This started out as just a simple easy way for me to carry my Hi-Lift with me without it just laying flat in the bed getting rusty (or better yet, leaving a rust stain) and boucing/sliding around. Then it turned into a dual purpose Hi-Lift mount / bike fork mount. It works great, and cost about $28 to make (not including the quick release fork mounts). What ya think guys?...

 

Looks pretty good and functional.

 

That looks pretty slick right there.

 

Thanks guys. It has worked goodso far.

 

You weld like I do! Other than the beads, looks great! If you would have purchased that it would have been $200 or so.

 

Yeah I kinda thought the same thing, plus it was a fun little project to do .

I do weld like crap. It is the first thing that I have welded. In the last picture you can see the little spot welds (to keep the nuts from rotaing loose).... they don't look half bad . Before I cleaned it all up and painted it, I smacked it on the ground a few times to see if I could damage the welds holding the mounting flanges on the ends, and I couldn't so I figured it was good enough .

I got about and 1/8" or so between thetruck bedand the mounting flanges, to acount for the line-x as soon as I get it done. right now I have rubber washers filling the space.

 

you know... With some bed liner it wont rust your bed

 

Thanks for the idea, I have had mine thrown in the space under my toolbox almost since day one. With my bed rug it doesn't slide too far out from under there, but if I'm off-road the thing slams the back/side walls, and even though the rug kills any metal on metal sound (except when it hops up & hits the toolbox), it would still be nice to secure it under there.
I think I'll weld up a little bracket to hold it, or better yet, practice myTIG skills and weld an aluminum bracket onto the under side of the toolbox.
And don't worry about your welding skills, I started welding in my fathers shop at thirteen and twenty-eight years later mine don't look a lot better than yours, but they always hold...

 

If I had a tool box back there still, I would probably mount the jack to the front of it using the same hardware I used on the thing I made. You would most likely have to make something to go on the inside of the tool box to bolt through since the flimsy front sheet metal wall of the box probably isn't strong enough.

I'm getting a little better with the welder now, but I still suck at it bad. At first I was making a bead by pushing/moving away from me.... then a kid walked up out of no where trying to sell magazines and said I was supposed to be pulling or working towards me as I was making the bead who knewhaha..

 

Biggest thing to remember is watch the puddle and go slow.

When I first started welding, I'd watch the arc and go too fast.

As long as you have a consistent, solid arc, and you are getting a decent puddle, it'll be okay.

45* angle, 1/8 - 3/8 of an inch gap, small circlesand pull it.......WATCH THE PUDDLE!