# Trying to find someone to tell you what you want to hear



## jar546 (Sep 2, 2013)

I was on another forum specific to contractors.  Someone posted a picture of a 2 story using open web floor trusses under construction.  After the house is done and those open web floor trusses are covered in drywall. The OP wanted to know if he runs an 8' 2x4 across the gypsum perpendicular to the joists, would that be enough to use it as a lift for his motorcycle.

There were varying opinions and the first answer was pretty spot on saying it was a bad idea and to build a self supporting beam for that.

What bothers me and makes me understand why we have so many problems these days were the amount of responses stating that "that sounds good, will work" with no critical or common sense thinking.  These are contractors and I am amazed that they would condone something like this.  I guess I just can't understand the mentality.


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## fatboy (Sep 2, 2013)

"I'm sure it will work.........till it doesn't.............."


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## RJJ (Sep 2, 2013)

Was there a discussion on the span that the trusses had been designed for? Existing floor load? Etc!

Did they disclose the weight of the Bike?

Did they discuss the bottom cord of the truss is not designed for loads in the opposite direction?


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## MASSDRIVER (Sep 2, 2013)

Look. All y'all know I just like to go with the flow here, but let me just this on e play devils advocate:

Things I've seen dangling from joists:

Hundreds of pounds of books on suspended shelves.

A shaper.

A lot of weed.

Two tons of auto parts.

God knows how much lumber.

Skeeter bass boat.

A years worth of water and food.

A blown Chevy 454 complete.

A Volkswagen bus. Hanging from ropes on the tires.

So anyway, wood is amazing load bearing wonder capable of defying all the laws of physics we think apply to it. That is until I stand on it 20 feet in the air at which point it becomes rice paper.

Brent


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## ICE (Sep 2, 2013)

Shirley a 2x4 would not be strong enough.  And across the gypsum translates to on the ceiling.  With what attachment to the trusses?

It is floor trusses so ask yourself if the floor would fail if he drove the bike into the room above.  Now have fatboy sitting on the bike.  Did the truss give or was it just the sheathing.


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## jar546 (Sep 2, 2013)

RJJ said:
			
		

> Was there a discussion on the span that the trusses had been designed for? Existing floor load? Etc!Did they disclose the weight of the Bike?
> 
> Did they discuss the bottom cord of the truss is not designed for loads in the opposite direction?


Excellent points and one of my points.  There were no specifics yet approval of those without them



			
				ICE said:
			
		

> Shirley a 2x4 would not be strong enough.  And across the gypsum translates to on the ceiling.  With what attachment to the trusses?It is floor trusses so ask yourself if the floor would fail if he drove the bike into the room above.  Now have fatboy sitting on the bike.  Did the truss give or was it just the sheathing.


Again, more unanswered questions that received approval from many


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## DRP (Sep 2, 2013)

what's the torque required on the various side bolts  



> What bothers me and makes me understand why we have so many problems these days were the amount of responses stating that "that sounds good, will work" with no critical or common sense thinking.


Depends, do I get to hold his beer?

A doubled up 2x4 edgewise with 2 guys on each side of the car is insufficient to pull an engine, but it's close.

We were touring mammoth hot springs some years ago. The tour guide noted that most of the fossils were young males.


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## MASSDRIVER (Sep 2, 2013)

DRP said:
			
		

> what's the torque required on the various side bolts   Depends, do I get to hold his beer?
> 
> A doubled up 2x4 edgewise with 2 guys on each side of the car is insufficient to pull an engine, but it's close.
> 
> We were touring mammoth hot springs some years ago. The tour guide noted that most of the fossils were young males.


How else do you get a 302 into a Pinto?

Brent


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## RJJ (Sep 3, 2013)

I am going to guess that Jeff's thought process is the part that no raised questions about the setup. We as plan reviewers and Inspectors deal in supported facts. If we review a simple roof plan for example the span tables we refer to have been created with safety and tolerances mind. I believe quite often that a span for a particular rafter size greater than allowed will work and hold true, but we must err on the side of cautions. Thus the training we have received and experiences of our own and others have past along.

The point here is there is a great deal of garbage on the net.


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## DRP (Sep 4, 2013)

> The point here is there is a great deal of garbage on the net.


Go to any jobsite, bar or breakroom and ask the same question and note the responses. He got one good response... better than average, this proves there is some good info on the net. Go to any jobsite, bar or breakroom, would I have access to you? One must be cautious, there is alot of garbage here too, it was Abe Lincoln who said that 90% of the information on the net is incorrect.


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## Matt Hermanson (Oct 19, 2013)

MASSDRIVER said:
			
		

> How else do you get a 302 into a Pinto?Brent


My older sister's ex knew a guy that put a 400 in a pinto.  They couldn't keep it on the road because the torque was so great for that amount of weight of the auto.  You would floor it and the car would go sideways into the ditch.  And you were only worried about if the small block would fit between the wheel wells.


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