Just my experience, I only buy stuff there if I know I am only going to need it occasionally or once and I have been disappointed even then. I have never seen a quality line of products in that store. Good to hear some of you love them. 99% of the time I am shopping elsewhere for tools.

 

I picked up a creeper from them recently. Fact is, no matter who sells a creeper, they are all the same. I have a DA polisher from them and it works great, and I have a 6" disk/belt sander that is so weak it can stall out on a block of balsa. Some of their welders are good for their price, and some are not. Their tool cabinets however compared to Snap-On and the others big truck stores is high quality. I have one of the U.S. General tool cabinets and it is solid, as good as or better than both Snap-on boxes I have. Some of the sockets are good, some of the combo wrenches are good, some are total crap, just have to read and watch reviews on what you are looking for.

For that bed crane, you need to find a way to attach it to the frame or it will get pulled right out of the bed.

 

HF has some stuff that is "OK" for light duty use....otherwise it's crap. And it's ALL cheap, chinese made crap. If you love it good for you, Xi appreciates your support!

 

Back to the OPs issue, you need to have an L bracket made that will bolt directly to the frame to where you have the crane mounted. Go by a local welding shop and they can help you out. If you continue to use it the way it is it will rip the aluminum bed apart.

 

I agree with not bolting anything load bearing to the aluminum bed for a crane application and needs to be mounted directly to the frame. This comments then leads to I'm not sure what this truck bed crane is used for, but have concerns of safety here as well.