To investigate the problem of track shedding in mine-used monorail crane which can lead to the detachment of track-bending equipment during turning and track-changing operations the effects of the traditional series-connected drive type and structural parameters of monorail hoist drive units on the track was analyzed. Based on this analysis, a heavy-load leapfrog hybrid drive method for monorail hoists was proposed. Using an underground monorail hoist equipped with ten drive units as the research subject, a heavy-load, multi-condition “straight-bend” mechanical model was established for track-changing behavior. The influence of turning radius and the spacing between adjacent series drive units on the lateral forces exerted on curved tracks during the track-changing process was examined, and an optimal leapfrog hybrid drive configuration was subsequently determined. The results indicate that the leapfrog hybrid drive effectively mitigates the excessive concentrated stress inherent in traditional series drives. When the monorail crane car carries a total load of 40~60 t and operates on tracks with turning radii of 4~10 m, the maximum lateral forces generated under the hybrid drive are significantly reduced compared with those prior to optimization by 15.43%, 26.19%, 35.94%, and 44.28%, respectively. Moreover, the improvement becomes more pronounced as the track’s turning radius increases. The findings demonstrate that the proposed leapfrog hybrid drive method can significantly reduce the lateral forces exerted on the track by the monorail hoist during heavy-load turning, thereby providing a sound theoretical basis and a practical technical solution for mitigating track damage and enhancing transportation reliability and safety.