I need to build a body cart/ dolly while I restore the car. I want to make it out of 2x4 and maybe 4x4's ....

Has anyone built one before?

Im thinking I'll get the car up on Jack stands , buid the cart, slide a coupe 4x4's between the frame and body and lower lower the chassis ....the part im having a hard time with is how im gonna roll the chassis out with out the cart being in the way....

Help?

 

Ive built a few,I have a body on one now or I would take a pic. 4x4s and 2x12 for the sides. Best to put the largest wheels you can afford makes it easier to roll around. Ill see if I can take some pics.

Greg

 

Pictures or even a doodle will help ...good point on the wheels.

I think the cart will have to be wider than the frame rails so I can roll the body away...this sketch shows it in between the frame rails but I don't think it will work since my cart base woud be stuck ...

Sketch13183955_zpszultse0v.png

 

Here's one I built for a 69 442 vert. I used a frame dimension sheet to help build it as I used 6 body bolt points and bolted the body to the cart. I used mounting plates like would be used to locate a 4x4 on concrete and left space so I could get a bolt/washer in there.


If you raise the body and slide (2) 4x4's under the rockers and have the boards long enough, you can support them outside of the path the chassis would take rolling it out from under the car. I suggest rolling is so you pulled the front section under the body (less engine) as the rear part of the frame is much taller. Slide the cart under the body when the chassis is out and even jack the cart up to bolt it to the body. Then lower it a little at a time so the cart touches the floor. I think I still have all the pieces from this cart sitting around somewhere.


Brian

 

If you raise the body and slide (2) 4x4's under the rockers and have the boards long enough, you can support them outside of the path the chassis would take rolling it out from under the car.... [/QUOTE]

Those pictures are exacty what Im looking for !

Let me see if I got this...get the whole car up on jack stands as high as I can get it, Unbolt the body mounts, wedge a couple long 4x4's between the frame and body, build a temporary support frame on both sides of the car to hold the body up while I roll the chassis out and replace it with the cart , bolt the cart up to the body and lower the body down...?

I was kinda hoping to leave the drive train in place, what are my chances of being able to pull the chassis forward out from under the body?

Im thinking I could use those long 4x4's and a few cinder blocks as my temporary support.
Im doing this in my drive way so I don't have a lift and I'll doing it my self also...I have two jacks and four jack stands.

Im assuming Im going to have to lift the car up in stages, putting blocks under the jacks and jack stands to get the car up high enough...

Thanks again for the Pic's Rocket Doc, I really dig the mounting plates with a bolt/washer.

 

Here is a quick sketch of the one I built. It's made from 2x10's with a 2x6 for the diagonal. I just set the body on it by the pinch weld that runs the length of the rocker. Works great and takes all of 30 minutes to make.

 

[QUOTE

Let me see if I got this...get the whole car up on jack stands as high as I can get it, Unbolt the body mounts, wedge a couple long 4x4's between the frame and body, build a temporary support frame on both sides of the car to hold the body up while I roll the chassis out and replace it with the cart , bolt the cart up to the body and lower the body down...?

I was kinda hoping to leave the drive train in place, what are my chances of being able to pull the chassis forward out from under the body?

[/QUOTE]


Yes, that is the sequence. You can roll the chassis out forward and if you do I would suggest you remove the rear wheels and place a floor jack under the differential and let the jack roll the back half. This way you can get the back section of the chassis as low as possible.


Another suggestion is to build a structure that would allow you to lift the body off the chassis so no jacking is required. I made something out of metal but I'm sure wood can be used too. This worked for the front of the body and an engine crane lifted the back of the body. I used 2 come-alongs to do the lifting and wrapped/bolted a small loop of chain around the upper bar for the come-alongs to attach to. I used the door hinge area with longer bolts to secure chain to the body. It took me a couple of hours to build this but it was so much easier and safer compared to the jack stands and block method I had done before. Just be sure everything is braced so it can't sway front/back or side to side.


Brian

 

I do have a cherry picker for the back ...I could run two come alongs from up inside my garage door opening/frame to the door hinges, that actually might work. then roll my chassis forward into the garage (no back tires/ jack under diff.) . Then just roll and bolt my cart up....

How did you attatch the cherry picker to the back ?

Do you have , or know where I can find, the measurments between the body mount points? I have the service manual...maybe its in there.

 

On the back of the body I had removed the body bolts and lifted the rear of the body a little with the floor jack and placed pieces of wood between the floor and frame rails so that the body was lifted off the frame a little. I then use a length of chain that I bolted to the rear body mounting points. I pulled the chain up but not before putting a heavy blanket between the chain and the body. The engine hoist was then connected to the chain.


I have the frame specs so send me a PM with your personal email and I can email the dimension sheet that I scanned.


Brian

 

69442 I am getting ready to remove my 68 convert from it's body, would you have the dimensions and measurements of the wood you used,

Thanks Bruce

 

Shoot me your email and I'll forward the dimesnsions that 69442 gave me...very helpful

 

Here's how we lift bodies off and on chassis all the time. I've done it this way for over thirty years hundreds of times with no problems. The chains are bolted to the seat belt locations. Front chain connects front outboard seat belt bolts. Rear chain connects rear inboard seatbelt bolts and a small chain connects the first two chains. The trick is getting the balance from front to back just right. ~BOB

 

thank's everyone for your help. I now have a pretty good idea of how to construct one.

regards Bruce