I saw a post on here at one time about using a cherry picker to lift a cab. It had pictures on it that are no longer viewable. Does anyone have a few pics of how to set this up? Or do you have suggestions as to an easy way to do this? I got it up and down off a frame by sliding it around and tilting it where I wanted it, but as work progresses, this will not work for me. Thanks, Jason
When I have done it I just slid my boom all the way out and put a strap through the side window holes and lifted it. I doubt I have any pictures. Yoou have to get it high enough to move the chassis under it or out from under it so keep that in mind while you are assembling.
There's a guy on the AD Truckers social group has done this with a modified engine hoist/cherry picker. Here's a link to the thread. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/group.php?do=discuss&group=&discussionid=25528 Alternatively...You could always buy a couple of packs of beer and invite the friends round to help lift it off. Just make sure it's done before the beer kicks in!
There is a company in Tn. that makes rotisseries, etc., and on their website is a photo of what you want, I would google "rotisseries" in Tn. and hopefully it computes.
I ran a wood 2X4 through the cab then used a chain around the 2X4 ends. Hooked the chain to the cherry picker. It took a couple lifts to figure out the balance point. It could have been done with the passenger door closed like the driver's side but I needed access to the inside of the cab while positioning it on the frame.
I use a good clear 2 x 6 lifting on the wide side of the board. Got two eyebolts on either side, with big washers and nuts to hold them in place. Put the board thru the cab, attach to chain hoist, find the balance point and lift. Easy off, easy on. Have also used the buddy system, just make sure you have lots of room around the work area. Put a wide nylon lifting strap thru one time. This caused a slight dip to occur in my drip rails... Good Luck
A big A-frame on wheels and a chain-fall are best. Or run a long 4x4 across the top of your ceiling joists, and hang the chain-fall from the center of the 4x4. But an engine hoist will work too, as others have shown. Be careful of pinching when using a strap...you can screw up the drip-rails. Best to run a 4x4 through the door openings, and hook the strap or chain from the ends of the 4x4. Attach a wooden block on the top of the 4x4...each side...slightly outboard of the body...to avoid shifting.
I use either a cherry picker with a 4x4 or the chain falls attached the the ceiling of the shop. The chain fall's seem to work better since you wont have the legs of the cherry picker under the frame to contend with
Here's my contraption; I don't have much room to lift so this is about as short coupled as I could get
53choptop's photo/approach is good and sound. Lifting from inside the cab, too, will give you a greater range of lift height than will lifting from above the cab. Another thing you may want to consider (this made it easier for me w/ my 57 Chev p/u, and I took the cab off/on probably 7-8 times by myself)) is to put the chassis on wheeled dollies; that way you can move the chassis darn near any direction you want (hopefully the only thing you'll need to avoid is the cherry picker wheels & frame).
Having the doors off the cab makes it a lot easier,...especially when you need to guide the pedals thru their floor openings. I use an engine cherry picker, with the boom extended, as per earlier post. 4TTRUK
I don't know what you are working on, but after I stripped my frame down I pulled the jack stands and let the frame sit on the ground, and a buddy and me lifted it off. Of course, I had all the glass, doors, seat etc. out of it but it wasn't all that heavy. It would have been a lot more work to build that cherry picker deal, but of course then you don't have to worry bout havin friends...
Am in the process of doing the same thing,and for this build it has worked out that I put the picker in through the window and use chains.Have another setup that I also used where I made an extension for the picker and then made a frame that went over the roof and was able to put 1" box all the way accross to lift of the top of the door.The chain setup I decided on was because I didn't want to take the doors off.
Be darn careful when lifting using a strap or chain through the door openings and to a hoist centered over the roof . If you don't have enough angle and height of the lift point above the roof ( that is strap or chain too flat) you can crumple the roof at the drip rails. A friend did this and ruined the roof of a nice Mercury coupe. A spreader bar is the best way to go.
Iv'e got to lift a 50 ford woodie body off in the spring.I like the idea of the cheap harbor freight gantry crane.
I lifted the cab of my 48 Chevy PU off and on the frame lots of times by myself using an engine hoist (cherry picker) and a couple of motor cycle straps. Had the doors off. Stuck the engine hoist into the middle of the cab, one strap under the floor through the door openings at the A piller and one at the B piller. Cranked it up and rolled the frame out from underneath. Worked great.
If you set the frame with the wheels removed on a set of (4) car wheels dollies the frame can be moved to the side from under the body. Don't have to raise the body near as high.
Ive got a 49 chevy coupe that I am wanting to lift off the frame so I can install a jag rear and also front end. I am ideally wanting to disconnect the wiring, hoses, steering etc.. and lift it straight off, leaving the complete stock upholstered interior inside. Is this an option ? or do I need to be bracing it inside in some way ? Just wanting to make sure I am thinking of everything.
I lifted a '55 Chevy Wgn body off a frame myself. Garage had exposed 2x6 rafters. Supported the rafters with with "I" beams about one foot from each side of the car. Attached four pulleys to the rafters, one above each corner of the car. Hoisted the body up off the frame.
The Jalopy Journal
