Need to lift my ‘56 F100 cab off the frame and I do not have a two post lift. Can I use a strap or straps around the top of the door frame from my gantry without damaging the upper door frame opening? I want to keep the front windshield and rear gl*** in also Simple frame to another frame move. Roll one out roll one in.I will make sure the straps are heavy enough. Anyone ever do this or other ideas?
I'd think you'll be fine, cabs are pretty light... But if it worries ya you could get it off the frame with a floor jacoajd run straps underneath it easily enough....
I used a wood framework that bridged across the inside of the cab of my '36. It pinned onto the jib of my engine hoist and worked fine. Pretty sure I still have if you want to try it. Where in Eastern Iowa are you? Gary
I’ve used my engine hoist. 4x4 through the door openings. (Doors off) the 4x on top of the end of the hoist. Little bit of a balancing act, but not too bad.
The only real worries are front/rear balance and you might want to use something to padd the drip rails where the straps go across them The wider the strap the better too.
I'm betting you won't have enough lift with the engine hoist to have the can clear what ever it needs to clear to come off the frame by lifting from the outside. Notice 2 things, 1) My engine hoist has an extended lifting arm and the bottom legs are also extended. 2) In this picture, the cab is only 6" above the frame, see the angle the lift arm is already at? From this point up, the cab starts to tilt towards the back end of the hoist. For the higher side of the lifted cab to clear the frame and the transmission, my hoist is almost at max lift, and the hoist becomes very unstable, and that is on a cab with no gl***. The wood beam is a 4" x 6", around 8' long. There is a hole drilled at the center of the beam length. The beam sits on a stud welded to the top of the lift arm. that stud is positioned at the center of the cab in this picture. The beam itself is positioned inside of the cab right behind the windshield curve. Those two beam positions center the cab's weight directly over the end of the hoist arm. If the beam was positioned farther into the cab, it provides a better balance on the hoist at full lift, but also tilts the cab a lot more. It also reduces the amount of you can lift the cab, I needed full cab lift until the p***enger side rocker cleared the transmission.
Just comments from the peanut gallery but if you’re concerned about the amount of lift from a cherry picker you could in theory bolt a 2x4 to the front seat mount bolt holes and grab that.
I used a 2x8 as Gene shows- worked great- BUT before that I tried a chain hooked to floor and same cherry picker. That was a fiasco cab flipped and I ended up causing damage on top.
I have a H.F. gantry and have a 2 x 12 that I put in the windows. It's way safer than when I used to use a cherry picker. Most of the cabs have been striped inside so the weight is minimal. If your wood is bending too much, it's telling you not to do it. I had a comealong that ran straight up on both sides so I had straight pulls.
Done it with cherry picker, gantry crane, and a bunch of guys. Just make sure you find ALL the hidden bolts.
The Jalopy Journal
