How much assistance do the springs provide? Any idea what the wheel weights and how much force do you have to apply to raise it? Looks like a great idea and definitely beats adding a winch.
The wheel and tire weight about 425#, I would put the weight of wheel, tire and tubing supported by the springs is about 475#. The amount of effort to lift it is not terrible, it doesn't lift itself but my 135# 14 year old son can raise it. Obviously a lighter wheel and tire combo would be easier the one thing to consider is that raising it without a tire would be sketchy due to the spring tension. Because of this the arm has to be pinned when down and then also pinned when stowed. The main reason for this setup was to keep it simple and stout, and also to avoid using a winch! Lol!
