Thread: Lifting a Body of the Chassis

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I am looking down the road here,and wanting to lift the body of the model a of the chassis this coming fall and was wondering how you guys do it.Would like to be able to do it by myself and will probably have to leave it above the chassis for space.On the Willys I made a cradle for the cab with an extension on the engine hoist,but the model a will be to big.Anyone have a pulley system rigged up of the ceiling?

This is where having lots of kids comes in handy! In the past I have poked a couple of holes in the garage ceiling and wrapped a chain around some beams, then put a comealong down from there. It works pretty well, as long as you pick the right beam.

Now we have a gantry crane that Dan built after I hurt my arm lifting my 39 Dodge body. It is on 4 wheels and has two Harbor Freight 400 pound capacity electric winches on it, so all we have to do is wheel it over something we want to pick up and push a button. It has become one of the most used tools in the shop and allows one person to do things by himself that he could not do normally. We have used it to lift bodies, pull engines, flip frames, etc. and don't know how we would get along without it.

Don

I just use my cherry picker. I have done it myself and with a neighbors help.

Keith

Here's some pics of how I lift both a Model A roadster, and a coupe. Probably similar to what blwn 31 described.

On the last picture I rig it higher on the inner structure for stability sake. At first I tried rigging like the roadster but that was too top heavy.

not a model A but it is a ford

Hey Uncle Bob, we think alike! Good job.

Keith

Here's how I did mine.

32.jpgHere's another one hanging from the ceiling

Two chain falls each hooked through a hole in the ceiling 'rock to 4x4's spread across the rafters:

Appreciate all the replies,hadn't considered the engine lift inside the cab.That definitely looks doable,also like the idea from the ceiling.Not sure if I have enough height to get it high enough.What do you think the body of a two door sedan weighs,the whole car is 2620.Maybe 6-700 body only?
That Gantry setup does look good though,just don't know if I will get the use out of it.The garage is becoming a little more utilized so space is becoming a little tighter especially come winter.

Surprisingly, a model a tudor body isn't all that heavy. My Son and I lifted his tudor up onto the loft that is over our office by ourselves. He got on the roof and pulled and I pushed until it rolled over the edge. So I would say 300-400 max. Of course, we had the doors off and it was a bare body otherwise.

Don

I pulled/skidded a '31 Slant windshield fordor body with doors on off my truck and onto horses by myself. Three of us had loaded it with ease. That one I could lift one end by myself and it might have been easier to move around then the roadster.

This one after a "few" more parts were removed;