Best way to lift a body off the frame

Trying to figure out a safe way to lift my catalina off the frame in my two car garage without the use of a lift. I need some ideas of what other people on here have done. Thanks in advance fellas.

 

A case of beer the promise of food and some friends always seems to work well.

 

Build an A-FRAME to hoist the body up and roll the chassis out from under it.

 

First...UN bolt it.....sorry had to make a wise ass comment...

I got mine off with 5 buddys. Lifted it in sections and slide in 2*4.'s...good ones..and lifted away.

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Lift with your legs not your back.

 

A lot of blocks of wood or concrete and a bottle jack. That is a heavy body your friends will run at that idea. An engine crane on one end would make it easier.

 

Try 4 barrels and 2 4X4's . Place barrels far enough apart to clear the wheels , Lift front of body and slide 4X4 in placing it on front barrels do the same for rear of body. Now you can roll chassis out from under car when finished reverse procedure .
Good luck

 

know anyone with a lift? I've always had good luck with the arms on a 2 post lift.

 

I used the engine hoist at the rear, put it on a 4x4 over two 35-gal steel drums. 3 guys then lifted the front of the body, and I slid in the same support 'system' up front. Car is a '59 Buick 2-dr hardtop, interior was out & front clip was off- it wasn't a struggle.

 

I used saw horses and 4x4 to support the body. Make sure you get long boards so he saw horses can be placed wide enough to clear the back tire (i took an extra trip to HD because of that). I used an engine hoist and just went from back to front and then back again to get all thehieght i need to clear the frame and wheels and then rolled the frame out the front. Took me and a buddy about 3 hours including extra trip to HD.
I did it on my sloped driveway, it wouldve been easier on flat ground




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I took the body off of my '37 Terraplane in a two car garage by jacking it up as high as I could then built a scaffold like a swingset. I fabbed an "A" frame for each side of the car and ran stacked 2X4s through the windows to hold up the roof then lowered the frame down and rolled it out from under the car.

When I finished the chassis I rolled it back under and jacked it back up to meet the body. I also cleaned up the bottom of the body and painted it while the frame was out.

 

Jack it way up, unbolt body, put some padded boards under the body, strap those to the garage rafters, lower frame out from under and roll away, put jack stands under boards, remove straps, party. works on early cars anyway....

 

I lifted the body of a 46 Suburban with "Camper Jacks" that I rented very cheaply
at local rental place. These are the jacks that folks used to use to remove the camper
off their pickup and drive out from underneith it. Rolled the chassis out, and lowered
the body down onto the dolly I had built for it....

 

I use 12" concrete blocks on all 4 corners with 4x4s. Make sure you set them up wide enough to get your chassis in and out. I lift the front with a floor jack and slide my 4x4 in and bolt it with lag screws to the body then set blocks up and move to the back and place my 4x4. raise it up on the same level then front and move again to the back. You get the idea. One man operation and if it falls it wont fall far. Works good every time. You may have to use a hoist and rigging to get it up on the 4th block.

 

I used friends. It (Shoebox Ford) was heavy.

 

Lift with your back in a fast twisting jerking motion, take your legs completely out of the equation


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I lifted front and back with jacks in phases,blocking it up with 2 x 4's and cinder blocks then lifting some more until I could roll the chassis out.

 

4X4's are the way to go, ask around to find a landscaper or tree guy with a tractor with forks. I'm lucky and have a Son in Law with one. Bob

 

Maybe they could slide your avatar under it.

 

Don't think of it as lifting the body. Think of it as lowering the frame. After you jack up the whole car, high enough to roll the frame out.

Remove front clip. Remove seats etc from body. Jack up car and put on jack stands. Unbolt body from frame, lift or pry the body up enough to slide a couple of 4X4s between the frame and body. Support the 4X4s with stands or saw horses. Lower frame off jack stands and roll away, leaving body. Now you can put better supports under the body if you wish.

 

camper jacks and a strong strap...

 

I use my engine hoist "cherry picker" pick up one end and sit it on a sturdy sawhorse, move to the other end and repeat process. Pretty simple one man job.

 

If the rafters of your garage can take it (and make sure this is verified by an engineer, I saw a neighbor pull is garage roof down doing this), install an I-beam, roller, and chain hoist. Simply lift body and slide frame out. Also you will use it a ton for pulling motors and other heavy parts. It sure beats the hell out of a cherry picker.

 

If you could I would use a lift. I would be cautious of lifting through window openings or outer body panels. If you could get the car high enough to then block the body up then put two or more pump jacks under the frame, unbolt the body and then slowly lower the frame away I would do that. Obviously remove clip and any unnecessary weight first. I've lifted a s10 cab off two guys but that's an s10.

 

Thanks for the info. I'll probly do the a frame idea or the 4x4s with blocks. I'll have the body without the nose, doors, and trunk lid. I'm going to buy a new 2 Ton engine hoist tommarow. My old one took a sh$t on me.

 

Check into a gantry crane. They can be bought or rented fairly cheap. It is to A frames with a lifting beam joining them. The will span over the body and be high enough to lift off.


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Is will lessen the height required if you remove the wheels and set the chassis on wheel dollies. I did this with a Model A, and rolled the chassis out to the side, blocks at the rear and a engine lift on one side at the front.

 

All good suggestions. Well, except for the "use your back in a quick twisting jerking motion."...lol.

One thought. If you lift the body with any type of strap, take precautions to make sure it doesn't tighten/pinch the body. There can be a lot of force doing that, and it can actually deform sheet metal. Best to use steel tubing or wooden beams through the windows or under the car and connect the strap to the ends of those.

I kind of like the sawhorse and wooden beam method. Simple and inexpensive. A stripped body shell isn't really so very heavy when lifted from only one end at a time. I've done it by myself and I'm no Hulk.

 

Take the trunk lid off and stuff a 4x4 between the wells, lift. Up front try the hood hinge bolts. Repeat.

 

very carefully , you want to have all your fingers afterwoods..4x4 posts and cinderblocks work great. the cherry picker engine hoist idea rocks...now have at it already....