I'm thinking a T bar suspended over the cab;using the 2X6 or metal beam through the windows,as mentioned before,(throw a shipping blanket over the roof for protection),set a T shaped bar on the roof with the arms chained loosely (12-18 inches of slack) to the 2X6,the remaining arm forward. A chain or strap goes down from that arm and attaches to the center of a bar bolted across the front cab mounts. Using a ratchet strap here would give you some up/down adjustmentof the nose. A large eye bolt bolted through the T bar could be moved to any of several holes the length of the third arm until the balance point is found. It would be the lift point. Then the cab can be lifted squarely regardless of its weight distribution. The big problem is the short reach ot most engine hoists,so probably a gantry crane of some sort is the best way to go. It isn't too hard to build-two A frames and a strong cross bar to lift from-,and can be as basic or fancy as you have time or desire to make it.
Dutchman threw a basic version of this together in about a short day to set the cab on my truck,Mad Max,when he built it,but we were in kind of a time crunch and didn't have time to do much refining of the design. This set up saved us a lot of time,stress and damage to the cabs. Might seem like a lot of work if you only intend to do one cab removal or install,but once you're set up for it,chances are you'll use it more often than you ever thought you would.
Speed
Last edited by speed 6351; 09/04/2008 7:34 PM.
