Body removal support/stand ideas

[LSUpete]

Fellas,

I am going to remove my Bronco body in a few weeks and I would like to see what some of you have done to support the body while it was off the frame.

I would like to build some type of support frame out of wood, with casters on it, so that I can manuever it around.

Thanks.

 

[brian72]

keep the doors on..that will help support the body. Maybe something between the dash cowl and the tunnel cover.

Hey - I image you will be getting new body bushings....if any of the old ones are decent...I want them. I need to put some rubber isolators between my tanks and the body. These would be perfect.

 

[sstlaure]

keep the doors on..that will help support the body. Maybe something between the dash cowl and the tunnel cover.

Hey - I image you will be getting new body bushings....if any of the old ones are decent...I want them. I need to put some rubber isolators between my tanks and the body. These would be perfect.

I've got a couple extra yellow polyurethane bushings that are like new if you're interested. PM...

 

[trailpsycho]

I recently bought some steel saw horses from Harbor Freight that are supposedly good for like 1200-1500 lbs each (~$25/pair). I have a single pair supporting my tub right now. A single 2X6 X 8' is on top of the front sawhorse with the tub rest on the 2X6 @ about the front door post or slightly behind. The rear section needs to be raised a bit so a few layers (1-4X6 and 3-2X6s) are on top that sawhorse. A wooden frame out of boxed in 2X6s would probably work well with castors. I have a rostisserie on loan that I intend to put the tub on, but first I want to brace the doors....although it feels very solid as it is. The rotisserie I have will stak some effort to get the tub mounted.

I know this isnt probably is what you were asking for, but I wanted to throw some idead out there. If you want pics, I can take some tonight.

John

 

[scottmcwms]

Check out my gallery. I made a sling that allowed me to access both sides of the tub. Notice the angle iron braces I installed on the body. You must do this otherwise you will be sorry.
Two things I would do differently. One, put another brace from drivers to passengers striker post. The strikers were about 1/2" closer together than the tailgate strikers when I was done. Nothing that I didn't fix with good ole leg power.
Two, use 3 or 4 ratcheting straps instead of 2. This will prevent you from dropping the body on the ground like I did a couple of times. I was adjusting the ratcheting straps and hit the release button. The body went careening to the ground. Fortunately nothing was damaged, but it scared me. Having an extra strap would be a good idea.

This design allowed me to replace all the floor pans easily because I could weld from either side. Then painting the underneath was a cake walk.

Scott

Scott

 

[broncotime]

Fellas,

I am going to remove my Bronco body in a few weeks and I would like to see what some of you have done to support the body while it was off the frame.

I would like to build some type of support frame out of wood, with casters on it, so that I can manuever it around.

Thanks.

I used some angle iron to connect the top door hinge holes to the bed rail hard top holes. A piece of square tubing ran side to side (fastened to the angle iron near the rear door post) with a shackle hook on it to fasten the cherry picker to worked great for me. It was very easy to balance.

To roll it around I used some wheel dollies and 2x4's. I just balanced it on two of the cheapie harbor freight/Northern Tool wheel dollies and it worked good.

Do not use platic saw horses! Even though mine were rated at 500 lbs each, one collasped and sent the bare body crashing down onto my driveway. Scared the C@#p out of me. My bracing held everything tight and I only had a small ding on one of the rear corners to fix.

 

[rcmbronc]

I have used two different things. I have a rotisserie and I also have a wood cart.

Here are some pictures.

 

[scsm76]

I did mine a little diffrently, I did not support the doors, would have been a good idea but i had no problems without doing so. I used a fork lift to lift the body from behind. The fork lift had a single long boom about 10' long. I set this over the tub from the back all the way to about the windshield, I then used chains up and over the boom to bolts put through each body mount(three chains.)
This held the tub flat without braces. I then set the tub down on eight stands made from disc blades 1 1/4" pipe with a piece of 3/4" pipe sleeved inside to make the hieght adjustable by drilling a hole in the side and welding a nut on to place a bolt in to tighten. The stands sat under each of the eight body mounts, I dropped a bolt through the body mount and into the pipe to help secure things.. When I media blasted the tub I held it up by the fork lift to do th eunderside and when I painted it it was on the stands about 4' up so I could get under it to paint.
Sorry no pictures the media card in my camera during the whole frame off was stolen/lost before uploading to computer. This system worked ok, it allowed me to do everthing by myself, if all the stands were bult on one big rolling cart it would have been easier to move but i only moved it 3 times and I had the luxury of a fork lift. I also didn't have to replace any floor boards, I did one rocker before removing it from the frame. I was fortunate to find a rust free 69.

 

[LSUpete]

keep the doors on..that will help support the body. Maybe something between the dash cowl and the tunnel cover.

Hey - I image you will be getting new body bushings....if any of the old ones are decent...I want them. I need to put some rubber isolators between my tanks and the body. These would be perfect.

Kewl.

The body mounts are gonna cost you.......good thing I need labor help.

 

[LSUpete]

I have used two different things. I have a rotisserie and I also have a wood cart.

Here are some pictures.

rcmbronc,

This looks like what I'm going to build.

What the outriggers supposed to accomplish?

Do you have any dimensions for height at each body mount, as well as length between each body mount?

Why didn't you support the the front , at the body mounts near the front/core support?

 

[rcmbronc]

The outriggers were there so that I could tilt it up on its side. I built this before I had a rotisserie. I can get some dimensions for you tonight. I did not support the front with the wooden dolly because my first EB I did on it had all fiberglass bolt on front pieces. With my second EB I had it on the cart to weld in new inner fenders and just used posts fron the front mounts down to the ground. Then when I put it on the rotisserie I supported the front mounts with extension on my arms. Then I put it back on the cart for final sanding and painting and the front would not droop at all so I did not worry about it.

 

[brian72]

it might be cheaper from sstlaure....

 

[LSUpete]

it might be cheaper from sstlaure....

We won't hurt you too bad.

 

[bax]

I put and kept mine on another frame. I will be done with the frame soon you can use it if you want, or have it. It is a POS 66 frame with all the extra stuff cut off. I just used the stock mounts and no flex worries. mount dolly wheels on the frame and have a roller.

Bax

 

[rellimgneb]

I just set mine on two saw horses. I even climbed around in there quite a bit and never had a problem. Didn't brace the doors or tailgate. Maybe I got lucky, or maybe it's over kill and the folding tub is an urban myth.

 

[NicksTrix]

here's how i do mine. i use my rolling fixture to send the tub off for chem strip. they take it off for the process. i do all my tub repair and body work on it.
i use a chain hoist in my shop to pick up the whole thing by myself easily. i have 4 points i use with ratchet straps. this way i can adjust the load to the central pickup point.
i brace the tub so that it won't shift while panels are cut out & while being moved about. body attachment points are built into the fixture, so it sits as if sitting on the frame.

if you've got rust in one, they will fold. it's no urban myth

i'm going to use an extra frame i've got & make some slip in legs that will go into the frame ends. this will help when i need to free the fixture up for another project.

 

[Salgood]

I used utilized my trusses in the ceiling to lift my body off. One cable at each corner. Worked great.

After I moved the frame out---- I sat it on sawhorses that I bought at Lowes.

BC

 

[rcmbronc]

Here are some dimensions for you.