Thread: How to lift a body to remove chassis?

i do have an uncle who owns an auto shop but it's a small shop( not much room for extra cars) and i wana be working during the day. fortunately my old man has some contacts, and at this stage we are gona get some scaffold and 4 chain blocks. this should work. thanks all for your help and i will try and document it for a tutorial.

Adam

4 x 44 gallon drums and a l2 lengths of 150 x 75 x 10mm "C" Channel or similar, wider than the width of your car. Lift the body onto the drums with an engine lifter or similar and then move out the rolling chassis in a forward direction. You may need a few extra pieces of 4 x 4 hardwood to get enough hight for the engine to clear the radiator support.

Then drop the body onto a car trailer, ready for removal later. Lift the second vehicle the same way.


I use a forklift with extended tynes, through the side doors, but then I don't re-use the body.

Erich

I swapped a chassis in a 1982 4 door R.Rover about 15 years ago, in my car port.
From memory,(I haven't looked at the pictures for ages), I jacked it up only a few inches and used 4 axle stands under the body sills- one at each end.I removed the entire rear axle and replaced it with a trolley jack supporting the rear x'member.I removed the front springs to lower the chassis onto the bump stops, replacing the front wheels with some spares I had without tyres on ,which lowered the chassis even more.
Removed all fixings of body to chassis including radiator, grill etc and then slowly withdrew the chassis with engine and transmission still attached out from under the body in a forwards direction, I remember the chassis clearing the body by millimeters only.
The only lifting I did was to remove the engine and trans. together as a unit to place into the replacement chassis and slide it back under the body.
A reversal of the disconnection process and the vehicle was back on a trip out west after 5 weekends of work from start to finish.
I remember talking to people about it before I started, and no one had done it like this before- they had all used a 2 post hoist in a proper workshop.

don't tell the work safe lot but i used a couple of high lifts, few scaffolding poles tie wrapped together and an engine hoist.

i am glad that people have found backyard ways of lifting body without having to use a forklift or crane. it gives me hope!!

the beer and barbie economy worked well for me....

nothing a dozen or so aulroites cant cope with...

Originally Posted by incisor

nothing a dozen or so aulroites cant cope with...

There's more than enough to give you a hand up Newy way too.

We could have a day on Stockton Beach then come around & lift the body off with you .

Originally Posted by barry2

I swapped a chassis in a 1982 4 door R.Rover about 15 years ago, in my car port.
From memory,(I haven't looked at the pictures for ages), I jacked it up only a few inches and used 4 axle stands under the body sills- one at each end.I removed the entire rear axle and replaced it with a trolley jack supporting the rear x'member.I removed the front springs to lower the chassis onto the bump stops, replacing the front wheels with some spares I had without tyres on ,which lowered the chassis even more.
Removed all fixings of body to chassis including radiator, grill etc and then slowly withdrew the chassis with engine and transmission still attached out from under the body in a forwards direction, I remember the chassis clearing the body by millimeters only.
The only lifting I did was to remove the engine and trans. together as a unit to place into the replacement chassis and slide it back under the body.
A reversal of the disconnection process and the vehicle was back on a trip out west after 5 weekends of work from start to finish.
I remember talking to people about it before I started, and no one had done it like this before- they had all used a 2 post hoist in a proper workshop.

Exactly how I did mine. Need to remove the front panel between the inner guards and disconnect the steering shaft at the box. Gear selectors will require attention as well.

Whole lot slides out, then in with the new.

cheers, DL