lifting body help
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
From: Kaplan La.
lifting body help
I'm about to remove the body from frame on my 69 vert.Should i remove the windshield before,and do i need to somehow place somekind of brace between the doors to strengthen the body? If it had a roof i wouldn' be as worried about the lifting straps squeezing the doors and damaging the body.Thanks for any info.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 3,028
Likes: 2
From: North NJ
I lifted my vert with the roof still on it which provided some side to side strength.
I think your doors will be fine as long as you attach the straps at the very front of the doors and rear of the doors to spread the load.
Do not take the doors off or windshield out.
A few have put the straps on with the doors open, then closed them to act like a supporting member, this way the straps are on the inside of the door. I don't know if this method is a good idea.
Make sure you put a strap to the front of the radiator frame to support the nose of the body and someone will have to hold the rear of the body too. Both rear deck and nose will need to be supported or your worste nightmare could happen...in the least some cracks in the paint from stress.
I rested my body on jack stands in the rocker channel, supported the rear with a bunch of old tires and the front using another jackstand.
Good luck.
Here's a few pics of my lift process.
Body on jackstands...
I think your doors will be fine as long as you attach the straps at the very front of the doors and rear of the doors to spread the load.
Do not take the doors off or windshield out.
A few have put the straps on with the doors open, then closed them to act like a supporting member, this way the straps are on the inside of the door. I don't know if this method is a good idea.
Make sure you put a strap to the front of the radiator frame to support the nose of the body and someone will have to hold the rear of the body too. Both rear deck and nose will need to be supported or your worste nightmare could happen...in the least some cracks in the paint from stress.
I rested my body on jack stands in the rocker channel, supported the rear with a bunch of old tires and the front using another jackstand.
Good luck.
Here's a few pics of my lift process.
Body on jackstands...
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 162
Likes: 0
I'm about to remove the body from frame on my 69 vert.Should i remove the windshield before,and do i need to somehow place somekind of brace between the doors to strengthen the body? If it had a roof i wouldn' be as worried about the lifting straps squeezing the doors and damaging the body.Thanks for any info.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 915
Likes: 2
From: Lima, OH -- 69 L71 427/435hp
I lifted my vert with the roof still on it which provided some side to side strength.
I think your doors will be fine as long as you attach the straps at the very front of the doors and rear of the doors to spread the load.
Do not take the doors off or windshield out.
A few have put the straps on with the doors open, then closed them to act like a supporting member, this way the straps are on the inside of the door. I don't know if this method is a good idea.
Make sure you put a strap to the front of the radiator frame to support the nose of the body and someone will have to hold the rear of the body too. Both rear deck and nose will need to be supported or your worste nightmare could happen...in the least some cracks in the paint from stress.
I rested my body on jack stands in the rocker channel, supported the rear with a bunch of old tires and the front using another jackstand.
Good luck.
Here's a few pics of my lift process.
I think your doors will be fine as long as you attach the straps at the very front of the doors and rear of the doors to spread the load.
Do not take the doors off or windshield out.
A few have put the straps on with the doors open, then closed them to act like a supporting member, this way the straps are on the inside of the door. I don't know if this method is a good idea.
Make sure you put a strap to the front of the radiator frame to support the nose of the body and someone will have to hold the rear of the body too. Both rear deck and nose will need to be supported or your worste nightmare could happen...in the least some cracks in the paint from stress.
I rested my body on jack stands in the rocker channel, supported the rear with a bunch of old tires and the front using another jackstand.
Good luck.
Here's a few pics of my lift process.
Can kinda see in this pic.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 8,339
Likes: 24
From: I can walk to MA
IMO, the best thing to do before lifting the body is to remove all that you can (weight).
Doors, headlight assemblies, bumpers and supports, seats, steering column, etc etc.
Second, make sure the birdcage is strong enough to lift with.
Reach under the door area ... and grab between the frame
and rocker channel. Pull up and out ... should be VERY strong.
Any chunks of rust/flexing and it will not be safe to lift conventionally.
Doors, headlight assemblies, bumpers and supports, seats, steering column, etc etc.
Second, make sure the birdcage is strong enough to lift with.
Reach under the door area ... and grab between the frame
and rocker channel. Pull up and out ... should be VERY strong.
Any chunks of rust/flexing and it will not be safe to lift conventionally.
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Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 3,681
Likes: 200
From: Waterford Mi
Yes, I built bucks that fit under the floor pans and blocked up the front and rear area with saw horses. Leaving the doors on gave some added strength to the bird cage once the rocker channels were removed and gave me something to reference the positions of the new ones when I was welding them in place.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 2,486
Likes: 71
From: Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
I just lifted my 69 vert body last weekend. I did it wthout the front clip, but still tied the door stricker to the door hinge with an adjustable rod to make sure I did not tweak the body.
Racer
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 435
Likes: 7
From: Wake Forest NC
I visited a local place that restores vettes and asked them the same question. Their answer was the front and back tend to sag, causing the birdcage to split. Based on Noland Ryan's video, I decided to support the missing doors with this setup:
This is a 1/2"x 6" coarse eyebolt screwed into the shoulder harness mount. This was good for me because my #4 mount cushions were decomposed, causing the aft door gap to taper from 1/8" @ bottom to over 1/4" @ top. As the eyebolts screw in, they eventually seat against the top of the frame rail. As you continue to tighten the eyebolt, it will force the tail up, correcting the gap caused by sagging.
The front is a turnbuckle bolted to the door hinge (with a door bolt) and attached to a chain. Thread the chain through the eyebolt and fasten it together with a bolt and Nyloc nut. Tighten the turnbuckle to remove slack until just barely lifting the eyebolt off the frame; then, loosen to where the eyebolt sets against the frame.
I don't know what type chain this is, but it was strong enough to remove a 300cu in inline six from a '65 F100.
Hope this helps...
This is a 1/2"x 6" coarse eyebolt screwed into the shoulder harness mount. This was good for me because my #4 mount cushions were decomposed, causing the aft door gap to taper from 1/8" @ bottom to over 1/4" @ top. As the eyebolts screw in, they eventually seat against the top of the frame rail. As you continue to tighten the eyebolt, it will force the tail up, correcting the gap caused by sagging.
The front is a turnbuckle bolted to the door hinge (with a door bolt) and attached to a chain. Thread the chain through the eyebolt and fasten it together with a bolt and Nyloc nut. Tighten the turnbuckle to remove slack until just barely lifting the eyebolt off the frame; then, loosen to where the eyebolt sets against the frame.
I don't know what type chain this is, but it was strong enough to remove a 300cu in inline six from a '65 F100.
Hope this helps...