The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Panels 'N Burbs '49 panel body removal from frame...

Due to a badly butchered subframe install on my panel by the PO, I need to remove the panel body and place it on a replacement frame. The question...

Do I need to brace the body in any way before I lift it off of the old frame? The body looks to be structurally sound, but do I need to weld in temporary "X" bracing, like inside behind the seats and in the back by the rear doors?

Any help would be appreciated! Thanks in advance!

This topic has been discussed before and you can find lots of information using the search tool at the top of the page. Weeds has done a nice job documenting his restoration of a Suburban, which is similar to your panel.

Here is a link to his album Richard's Suburban I did not notice any extra bracing on his Suburban body as it was removed from the frame. I have seen others brace it at the doors and at the rear before they removed it from the frame.

This method may sound very crude and low tech but I took mine off with a forklift through the back. We put an old tire on the forks to absorb the points of contact. We used no other braces and it has been off and on a few times. The next time it will be on to stay.

I didn't brace mine when I removed the body. No issues here! Click for pics below.

rockettruck51,

Will you be placing the panel body right onto the other frame? If not, on what will you be placing it?

There are lead-solder joints that will not take a lot of strain and might break ("pop open") if the body is not set on a level set of under-body support points. Take at look at the very nice rollable support-frame that MNSmith shows in his photos.

Tim

Took mine off no problems. you can see some photo's in my photobucket of the "stands" I made to roll around the body. My son in law cut mine for me but Lowes will cut the pipe free and you only buy what you need. Had some wheels but had to buy two cheap ones at Nothern Tool.

http://s140.photobucket.com/albums/r19/LutherParris/52Panel/?start=0


EDIT: Oops, I have not uploaded the pics of the stands by them selves but there is a couple pics you can see and get the idea.

The body can be lifted off with no bracing needed. I lifted my 49 sub body using 2 tow straps through the door openings and the rear window openings.The leaded joints remained intact with no cracking. With a panel you might need to find a different lift point at the rear. I used an Oliver 1650 tractor with the straps attached to the bucket. Worked good. Weeds

Thanks for all of the input guys. Somewhere in the truck's past life, eye-bolts were installed in each corner of the floor behind the seats and just in front of the doors. I plan to put "larger eye" eye-bolts in the rear, in the same holes since they are already there, with a sturdy strap to lift the rear from the inside with my cherry picker. The large shed where the truck is now sitting has a beam that i can use to lift the front with a strap and hoist either at the firewall or right behind the cowl.

I've built a roll-around cart with large casters, similar to the plans located elsewhere on the Stovebolt Page. Since it's a flat platform made out of 2 X 10's, I plan to attach 4 vertically mounted 4 X 4's, of yet undetermined height, to the sides of the 2 X 10's with large bolts, and then tie them together in pairs with level 2 X 4's at the top.

I started this thread to see if there had been any difficulties with "body-bending" as I lift the body off of the frame. It sounds like I won't have any problems if I'm careful and don't get carried away. If I remember, I'll try to take some pictures as I go along. Taking pictures is not the problem--REMEMBERING to take the pictures, is the problem!

Thanks everyone. If you have any more suggestions, keep 'em coming!

Randy (Rockettruck) Wickham

Good info and pics thanks

I have searched the site for plans for a rolling cart to place my 53' Suburban body on while I rebuild the chasis, brakes and drivetrain. This is the only thread I have found.

Some of the links to pictures are no longer good and there was a mention of plans.

Would someone please point me in the right direction. Thanks.

So that we don't hijack an old thread, please start a new thread and ask your question, in the meantime check out Patrick Plummers photo album.