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I've searched without luck for a C5 chassis dolly. It would hold the entire frame, engine etc. while the body stays on the lift. It would have casters so the chassis can be moved around as needed in the shop.
Has anyone seen one of these or heard of one or fabricated one? I think 2X4's and 2X6's would work or of course angle or tubing.I see a lot of people just dropping the chassis on stands but in a busy shop it's gonna be in the way until the work is completed.
I just can't find any info and a lot of people say the chassis drop is the best way to do engine swaps or other engine work.
I've searched without luck for a C5 chassis dolly. It would hold the entire frame, engine etc. while the body stays on the lift. It would have casters so the chassis can be moved around as needed in the shop.
Has anyone seen one of these or heard of one or fabricated one? I think 2X4's and 2X6's would work or of course angle or tubing.I see a lot of people just dropping the chassis on stands but in a busy shop it's gonna be in the way until the work is completed.
I just can't find any info and a lot of people say the chassis drop is the best way to do engine swaps or other engine work.
Thanks for any info.
Do you mean dropping the drive line cradles included, like this:
Then you can place on jack stands, but if you want it mobile then as recommended above use furniture dolly with frame built to hold the cradles.
Why would you want the drivetrain to be mobile? There should be plenty of room under the lift to work on it, I changed the heads, cam, clutch, and rear end like this.
Why would you want the drive-train to be mobile? There should be plenty of room under the lift to work on it, I changed the heads, cam, clutch, and rear end like this.
Yes, this is exactly what i am talking about except I'm looking for info on a one piece dolly that would catch the front and rear cradle and drive line and allow it to be rolled out of the way. I want it to be mobile so I can get it out of the way in the shop while I am working on engine, etc. I can leave the body lifted out of the way. That way I can work for hours or days and not plug up the garage.
I made a device out of tube steel to do just that. Not very fancy, but we've dropped probably 10 DT/PT's out of C5/C6 Corvettes with it. Here are a couple pics. In these we were just separating the drivetrain to do some clutch work.
this lowers the PT/DT to about waist height, so you have to be careful about a high CG and roll it carefully. As you can see in the second photo there are 6 posts. The smaller two are for supporting the engine or the drivetrain to further take them apart.
I have some simple drawings of the parts I can send you but it will take me a while to find them and send to you. We are leaving for the weekend in a few minutes and will be back Sunday eve.
I made a device out of tube steel to do just that. Not very fancy, but we've dropped probably 10 DT/PT's out of C5/C6 Corvettes with it. Here are a couple pics. In these we were just separating the drivetrain to do some clutch work.
this lowers the PT/DT to about waist height, so you have to be careful about a high CG and roll it carefully. As you can see in the second photo there are 6 posts. The smaller two are for supporting the engine or the drivetrain to further take them apart.
I have some simple drawings of the parts I can send you but it will take me a while to find them and send to you. We are leaving for the weekend in a few minutes and will be back Sunday eve.
EXCELLENT!! I'm amazed that this is such an unknown type of tool. I guess most people are working in a private garage and can just leave the chassis sitting until they are read to reinstall.
I would build this lower to the ground for my needs. Probably about 2 - 2 1/2 feet high. Anyway i will look forward to receiving the drawings. Feel free to PM me or use my personal email which is burl@operamail.com to send the info.
I've searched without luck for a C5 chassis dolly. It would hold the entire frame, engine etc. while the body stays on the lift. It would have casters so the chassis can be moved around as needed in the shop.
Has anyone seen one of these or heard of one or fabricated one? I think 2X4's and 2X6's would work or of course angle or tubing.I see a lot of people just dropping the chassis on stands but in a busy shop it's gonna be in the way until the work is completed.
I just can't find any info and a lot of people say the chassis drop is the best way to do engine swaps or other engine work.
Whats wrong with just reinstalling the wheels and you can roll it out of the way.
Well, I haven't done this before but I'm thinking that reinstalling the wheels would be difficult as I don't think there would be any thing to attach the upper A-fames to. I may be wrong.
But the major reason would be that I want to work on various parts of the chassis assembly at different times. I will be working on Diff, Tranny, Engine so if I unbolted either cradle I would not have continuous assemble to support it's self on the wheels and I would be proping up this then that as I worked on various parts. A dolly would support the assembly so the diff, trany, enginge could be removed as needed and the remainder would still be self supporting and able to still be moved as necessary while the component parts are still removed from the assembly. Clear as mud, I know.
Anyway, I need/want a dolly. One guy is supposed to be sending some prints of one he fabbed up. I'll bet he needed one for the same reason I do. To not block up the shop and to keep the cradles/tube assembly mobile while able to remove any parts as needed.
I'm still amazed that this is such a rare tool. People working on C1's, C2's , C3's have body and chassis dollies they have fabbed up.
Well, I haven't done this before but I'm thinking that reinstalling the wheels would be difficult as I don't think there would be any thing to attach the upper A-fames to. I may be wrong.
Ya got a point there..........totally forgot about that. Most of the pictures I have seen of rolling chassis have part of the frame rails cut to support the upper control arms.
One guy is supposed to be sending some prints of one he fabbed up. I'll bet he needed one for the same reason I do. To not block up the shop and to keep the cradles/tube assembly mobile while able to remove any parts as needed.
If you get those prints, how about posting them up? I bet a lot of us have wanted this, but this is the first I've heard of drawings.
If you get those prints, how about posting them up? I bet a lot of us have wanted this, but this is the first I've heard of drawings.
You got it. When I started searching I fully expected to find some drawings on the Forum but no cigar. I think it may be because a lot of people are content to just drop and leave it sitting cause they intend to finish quickly or it's a private and small space that doesn't lend itself to moving the chassis around.
One thing I have noticed also is that like me many (not all) of the guys working on C1's, 2's. etc are of an older generation that has a lot of mechanical experience and a rounded mechanical background. That may be the reason they have fabbed body and chassis dollies. They are good with their hands and accustomed to building what they need rather than buying. So, when confronted with a problem, that allows them to stand back, scratch their *** and say "hell, I'll just weld something up to fix this".
Anyway, I'll post when I receive. Thanks for the suggestion.
EXCELLENT!! I'm amazed that this is such an unknown type of tool. I guess most people are working in a private garage and can just leave the chassis sitting until they are read to reinstall.
I would build this lower to the ground for my needs. Probably about 2 - 2 1/2 feet high. Anyway i will look forward to receiving the drawings. Feel free to PM me or use my personal email which is burl@operamail.com to send the info.
Many thanks for the info.
I will PM you with the link, but it will be a DROPBOX link. Anyone else that wants the link can PM me. I would rather not make it public, (security/hacking of my DROPBOX account) and I think the files are too big to publish on this site.. If a Moderator wants to give me a download location, or tell me how, I don't mind sharing that way.
Ya got a point there..........totally forgot about that. Most of the pictures I have seen of rolling chassis have part of the frame rails cut to support the upper control arms.
Sorry for reviving an old thread, but is there anywhere to buy cut frame rails like that?
07-12-2017, 06:56 PM
C5 Chassis dolly
