The best tow truck wheel grids that you've never seen
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- Опубликовано: 2 окт 2024
- Get them at merlemanufacturing@gmail.com
Austin and I have come up with a new product to help protect the oil pans on cars being towed with wheel lift tow trucks. As anyone who's towed with a wheel loft truck knows, oil pan damage is always a risk and great care has to be taken to avoid it. But as we also know.... I don't like being careful, so I had to get creative. After a few napkin drawings with Austin, we came up with the Pan Saver Wheel Grids. They over double the amount of oil pan clearance from the crossbar, and on most vehicles they move the oil ban back behind the crossbar, which completely eliminates the chance of oil pan damage. No more having to swerve and avoid potholes, crawling through rough intersections, inching over speed bumps, and best of all... no more double picking. In addition to that, they also offer another tie down option that eliminates the chance of scratching rims, and holds larger oversize tires in a much more secure way than the standard lasso strap. For pricing and how to order, reach out to Austin at merlemanufacturing@gmail.com
@MilwaukeeTool
To order or get more info, contact Austin at merlemanufacturing@gmail.com
Add a product/order page to your website... and discount coupon here... plus T-Shirts, hats, etc! Get your family involved in the merchandising part of the biz.
@@c-qc-q2021 we have merchandise, and will be getting these added to the website soon
@@CaseyLaDelle patent pending or patent issued, ill make whatever I wanna make 😆 I just can't sell it 🤔
@@platinum6978 that is correct. You can make anything you want for your own personal use
@@CaseyLaDelle I do think u guys are awesome 👌 God Bless you for everything you do 👏 buying a set of these seems a lil easier than going through R&D to build them. I'm also pretty sure you could still sue me for copying your design, which I love the chains!
Seems like a simple solution for a troublesome problem.
Simple solutions are the best kind!
Who doesn't love a good KISS?
Keep It Simple, Stupid.
simple engineering at its best! i understood everything.
Casey is great at explaining. 😁
Necessity is the mother of all great inventions. Sometimes it's the guy with vision and drive that solves the Caramilk secret... lol, keep providing your awesome videos. I look forward to them 👍👍
this is awesome, and love the wheel grids
I remember one that was really, really bad about cracking an oil pan. You don't see this one around much anymore, but from about the mid 80s through to the early 00s, GM had those at first 2.3L and later 2.4L Quad-4 cast aluminum oil panned engines that loved to bite into wheel lift crossbars. Those VWs out of the 80s and 90s loved them too. I remember checking into one of them for the first time and seeing this oil pan completely exposed to evertything, just way down there, nowhere near a crossmember or engine cradle or anything else that MIGHT take some of a hit. I looked at that one and "That is sooo going to hit if I get anywhere near even a tiny pebble in the road". There was a Chrysler engine too, but I don't remember what it was. It happened to be the only time I ever cracked a pan. I looked at it too before I left, and it really had tons of clearance, or so I thought anyway.
The dog is smart to stay away from you two 😂 nice video how to destroy a car 😅😅😅 😃🦋💜
Wow just great Casey and Austin, congrats so happy for you both, at least you have your prototype built.
Go right to a Manufacturer have them produce your product, decide a percentage or have them buy it outright.
A Patent only gives you the right to sue if stolen
Example: man invented truck bed liners, his original prototype he had Halter Marine make it out of fiberglass...
Today truck bed liners are usually made of hard rubber, yes?
Does that effect the original Patent?
You bet it does.
So enjoying your videos
Brilliant idea! Go sell them. Another American Dream come true.
Well that was a surprise. Great upgrade guys and love the testing, cracked me up. I have always said, let the guys that use a product design and test it, not the engineers that are told design it for this many dollars.
That was what you were talking about 😅 it makes so much since 🙌🏿
As a fellow wrecker operator, I love how you actually did this. Seeing how things can go wrong, helps me to do things right. Helps me to understand the physics of what I'm working with. Very cool!
28:57 just a tad LOL. What an awesome tow upgrade. I am NOT a professional but I can tell this makes way more sense than the stock options. Well done guys and Merle is a smart pup, he knows!
Rule number one: When Merle runs way, you run away.
@@CaseyLaDelle duly noted and I listen to Merle!
I already have that designed skid pads I have had that exact one for years yers and years , kool thanks BigAl California
You should have patented it!
sigh, one of my favorite cars was a 1989 Jetta GLI 16V I bought new, and it had plenty of ground clearance, I took it on dirt roads all the time, never bottomed out. this was back when a 185/60R14 was a 'low profile' tire.
So wise , Thank You . Interesting use of you're lift , Thank you. A much better design
Good luck on your new venture!
I could totally use this on a rollback especially, the benefits exponentially greater with your design
They will go right on rollback cross bars too!
Web store isn't up yet (I'm not techy). Get ahold of me if you want to put your name on a set. Contact info is in the description and contacts.
Casey that was a very pleasant surprise! I'm glad the extra caution with the lawyer was because you were being a very good entrepreneur, and not what I had feared was litigation against you because of a tow. That is what we need more of in this industry! Real world drivers and owners upgrading the equipment as needed because of experience and not because of some quota or bottom line! Awesome job like always!
so true
This is a good video why you should tie down vehicle I have Is seen companies Towing it's without any tighthounds
We make what we need, sweet!
Nice Job on your patented invention!
That was a good video because the Jettas are crappy putting them on the rollbacks too they scraped the front end that's why you have to use wood I don't like the jetters anyway cost $100 to drive them every time you drive one lol that was a good invention I like it very handy
Anything with a loading eye is shit imo
I so need that setup to lift my truck sideways so I can work on it!
Drill a little on the impact wrench and put a magnet in it problem solved love the content besafe .
Great idea. I had an old Mini (a real one) with a cast aluminum oil pan that was even worse than the VW. I told the driver to pick it up from the back to eliminate the risk. He refused because it was front wheel drive. I had no concern because it was a manual transmission going a short distance. It was also my request, but he insisted "NO". I checked for damage later and hoped he had good insurance. Your wheel grids would have eliminated my worries. Every change you made was well thought out and a good idea. Well done.
wel, 14cm ground clearance on a classic mini, I scraped the bottom on speed bumps on more then one occasion .... and the oil pan is the whole bottom part of the engine containing the transmission, guess a whole new engine would be the cheaper option.
luckily A series engines are pretty abundant (well, they were/are around her), my mini dealer had a big shed full of them as he salvaged them from unsalvageable minis
It was good to see the Ford.
I want to see same test with Vulcan Wheel scoops vs L-Arsm it will be super cool to watch.
The first 12 ton that I drove back in the days it had that ratchet setup when I first staring watching your videos I spotted it and took me back driving in San Francisco days. They work even with flat tires.
That was fun !
🤪🤣
Brilliant idea hope ya make a. $$$$$$
Excited to see these coming to the market- I’m sure they’ll be a hit!
I just watched a 30+ minute video for a product I'll never use and enjoyed every minute of it. Great job as always!
Good idea but u say about the bar bottom out
How do the straps not bottom out
Still has its problems that rubes over a bumpy road
Damn this is actually genius 👏
We try to consider ourselves as problem solvers 😁
Good job, good thinking.
"Sponsor me ,,,after saying something bad about their products",,, they should be jumping at the opportunity to sponsor/send you all kinds of their products.
You are honest about your findings of FAULTS as well as the QUALITY of the tools you work with.
Nothing worse than an untruthful presentation of a product.
.
Finding faults, even in quality products,,,pointing out poor, or defective design,,,ITS WHAT WE DO🎯😎☕☕
Way to go man.
The extra 3” you are pushing the towed vehicle back is going to change the lift rating of the wheel lift.
Still well within the load capacities of all the components involved
@@CaseyLaDelle I think it’s a great idea, but there are a whole lot of towers out there with the century formula 1 wheel lifts that already go over the weight limits when fully extended. I was merely stating that the 3” back is going to lower the lift rating of the wheel lift, not to mention the fact that it is also going to take weight off the front axle of the tow truck.
May also wear faster in the attachment to the cross bar, given the added 3" of leverage. The portion you mentioned getting not square over time.
@@terencecampbell8363 not an issue
Its a fucking vw. Not even an atlas or touareg lol
Nice!
This is why I enjoy your videos how you test things just Crack me up so keep up the awesome content
“So for those who wanted this car, I’m sorry but we had to do it for science”😂😂😂 Keep up the great shenanigans and stay safe out there!❤️🙏
If you don’t have a tape measure us a dollar bill, or any denomination of us currency in paper form, they’re 6” long. If you fold it in half that’d get you the 3” measurement you want.
Great video!! Nothing proves science like some good old fashioned destruction!! LOL!! LOVED IT!! Oh yeh, I think you had some really good ideas on how to improve the wheel grids!! Hope you sell a million of them!!
Very nice! Big improvement compared to the factory grids. I’ve seen it on the truck and never realized they were different 😂. I like the strap part as well. 👏👏👏👏
The strap winch is very handy on cars with low profile tires and wide rims, and also holds oversized tires much more secure
Email me if you want a set, the email address is in the description. 😁 ~Austin
@@CaseyLaDelle I strap a similar way but this is nice cause I won’t need to use my ratchets and have to worry about it hitting the bumpers when the car moves up and down.
@@merle6989 what’s up brother. I don’t own the company or the truck so I wouldn’t be purchasing these but if I did I’d switch them on all the trucks. Volkswagens are a nightmare on wheel lifts. Every time I tow one I get nervous 😂
@@TowMan127 thanks for the good words. talk to your boss and show them the benefits. One cracked pan and these would have paid for themselves. These are just one more tool to try and lessen liability. 😁
Very clever ideas..
Decent amount of tape measuring and an afternoon of fabricobbling...... And you see the prototype set I built 6 months ago..... 😁
Looking at all the scuff marks on the front air dam,,, I'm surprised the oil pan isn't already broken....lol
Hey so I gotta idea for them why not make a little bar the strap goes under right in front of the tire to hold it away from bumpers and stuff just a thought as I saw it close to the bumper.
You guys had to much fun with this video! But I hope you sell a bunch of those new lift items!
Personally I like the cars ties to sit a little lower in my wheel lift so it doesn't bounce out. That looks sketchy to me lol and I've never had a problem with a car bouncing and hitting the pan
That is great!!!! I am curious about the longevity of the pivot on the crossbar for the lift. Have you noticed any extra wear at all? I could also see the benefit of the lift not being extended as far since this adds distance between car and truck.
No problem at all for the pin, and still well within it's design thresholds
If you put them on upside down then you’ll get more clearance with those original wheel grids
Casey, If you flip your ratchet around you'll get it like an inch closer to the tire and add more clearance between the strap and the bumper.
The F350 is back? How did I miss this?
This was filmed before I sold it, but couldn't be posted until the patent and trademarks cleared. Unfortunately the red truck is gone and dead
pete, Or this video was made before the F350 left?
@@CaseyLaDelle I started to wonder since RUclipsrs can time travel.
You have a typo in your description. Awesome idea I love it.
@@norcalray7182 only one?? I would have expected more.
"I never said I'm good at this"
I'd hate to say it but your redesign wheel grips are not actually new as tow trucks here in NZ have had them as a default set up for years, because they are adjustable to size fit and use proper secure strapping the job is done without any possible damage's.
We Kiwis don't do the whole buck up, drop down, slide under, lift and drive away without leaving the driver's seat routine.
Own the pat. And license the designed product to companies who make the parts you earn money dont need to mess with it and they have an upgraded product to offer.
Like the grids. I wish there were ragular ball retainers on the impacts. The older Craftsman ones had that option, but not any anymore.
A 4.80-8 tire is now a unit of measure
5.70!
Very cool, Casey. I hope it turned into a good business. What happened to that tow truck. Thanks
Sold it
Lol good video 🔥
Used ty right socket u won't have any problem
Detroit wrecker has been selling these for 5 years
No they haven’t
Did you drill holes in your L-arm to hold the hook of the hold down strap? How many, what spacing, what size holes?
Now you shouldn't have show that to everybody! Some engineers see that and there going to move the oil pan 4 inches forward!!!!!
Did anyone order any? How much are they?
Nice design! Hope you sell a bunch of them!
I don’t own a tow truck but I want a set of these 😂 I think the car fell off the wheel lift because of only 3/4 lug nuts holding the LF wheel on. -Joking aside that looked like fun! 👍
I dont have 1, but now wanting to build 1, using 1 of wrecker booms I have from my youth, I own 3 booms, but no decent trucks, other than play toys. but with a sling, and using a cable operated wheel lift, I am stuck in the past, and what I used growing up.
How much are the wheel grids do L arms come with them if not what are the prices with L. Arms good video but why u guys won’t tell us the prices
They never went to market
Makes me want to buy a set of wheel grids! Can I get a tow truck "accessory"? G'luck!
Wow, that's a nifty design you have there, Casey! Nice sales pitch too! :-)
Strange to see you do a video with the red truck again: Did you finally get the lawyer to OK you on showing the videos of it, after you sold it?
The patent attorney had to give me the ok to show the product
@@CaseyLaDelle Considering the whole "prior art" thing, I understand.
@@CaseyLaDelle I have seen similar before, can't remember, but heavy duty tow trucks do have similar
@@timothygeiger437 This is just a smaller version that they have stolen the design for.
Next time when the socket is stuck on the lug nut. Try putting the gun back on the stuck lug nut and wiggle the socket off
You can replace the clip on the end of your impact and it will hold your sockets
I didn’t understand your explanation for the chains. are you saying there’s a smaller increment that they lock into than the holes? why not just put the holes closer together or why not put two rows of holes staggered so you can cut your increment in half or you could do both. If that chain pops out you’ve got a problem.
Yes, smaller increment. More holes can't be added to the tube without decreasing it's strength dramatically
That's what she said
As for the Milwaukee gun you guys need to make sure you purchase the right gun. If you're using a friction ring that's designed for changing sockets quickly. I use the pen detent style which the pen lines up with the hole in the socket. You have to take a little screwdriver or something poke it in the hole to get the pen to release the socket. So then if you have a lug nut that sticks all you have to do is thread it on about 2 or 3 threads rock the gun back-and-forth and the lug nut comes out.
Hey brother I see your improvement period I hope you register that stuff soon trade market before somebody else like China takes the credit now back to your video I love your videos Joe Dirt NorCal
U can also use the chains and retract the boom and pull the L amrs under the tires and lock them in. I've done this with vehicles with flat tires
Please watch out for the 'big guys'.
you need a solid rubber bumper board so it doesnt make contact with yur lift
How much the price for them?
Good invention . Great video boys . Hope y'all make a bunch of money .
Very educational. And scientific. Lol
Looks like nrc grids
What about pivot pin pressure now that the car is 3 inches farther back?
With 3,000 pound on the wheel lift it adds about 60 pound of leverage. In other words… it doesn’t matter
The ONLY vehicles I can think of with tires that are 2 feet wide have ENGINES that are nearly as big (or possibly bigger) and weigh more than Casey's Red Tow Truck does...
They're also NOT Street Legal and spend their entire working lives in big pits at Mining Sites...
Even the extra-wide tires used on Construction Trucks (like concrete mixers and dump trucks) are only 18 inches wide (I think)...
😄😁😆😅😂🤣
It is dishonest to claim a patent just because you paid $75 and filed a provisional patent application. That’s patent pending. This does not sound patentable to me. It not only has to be novel, it has to be “non-obvious to person skilled in the art”, a much higher standard I doubt some or all of your improvements will survive (at lease what was described Thru 2:30). Unfortunately, the USPTO does not go after people who claim patent pending after their patent has been denied, expired, or the regular patent application grace period if one year has expired without them filing it.
They are patent pending.
Awesome invention hope all goes well all the best with your future
@29:22 "That was totally unnecessary." Nope, you're wrong! That WAS totally necessary. Wild horses couldn't keep you from doing that and nobody will risk fighting with wild horses.
How much would you have had to pay for a 30 minute infomercial on World wide televisions? But on RUclips I would expect that you would actually get some form of revenue for doing it. Now need to amortise advertising costs into the price when you start to sell these. Excellent work Gents.
They already have those I have them on my truck. They came out 2008 maybe before
Ya wrecked ma baby mommas car, man!!! 🤣🤣🤣
Think it's a great upgrade at first i was thinking the L arm spacers would do the same thing but I was wrong it's moving pan away from the crossbar i cracked a pan on a golf using a 2020 Vulcan intruder using the jaw spacers i took it easy but all it takes is one bump on weak struts and game over its the only pan i cracked ever in 30 years hope you do well with this
I am wondering how much more stress is being placed on the middle pin due to 4” of mechanical advantage of the new grid. Just a thought. Great practical idea.
At the wheel lift's max rated load, it puts an extra 90 pounds of force on the system. Basically, it doesn't affect it at all
Don't put anything under a wheel lift you Want to keep Unless You can Bench press Is 15000 pounds And Your name is Logan
I think adding a airbag type shock system to both sides of the lift bar would help stiffen a cars bounce on the lift rack. Right now it relays on the cars suspension system being good. It might not be good.
23:37 that jump in the vid, must be due to cross threading the lug nut using the gun.
Most folk start lug nuts by hand.
24:09 That's the way, maybe a lesson learned.
But still a great show.
Lol your funny bud i did that on my rollbacks wheel lift back in the early 2000s when i cracked a oil pan its nothing new man
Yes, of course people have made home built versions before. But no one has patented and brought it to market until now
the whole point for the 24" Face for the tire contact, would be if you are picking up something with 2 wheels on the back of it. Your not going to want to only pick up the inner 2 tires, you'll want to have all 4 rear tires being contacted by the bar.
There is zero need for all for tires to be in contact with the pad
Someone already invented l arm extensions for dual rear wheels they also invented a trailer hitch adapter that you can tow with I can't remember the company but one of there products is called the big stiffy lock out tool
Are these wheel grids still avaliable?