[Shop-talk] Eye Lag bolt pilot hole in ceiling

[Brian Kemp]

Jack - To store my 50lb kayak at my previous house, I had a hoist setup along the lines of the link below, but with separate ropes for the bow and stern off to the side.

https://www.harborfreight.com/bicycle-lift-95803.html


I'd drive the car in with the kayak on the roof, attached bow and stern hooks, then pull the kayak up to the rafters.  I then had a pair of straps to more safely hold the kayak.

Brian

-----Original Message-----
From: Jack Brooks <jibrooks at live.com>
Sent: Jul 27, 2025 1:34 PM
To: shop-talk at autox.team.net <Shop-talk at autox.team.net>
Subject: [Shop-talk] Eye Lag bolt pilot hole in ceiling

Team,

I recently moved and can no longer keep my canoe outside.  The best place to store this 75 +/- pound canoe is hanging from the ceiling, OVER a car, so I want to be sure I get this right.  I have 4, 5/16” Eye Lag Bolts that are going into the ceiling.  One end of the rope will terminate at either a set of cleats on the wall or more eyebolts and the other end suspending the canoe via the Eye Lag Bolts.  It overdesigned, but it’s hanging over a car I cherish. 

My question is the pilot hole for the 5/16th Eye Lag bolt.  I am screwing them vertically up into the ceiling’s new 2x4’s, so I am thinking the pilot hole should be a smidge on the tighter side and use soap or paraffin to help reduce the friction of installing them. 

I’m looking for thoughts on the size of the pilot hole, keeping in mind that while the load is light, it’s a vertical hanging arrangement.

Thanks in advance,

Jack

p.s. Moving has been a rearranging nightmare.  We had a home with three car bays and a 6 foot high paved and dry crawlspace with tons of storage room.  I am forcing everything into a two bay garage with an attached single wide, 42 foot deep bay that will hold our daily driver, two Triumph cars, a Sprinter van and a workbench.  I do have some basement storage too.  I’m using a lot more vertical storage and it’s getting there………



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