Re: Body removal from a 733 sedan?

Posted by Mr.Pushbutton  On 2009/1/16 11:28:33

One thing is certain: if you pull the body off the frame you will end up doing a lot more work on the chassis because it is so accesable, and will not be again for a long time. We used to use unistrut (well, actually it's lower-priced competetor "B-line")to raise bodies off of frames, it is the channel you see used for mounting electrical conduits and plumbing pipes in construction. It is the grown-up erector set, you can make just about any kind of frame with it possible, there are a gazillion fittings that can be bought to bolt it together in different shapes and patterns. You can construct a simple frame shaped like a roman numeral "II" for lifting to body off of the frame. two long pieces running sideways (perpendicular to the length of the frame) that extend beyond the width of the frame and wheels and two runners going from front to back. You can carefully tip each side up, slide the unistrut under the body, bolt the struts together using the spring nuts and brackets then lift each end with a floor jack, place floor stand jacks under each lateral arm sticking out the sides, place them high enough to clear the frame and you can roll the chassis out from under the suspended body.
You can now buy B-line at Home Depot in the electrical section, they carry the struts (channels) and the common fittings and brackets, which is all you should need. When you are done you can un-bolt all this and store it in your rafters. Do you have any friends in construction? they use this product a lot.