Thread: Body Lifts?

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The other day I was watching Horsepower TV and right before I wen't to record the show they had a thing on the 55 glass body car they were building and they bought and used some lift thing that would lift the body and mount it onto the frame and I was wondering if anyone knows where I can get something like this or anything?
Reason I need one is that I don't ever have the help or neighbors to help lift the body on and off the frame a lot so I can set ride height, narrow the rear end, mount new mounting holes, etc. What would be the cheapest thing to buy or make or anything to do this where I can do it by myself? I would like to try and get something sometime in the next month no later becuase it's been raining like hell here and things are getting some surface rust and I have the whole car covered with tons of tops, etc but in the mourning and all the dew get's on it and humidity, etc.
Thanks a ton for any help given.

Shawn-

How bout an A frame with a chain hoist? works the same way but you have to make it yourself and it cost's much less, theres also, putting the body on jackstands and sliding the chassie in very carfully but I don't recomend that.

I thought about your second idea but it would scratch the hell out of the frame. I need to see if someone has plans on something like you explained or tips on how to build something like that for cheap and what to use. I was thining of some pully system attatched to the rafters above the celing and then a winch system or two but that would be lots of money and holes in the garage ceiling that my dad wouldn't wan't even though the holes can be repaired with putty unless the drywally ripped down... and we all know that would be bad. lol

Don't paint the frame until all your suspension and everything else is done. for the A frame, measure the length of your car, then the width, then how high it is ( body only ), then make your vertical beams long enough so the body can be suspended about 3 feet. Make your support legs as long as the car and the crossover beam about 2' wider than the car, weld and gusset everything. What I mean by support legs are the supports that run paralell to the car to make it so it's not tipsey, the crossover goes overtop the car. Gusset every weld and weld square.

heres a quick paint drawing

Matt, I think I see what you mean. See the thing I saw on Hp TV was something like that but one in front and one in back and chained it up and had a winch in the front and back to lift the car. I can by some wheels from Home Depot and making something and try and see about getting metal and for how much. I can try and find left over scrap metal that is long enough or even if I still have to buy some then I can use the short stuff. I will maybe use round tubing or something. Only thing is that I will need to see how to hook up the chains to be able to lift the car and also make sure the whole frame thing will roll right over the chassis and be wide enough too. Also I am not painting the frame until the car is narrowed, suspension on, rear end on and ride height set and body mounted on once and get it all to fit well then take the body off, everything else too and then paint it and poweder coat all the other parts. Hopefully someone else has some ideas on the chain thing too. I wish I saw how the winch was hooked up on the show and then I could try and copy how it was done but I have no clue how they did it now.

what I would use to rais and lower hoist is a boat winch, they have very strong cable, you could tie that onto a pully that cranks the actuall chains up and down, you could start by buying an old chain hoist from a flea market or somthing, the pullies and possibly the chains are the tickit.

Yeah. I wonder if I could make a way where you get the boat thing that pulls them onto the trailor and secures them and put the pole they are mounted on on the top of the frame there and the just use that and put a chain and hook on there someway and just crank it up. I only need it to come up about half a foot higher than the frame will be so I can lift it and still have room in case I need to keep the car where it's at but just have it hovering above the frame. I need to make sure this thing won't bend or break and find a good way to build the frame to where it won't to that because this car is really damn heavy. The doors are off of it and each door weighs a lot and the trunk is still on and that's really heavy so I will take that out, all the glass still in and some other stuff inside and then try and lighten it as much as possible to help at least a tad because I bet that trunk weighs around 55 pounds or in that range and same with the doors, those suckers with all the hardware and windows in them are really heavy to where I can barely pick them up.

One way out . . . After careful calculation of load-bearing capacity of the ceiling joists and pull-out resistance of lag bolts, that is. I've got the rolling chassis on dollies. Shove the chassis it out and lower the car to a pair of sawhorses when I'm working on it. Raise it back up and push the chassis underneath when I'm not.

Another view:

Henry I thought about that too. Only problem is that I have my huge room above the garge and I don't think the floor which is the ceiling in the garage can handle the weight of my car and everything up stairs in my room. Your car is smaller than mine and I am sure a bit lighter too. I will have to talk to my dad about that and see what he thinks. I wan't to try and find a way to do this so I can hurry and get that body back in the garage and keep it away from rust.

OK, how about this? Make an I-design hoist. Run two angles for front and back, attach come-alongs for the lift, and raise accordingly. That way, you wont have to rely on your celing.

DRG, do you have a drawing of somekind. I THINK I may know what you are talking about but not too sure if I am correct on this.

Ok, keep in mind its been years since i did Design and drawing, but this should get the idea across