• Welcome to ClassicBroncos! - You are currently viewing the forums as a GUEST. To take advantage of all the site features, please take a moment to register. It's fast, simple and absolutely free. So please join our community today!
    If you have problems registering or can't log into your account, please contact Admin.

removing the body.

sideshows1969

New Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2009
Messages
3
Loc.
Queen Creek
Hey guys i am getting ready to remove the body from the frame and wanted to know how others have done it. i was thinking of putting i lets in the body mounts to rig some chain to. I know to leave the doors on top is off and it is a AZ bronco so no rust. And any good ideas on how to flip it up side down to get the under carriage bed lined.
 

Nightstick

Bronco guy
Joined
Feb 6, 2010
Messages
2,929
Here's a link to a thread that'll tell ya what NOT to do, lol...

I helped pull another body after this one and it went a lot smoother. We weren't that concerned whether or not it got messed up, but it actually turned out better than the first time. We just wrapped a heavy duty strap around the tub and lifted. We braced the door openings first though. The rockers got a little messed up, but they were pretty rusted out anyway.

I'd suggest lifting from the seat mounting holes, and of course bracing the door openings as well. The braces you see in that link worked very well. It would have been easier to just weld them to the panels but I just used the door post mounting holes. I didn't want to weld them and mess up the body.
 

JeepGuy

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Aug 24, 2006
Messages
1,210
You need to brace the back of the tub to the front cowl or you run the risk of ending up with a wadded up worthless tub! Look at posts 12 and 15 of this link this is how I did it. I made my jig removable so that it could be used an more resto projects.

http://classicbroncos.com/forums/showthread.php?t=145438&highlight=needabronco+frame



Quick question for you. The brace that goes on the front part of the door jamb... Is that at 90 degrees to the portion that goes along the bed rails, or is there a bit of an angle there?
 

Nightstick

Bronco guy
Joined
Feb 6, 2010
Messages
2,929
Mine is screwed into the door mounts so it's kind of a funny angle both ways. I cut the pieces to length, held them up and welded them in place. If you're just going to weld them to the body it might be easier. The protrusions on the door post make it off 90 degrees if you run it all the way down.
 

Attachments

  • bodybrace.jpg
    bodybrace.jpg
    99.1 KB · Views: 292

needabronco

Bronco Guru
Joined
Jul 2, 2004
Messages
6,411
Loc.
Prescott/Farmington
I built mine out of 2.5" 3/16"s "L" channel. I bolted the front piece to the hinge posts, the laid the back portion over the bed rails and welded it together. There was a little bit of trimming to do before the welding but you get the idea. The 'middle' part is the same thing. I drilled a few extra holes so the mount could be moved for better balance of the tub when it's on the cherry picker. It works great. Mine is perfectly balanced for a bare tub with the tailgate still on. Without the tailgate, its a little off balance, but still easy to manage.
 
OP
OP
sideshows1969

sideshows1969

New Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2009
Messages
3
Loc.
Queen Creek
Thanks guys for all the input But has any one lifted the body with the doors on and fenders. The doors should support the body as long as they stay closed and i was thinking of threading eye lets into thew extra screw holes by the seat mounts any thoughts on that.
 

needabronco

Bronco Guru
Joined
Jul 2, 2004
Messages
6,411
Loc.
Prescott/Farmington
It has and can be done, but there's a lot more that can go wrong too! If your going through the work to prep the tub for body and paint, why not take the doors and top off? How would you flip the tub over with the doors and top still on anyway?
 

Felipe

Full Member
Joined
Feb 6, 2008
Messages
194
Loc.
Concord, NC
yeah the doors aren't going to support it;you need to take them off and weld in some supports, are you trying not to do any paint or bodywork on the rest of the body just the underside? otherwise it's not that much more work to do.The doors weigh a ton with all the guts in side it. I dont think the tub weighs more than 4-500 pounds maybe more with the front clip on it.I built a wooden dolly out of 4x4'sto put the body on. you can easily get to the bottom of the tub (no rotiserie)
 
Top