Moving car/truck bodies during construction

[sbilbrey]

Hopefully this is not a dumb question. I just picked up a 41 truck cab. These things are alot heavier than one would think. I generally work alone in the two car garage attached to my home. How do you guys move these things around? I need to lift it onto the frame to make my marks for channeling, then move it off to do the work, then back on to check it, then back off so I can work on the frame, etc.

I am thinking that I am going to use some angle iron (actually the corner supports off some old heavy metal shelving) to attach across several trusses in the ceiling. Then I will have lots of position holes available to attach a pully. Then use a come-along to lift and lower the cab.

How are others doing this?

Thanks in advance,
Sammer

[chop509]

I usually round up my neighbors when I need a body lifted, only takes a few minutes of their time, and they don?t seem to mind.

Be careful about loading the bottom cord of your trusses.
I?ve hung a bare ?32 frame from mine for painting, but I wouldn?t put much more weight on them than that.

Jeff

[dropped46]

or if you have a hoist and a strap that works and blocks to block it for safety and to set it at your ride heigth if your buddies can't help LOL

[Bonehead]

Moving car/truck bodies during construction.......

Best way to move bodies, is a cross between a car, and a truck.:D

[donsrods]

Two Labor Days ago I was working on my '39 Dodge truck and lifted up on one corner to put a shim under it as I was channelling it. I felt a spring go off in my left arm and found out the bicep had detached from the bone. Had surgery to repair it, and am now 100% back. However, I am now very cautious.

After that, my Son built me a "gantry" to use to lift heavy stuff, and it has become the workhorse of the shop. Basically it is a huge four legged crane, with two 110 volt winches on top. Each one lifts 440 lbs, so we can move bodies, frames, etc around. It has four large caster wheels so it can be positioned anywhere in the shop.

He found the makings for this in a dumpster, I guess tile people use them to move pallets of tile around. A tile guy had moved out of the industrial park where our shop is, and left it behind. Dan widened it and shortened it to suit our needs. Now I just push the up or down buttons and can lift stuff with no injuries. Makes it great for those times when you are working alone.

Here are some pictures of it.


Don


PS: When I used to build a car in our home two car garage, I put a big beam running across the ceiling joists, and ran a chain down through a hole in the ceiling to a come a long. Moved lots of stuff that way.

[Bonehead]

Moving car/truck bodies during construction.......

Best way to move bodies, is a cross between a car, and a truck.:D

I see Don wants to be Mr. serious here. (That torn muscle story makes my stomach hurt.)

I use my forklift, and cherry picker, to move bodies for real. The truth is I don't even have a hearse.:D