Rant: Tried a new rigging method for a tricky lift in Tacoma and it backfired

We had to move a big AC unit onto a roof downtown, and the foreman said to try a double-basket hitch with the nylon slings to keep it level. I set it up like he showed me, but when we lifted, the whole thing tilted about 15 degrees and started spinning slowly. We had to set it down fast and re-rig the whole thing with chains, which took an extra hour. Learned that nylon stretches way more than I thought on a long pick like that. Anyone have a go-to method for rooftop units that won't twist on you?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_parker29d ago

We had a 5-ton chiller slip in a nylon basket hitch last year for the same reason. The stretch on a 70-foot pick was enough to make it dance like a slow-motion pendulum. We switched to polyester roundslings for anything over two stories, the stretch is way less. Even then, a tag line is mandatory for us now.

wood.uma29d ago

Man, that slow-motion pendulum dance sounds way too familiar. Learned the hard way myself with a nylon strap and a long lift, felt like watching a bad dream in real time. Polyester and a tag line is the only way to fly now, right?

stella2229d ago

Watched a pallet swing once, still makes me cringe.