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I have seen many posts on body off restores, enough of them to do my own under RVZIO RESTORE. I have reached the point where the frame has been stripped to the point for sand blasting and finish. I noticed with everything off the frame the back is heavier. Is there a proper or popular starting point to put things back. IE. engine then rear or ???? Just curious
i don't think it matters at which end you start. but, if you use the recommended jack points in front of the rear wheels, and the rear suspension is installed first, the car will be tail heavy and the front will lift off the front jacks! shocked the hell out of me once.
I just stripped my frame of all its components and I plan to install the front suspension first. When I was taking it apart I removed the front suspension first which made it a little more difficult to remove the rear suspension since the car was so heavy in the rear. The frame really wanted to tip on the jack stands.
I know while the frame was doing a wheelie in the front I started the rear assembly. I put my jack under the rear while I had the spring ends off. I noticed that my barrel jack was caught on a piece of the spring so I pulled it out. That's when the frame came down on me. Luckily it just tipped back on me and as soon as I grabbed the jack handle and went up 2 cranks the frame went back up. That was scary. Just goes to show you can never be to carefull.
Good luck rvzio, I took the front suspension off first and saw the rear was trying to tip the frame. I clamped some wood from the rear of the fuel tank to the floor believe I used a 2x4
When I was re assembling it I did the front first after the brake and fuel lines. my diff and T arms were at the rebuild shop.
Hi r,
Good Question!
I think you might want to consider having 6 jack stands.
That way you can move them around (forward and rearward) as you disassemble and then reassemble to keep the frame balanced.
Notice how far forward the front jack stands are once the engine was back in and the location of the next set at the transmission cross member.
Remember, the further forward the front stands are, the further to the rear the frames tipping point is.
Regards,
Alan