HI all. I was reading on the ncrs.org board about people lifting there vette bodies with a extendable "over 1 ton" engine hoists and a corvette lift sling. Anyone here ever done it that way or know if its possible. I was wanting to put the body back on mine and I was looking for the easiest way. Also I heard theres a video by Noland Adams I think, that explains how to build a A-frame structure for lifting bodies. Anyone heard of this video? Thanks Tom. :chevy


[Modified by tom75, 1:19 AM 8/19/2001]

 

A person selling their car in the C2 fo-sales had some interesting photo's including some where they were using an engine hoist on the body.

Click through these. The ones near the end show the body process (almoston.jpg).
http://www.voitech.com/mike/64vette/64vettepics/

 

Hay Tom! I have the the Nolan Adams tape and blueprints. What came with the tape was a set of plans to build a body dolly to set the body on and provide all the proper support, once you remove it from the chassis. It has casters on it to allow easy movement. If you have limited work space it is a really great thing to allow puting it away when not working on it and getting it out when you are.
But it sounds like you are past that part and ready to go back together. Nolans tape shows the proper lifting technique when you have a bunch of ablebodied men to help and the tape is good for explaning to those guys what they're suppose to be doing as a team instead of a mob. That's how I'm using it anyway. When I get everyone together I set them down in front of the TV with sandwiches and beer and show them the tape. You'ed be supprised at the clearer understanding these guys get. Most have no concept of what you're asking them to do, so you usually end up with a cluster *.
You indicated you wanted to do yours yourself, and specifically about using an engine hoist. I purchased a Sling kit available at most Corvette parts houses like Eckler's. It has big hooks which grab on to the bottom oy your body (4 points) and come up to one lifting ring. I use a chain-fall or come-along attached to a roof truss (I have a commercial building with 12 foot ceelings).. I have heard several people say they have used the engine hoist, but due to the max lift of the hoist, had to remove a few things to clear the rolling chassis. A lot is going to depend on the maxium lift of the hoist you use and they varry. With the body lifted by a center point you may be able to pivot one end higher to roll the chassis in place but the best thing for a one man operation would be an A frame (assuming no high ceeling with exposed joists is available, in my opinion.

 

Hi Guy's. Thanks for the info. Those pics were cool he wasnt using a sling at all. Strike3, Does the noland adams video say anything about building an a-frame. I heard somewhere that the video showed how to build one. Thanks Tom75

 

Tom
I did it when I pulled the body off my '69 a few years ago, I used a hoist with sling and it went well. I did it with the help of a friend, just the two of us but it would have helped to have more helping hands. One thing to keep in mind is that the front is heavier than the rear, I had to adjust the sling farther forward than I thought before the body was balanced enough to be lifted off. The hoist worked great, make sure it gets high enough and you have the headroom. I lifted it with the hoist on the drivers side then slide it out, then rolled the frame out of the way. I bet you could just reverse the process and get it back on the frame.
Having a few cold ones hanging around within arms reach wouldn't be a bad idea either! Helped use determine the difference between our logic and user errors!
GOOD LUCK

Greg
www2.bitstream.net/~blu/vette.html

 

That is a neat idea for, I would have never thought of that, using an cherry picker for lifting the body off.

Has any one tried to use a lift?

ZD

 

Hay Tom,
On the tape I have, I don't recall anything about an "A" frame construction. There are a few comments made during the tape to indicate that it is just one of a series of tapes Nolan Adams puts out. Mine is sold by Eckler's and others and titled "Body Lift and Chassis Disassembly". It also says "Tape Three" at the bottom of the box. So There very well could be another tape which shows building an A-frame. I don't think I've ever seen Tapes 1 or 2 advertised anywhere but I might take it upon myself to write Mr. Adams and inquire about them.

 

Tom, I have posted over on the NCRS boards, so I hope I am not repeating what you have read there.

I have lifted my stripped 70 coupe body three times; once off the chassis with two helpers and twice off the dolly alone. In my case the garage ceiling is no more than eight feet, but the engine and transmission had been already been pulled before the first lift.

I would only take issue with one point...the one ton lift sounds a little light weight to me. I used a heavy duty tow behind hoist (2-3 tons?) with legs that would extend all the way out the other side of the car. One other note of caution: the clips on the ends of those lift straps WILL SLIDE on the birdcage rails! Use small C-clamps or something to prevent the straps from sliding and instantly changing the weight distribution. To ignore this is to flirt with disaster.

 

We used a hoist to pull our 72's body. If we hadn't already removed the engine/transmission and gas tank, we'd never have gotten it high enough. Also, the body is front-heavy: you need to position the sling further forward than the instructions that come with it (which are intended for C2s).

 

I used my engine hoist to lift the body off of both of my vettes and it works pretty well. I did find out that you have to be careful if the car is a convertible because the body is awful flexible. A couple of ratchet straps come in real handy.

 

Hi Chuck. That was your posts I was reading at NCRS. Very informitive.
I will definitley fasten the hooks on the rails before lifting. Thanks All. Tom75 :chevy