Body lift and roller plans info.

100_0739Back in 2005 my father and I came up with a body lift and roller system that would allow one person to separate a car body from it’s frame. With a standard rotisserie the biggest problem we saw was how to get the body onto the rotisserie with out having 4 guys come over to manually lift it. An even bigger problem we saw was, after you completely restored your car body (fresh paint and all) how were you going to put it back on the frame?

Here are some of the benefits:

  • Fully adjustable for any sized car including truck cabs
  • Can be used as a body cart for portability
  • Can be made to fit under an 8′ ceiling
  • Legs are telescoping for easy height adjustment
  • Universal to fit any type or model of car
  • Can be operated with minimal shop tools(9/16″, 3/4″, 11/8″ sockets)
  • Has a capacity of 1500 pounds
  • Body cart can be used with a standard auto rotisserie
  • Firewall and trunk are completely accessible
  • Breaks down for easy storage
  • Will adjust from 5′ to 8′ wide
  • Will adjust from 6′ to 12′ long
  • Will adjust from 24″ to 39″ high
  • Capable of raising bodies as low as 10″ from the ground

The body lift & roller plans are 50 pages of easy to follow blueprints that are based on common sense and not engineering jargon. There is more than enough information on the drawings to successfully build a complete body lift and roller.

The capacity drawn is for 1500 lbs. If you have the skills to restore a car, you have more than enough skill to build this body lift. Every part is clearly drawn and dimensioned in 4 views including a pictorial view for clarity. The blueprints also come with building notes and a full material and cut list.

 

Body lift and roller photos

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As you can see in the photos, this unit has a big advantage if you need to work on the rear or the firewall. Also note just how high the body lift actually goes. You could sit in a chair to repair body mounts. The entire unit breaks down for easy storage.

Body lift and roller step by step instructions.

Block the car up off the frame 6”.

We recommend 6” in order to have enough clearance to install the body

mounts and the main beams.

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Install the 4 body mounts along with the body mount blocks.

Make sure to use body mount locations on your car that are in good

enough shape to support the car when it is on it’s side or it’s top. If your

car’s body mounts are rusted out you will need to repair them first or find

different ones.

Also make sure that the car will not be front or back heavy when you find

a good mounting location.

The body mounts as well as the blocks are made to face any direction in

order to work around objects such as the frame.

The body mounts and blocks must hang straight down. A series of washers

or wedges may be needed for some cars in order to achieve this.

Use a 3/8” x 3” bolt, nut, and lock washer to set and secure the height of

the body mounts.

Do not tighten any bolts at this time.

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When installing the main beams, slide one half beam through the body

mount block. Then install the main beam insert from the other side of the

car. Then you can go ahead and put the second half beam through the

other body mount block.

Remember that if you are going to be using the hoops, the total width of

the main beam should be 7’ from the outside to the outside, in order to

hook up the hoops correctly.

It is best if the hoop hook up pegs stick away from the car as shown.

Be sure to have the main beam insert centered between the two main beam

halves, in other words, you want the same amount of steel inside each half

for the greatest strength.

Make sure to have the entire main beam centered side to side, inside the

body mount blocks as well.

As a reminder, everything should be hanging straight down from the body

mounts, so when the legs are attached they will be perpendicular to the

floor and won’t put undo stress on the car’s body mounts.

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Install the casters using 3/8” x 1” bolts, nuts, lock washers, and flat

washers (on the slotted holes).

In the case like this picture, the car is already high enough off the ground

to install the legs (using the top peg of the legs) into the main beams.

Make sure the legs are facing the right direction in order to receive the

stabilizer bars into the couplers on the outside of the legs. (2 of the legs

are made opposite in order to make that happen).

Use a 1/2” x 3” bolt and nut to install the legs.

Tighten all bolts, especially the pinch bolts.

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In this case the car body is too low to the ground to install the leg with the

top peg. This is when you would want to use the bottom peg.

Use a 1/2” x 3” bolt and nut as well as the pinch bolts, and tighten them.

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Once the leg is installed, you will telescope the leg all the way up.

Make sure the other end of the car is still resting on the blocks and not on

the legs.

As a reminder, make sure the car’s body mounts are in good shape and

that all the bolts are tight.

Alternate from side to side, lifting only a few inches at a time in order to

keep the car as straight as possible.

Keep 2 jack stands under the main beam at all times just in case the leg

would tip from side to side. It would also be a good idea to either block

the casters or remove them for this process.

Now you will want to put the jack stands under the main beam and retract

the leg all the way.

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Now you have the car body high enough to put the top peg of the leg into

the main beam.

Don’t forget to tighten all the bolts.

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Now before you raise the legs, you will want to install the stabilizer bars

into the couplers of the legs.

It is important that this be done before you raise or move the car body so it

won’t rely only on the body mounts to keep the legs from tipping forward

or backward.

Secure each end of the stabilizer bars with a 1/2” x 1” bolt, nut, and lock

washer.

Tighten all bolts including the pinch bolts in the middle of the bars.

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Now the legs can be telescoped up and the body moved around.

Try to raise the car as evenly as possible, by raising each leg only a few

inches at a time.

The legs were built to sustain the force of an impact wrench, so if you

have one go ahead and use it.

I’m sure you’ve figured it out, but in order to raise the leg you must turn

the nut counter clockwise.

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Now the body is completely accessible for any work that needs to be done

at this stage.

This is the end of the body lift assembly. The next steps are to install the

roller.

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Install the 4 hoops as shown, onto the pegs of the main beams.

Use 1/2” x 3” bolts and nuts.

Do not tighten bolts.

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Next you will want to install the hoop connectors as shown.

Make sure the coupler on top is facing the right direction in order to

receive the stabilizer bars.

Use 1/2” x 1” bolts, flat washers, and lock washers.

Do not tighten bolts.

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Now install the top 4 hoops along with the last hoop connectors.

Tighten all bolts including the pinch bolts on the hoop pegs.

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Take only the top 2 stabilizer bars off the legs and install them into the

hoop connectors on the side of the car.

Then tighten the bolts for the stabilizer bars you just installed.

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Now you can take the other 2 stabilizer bars off the legs and install them

into the hoop connectors.

You can now lower the legs and remove them. Do not roll the legs

without any stabilizer bars connected to them.

Now go ahead and tighten all the bolts.

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The hoop connectors act as a natural stop to keep the car from rolling. If

you want the car at a different angle it might be a good idea to block the

roller with a 2×4 or something else. As you can see in the picture that

works pretty good.

Now you’re finished with the installation. To take it apart, obviously do all

the steps in reverse.

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