The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Cab Lifting Experience

Worked hard last weekend to get the cab off my '68 stepside and on a dolly. Had some good help (my kids). This really got me fired up on moving faster on getting this truck complete. I am lucky in the fact it was in fairly good restoration shape before I started. Here's some pics:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/71178643@N00/294809156/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/71178643@N00/294809148/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/71178643@N00/294809141/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/71178643@N00/294809137/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/71178643@N00/294809135/

joe

Looks like your off to a great start. I might advise you to use something a little stronger than a 2x4 lying flat for lifting the cab. This is the one I built, after someone elses design. Wish I could remember who it was.

http://i15.tinypic.com/3522cd2.jpg

Welcome to the bolt,Joe, have fun

I have a '66 and would like to remove the cab as well. Do you know how much it weighs??? Roughly.
I mean can 4 guys lift it and roll the chassis out??

4 guys no problem,take the doors off first,Brian

That young helper in the first picture looks a little to young to be lifing that much weight Jeff. Mybe you should get the neighbor to help lifting it back on, ha!
Denny G

Yeah Jeff,

After I got the cab in the air I realized that it might be slightly heavier than I thought. I noticed the 2x4 was seriously bowed. I actually started it turned the other way (long ways up) but my son pushed on the bottom of the cab and the 2x4 snapped rolled on to its side. I want to start on the cab by sandblasting the bottom. Guess I'm going to have to take it back off the dolly and lay it on it's back.

Thanks,
joe

I have been wondering how I am going to get to the bottom of my cab to do some blasting. I don't think I want to lay it on it's back because of the shape of the 37, afraid I could do some denting and creasing of the metal. I have same cherry pickers but not that will get it high enough in the air to be able to sand blast without blasting a few inches from my face. Any ideas?

You could build a new dolly, an "L" shape, with the upright part of the "L" against the back of the cab. You would have to have it "pivot" so you could tilt the cab backwards, and the bottom part of the cab would be exposed. Of course, you'd have to strap the cab to the dolly,(both parts of the "L") to hold it it place. Wouldn't take that much more lumber, just some more time.

Or you could make some "rockers" like the bottom of a rocking chairs, secure them to the back of the cab, and pad them with old carpet like runners on a boat trailer(to protect the metal part of the back of the cab). Then lift the cab up with the cherry picker, and let it touch the ground, and let it "rock" back on the rockers, and you'd have the bottom exposed.

Mike

I've seen a friend use something very similar to the "L" shape... Simply put, both legs of the "L" were of the same length, and on each leg, fashioned out of 2X4s, he had adjustable 'claws' if you will. Think of a large wooden L-bracket that has two wooden C-clamps attached to it! :-) The "L" bracket simply pivots on two heavy carriage bolts that are mounted at the CENTER (very important here...) of the base. The base, incidentally, should be about long enough to support the majority of each arm of the "L" in either direction. The whole assembly sounds really ornate and complicated, but

For those who don't visualize well, think of an L-bracket that has two horizontal bars attached at the end of each leg of the "L". Each of the horizontal bars has a piece of 2X4 screwed to it at 90 degrees (toward where the cab would sit) on one end. The cab would be placed in the cradle ("L" frame) so that one of the 'claws' reaches into the cab at the rocker panel and the other reaches in along the rear of the door frame. Then another pair of horizontal bars that mirror the attached set are placed in the opposite door in the same places as the other bars and then screwed (or bolted) to the attached arms. This will allow the cab to be secured to the bracket with no chance of 'accidental separation', and allows the cab to be pivoted and supported for just about all work that needs to be done.

Sorry if I have just thoroghly confused everybody!!

You have the same idea as myselft, just need someone to do a drawing of the "L" frame, wouldn't be hard to construct, material wise probably under $75 buck, built my bed dolly, with 360 swivel wheels, out of 2x6 for about ^$65. works great, easy to move the bed around the garage, or in or out the garage area. MIke

when i did the cab for my 70 chevy truck i just used a regular old 2 wheel dolly that have 360 swivel wheels up by the handle, just needed another guy to help me tip it back
Nate

I laid an old mattress across the frame rails of my 39 (supported by 1/4" plywood), and rolled the cab over on it's back... did it several times, by myself,,, i removed the back window first... but left the doors on.