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mannydantyla Samba Member
Joined: December 20, 2018 Posts: 61 Location: Portland, OR
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Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2019 3:24 pm Post subject: Removing & lifting the body off the frame with an engine hoist? |
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I need to lift my squareback body up off the frame.
I'm thinking about using a cherry picker/engine-hoist/crane/whatever but I'm not sure the best way to pick up the body by the roof. Or if that's even a good idea.
I need to be able to lift it up and down, up and down, over and over while I get both the chassis and body cut to a mutually agreeable shape (I'm doing an unconventional chassis swap). So simply getting the body up on tall jacks or wooden blocks or something isn't enough. I need to be able to lift it with a hoist or something. The ceiling in my garage is extremely low and weak and so using it as a hoist won't work. I could make one and do the work outside though but it's very cold and snowy.
So far I haven't been able to find any photos or helpful information about the best way to do this for these vehicles. Does anybody have any advice?
I want to do something like this, but for a type 3 squareback:
Thanks!
p.s. how much do you think a squarebody body weighs, with the doors removed, front and rear lids removes, etc.. ? |
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Mike Fisher Samba Member
Joined: January 30, 2006 Posts: 17970 Location: Eugene, OR
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Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2019 4:04 pm Post subject: Re: Removing & lifting the body off the frame with an engine hoist? |
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The roof is plenty strong to lift the body with a strap through the middle side windows if your lift legs go under the body passed the centerline.
Your wood 2X6 method looks promising too.
Don't cut out the heater channels under the doors or you might have problems/twisting lifting? _________________ https://imgur.com/user/FisherSquareback/posts
69 FI/AT square Daily Driver
66 sunroof,67,70,71,71,71AT,72,72AT,73 Parts
two 57 oval ragtops sold
'68 Karmann Ghia sold
Society is like stew. If you don't keep it stirred up you end up with a lot of scum on the top! - Russ_Wolfe/Edward Abbey
Last edited by Mike Fisher on Wed Jan 16, 2019 4:07 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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mannydantyla Samba Member
Joined: December 20, 2018 Posts: 61 Location: Portland, OR
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Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2019 4:05 pm Post subject: Re: Removing & lifting the body off the frame with an engine hoist? |
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Mike Fisher wrote: |
The roof is plenty strong to lift the body with a strap through the middle side windows if your lift legs go under the body passed the centerline.
Don't cut out the heater channels under the doors or you might have problems/twisting lifting? |
They're already rusted to hell, the're not providing any structure, I'll have to brace the doors before doing the lifting.
Thanks!!
When I lift the body, maybe next week, I certainly update you guys. I was at Harbor Freight yesterday with a $50-off coupon for the 2-ton engine hoist, but I thought I'd sleep on it another day or two. I might be able to come up with a better idea with trailer jacks or something. |
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Bobnotch Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2003 Posts: 22431 Location: Kimball, Mi
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Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2019 2:18 pm Post subject: Re: Removing & lifting the body off the frame with an engine hoist? |
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mannydantyla wrote: |
Mike Fisher wrote: |
The roof is plenty strong to lift the body with a strap through the middle side windows if your lift legs go under the body passed the centerline.
Don't cut out the heater channels under the doors or you might have problems/twisting lifting? |
They're already rusted to hell, the're not providing any structure, I'll have to brace the doors before doing the lifting.
Thanks!!
When I lift the body, maybe next week, I certainly update you guys. I was at Harbor Freight yesterday with a $50-off coupon for the 2-ton engine hoist, but I thought I'd sleep on it another day or two. I might be able to come up with a better idea with trailer jacks or something. |
In my 24' by 24' garage, I use a 3 point lifting method. The rear lifting points are at the front of the air boxes (inside the fender vents), while up front I use the spare tire/fuel tank openings to loop thru. This provides a nice solid adjustable lift point, but I'm usually only raising and lowering.
I suppose you could do a sort of blocks (timber) method like the pick up in your pics, using some wood thru the front of the rear side windows, and something like that at the front of the doors, then add a square/rectangular platform under it to do the actual lifting.
Personally I prefer my external method, as I'm usually working alone, and I can fine tune how much I'm actually lifting/lowering.
The weight of the empty body shell is about 800 pounds. It might seem like more, but 4 guys can lift it up and off, or up and on. But, that's with all of the glass out, no doors, hoods, no bumpers or their brackets, no fenders, or anything that bolts onto the body shell. I only say this, because I've had several t-3 bodies off over the years.
I hope this helps. _________________ Bob 65 Notch S with Sunroof
71 Notch ...aka Krunchy; build pics here;
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=249390 -been busy working
64 T-34 Ghia...aka Wolfie, under construction... http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=412120
Tram wrote: |
"Friends are God's way of apologizing for relatives." |
Tram wrote: |
People keep confusing "restored" and "restroyed". |
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mannydantyla Samba Member
Joined: December 20, 2018 Posts: 61 Location: Portland, OR
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Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2019 3:02 pm Post subject: Re: Removing & lifting the body off the frame with an engine hoist? |
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This does help, thank you. I was assuming it weighed less than that and that it weighed closer to what an empty beetle shell ways (people say it's around 400 pounds), I would have been wrong. If I can lift it from above then I will, but I don't think my garage has the ceiling height and I'd rather not do it outside, the weather is nasty. |
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Bobnotch Samba Member
Joined: July 06, 2003 Posts: 22431 Location: Kimball, Mi
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Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2019 3:18 pm Post subject: Re: Removing & lifting the body off the frame with an engine hoist? |
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mannydantyla wrote: |
This does help, thank you. I was assuming it weighed less than that and that it weighed closer to what an empty beetle shell ways (people say it's around 400 pounds), I would have been wrong. If I can lift it from above then I will, but I don't think my garage has the ceiling height and I'd rather not do it outside, the weather is nasty. |
That's the thing, I have restricted ceiling height, which is why I do the 3 point lift. My come a longs end up along side the body at full lift with the roof almost touching the cross beams of the garage. _________________ Bob 65 Notch S with Sunroof
71 Notch ...aka Krunchy; build pics here;
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=249390 -been busy working
64 T-34 Ghia...aka Wolfie, under construction... http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=412120
Tram wrote: |
"Friends are God's way of apologizing for relatives." |
Tram wrote: |
People keep confusing "restored" and "restroyed". |
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catahoula lou Samba Member
Joined: August 30, 2008 Posts: 594 Location: south of Silver Springs, NV
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Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2019 11:26 am Post subject: Re: Removing & lifting the body off the frame with an engine hoist? |
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When I was de-rusting my pan, I simply had 3 other guys help me (four corners) lift it off and put back on when done.
Best,
Thom _________________ 1 great wife
2 Catahoula Leopard Dogs (Mahogany Star and Spartan) - RIP Lucy, Braveheart, & Dusty!
1 1959 mango green Ragtop Bug (the "Mango")
1 1958 pantina red Lowlight Ghia (the "Chili Pepper")
Still looking for:
(1) My Dad's 1955 356 (he raced it amateur-class at Riverside and other courses during 1950s),
(2) My parent's black 1955 hardtop bug (CA license plate FWC 201 or FWG 201), and
(3) My parent's agave green 1957 ragtop bug (CA license plate LFK 734). |
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mannydantyla Samba Member
Joined: December 20, 2018 Posts: 61 Location: Portland, OR
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Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2019 7:24 am Post subject: Re: Removing & lifting the body off the frame with an engine hoist? |
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As I promised, here's the pics of me lifting the body up with an engine hoist. I originally planned on lifting it from inside, with the boom extension going through the pop-out window opening. But it was too tall so I used some overhead straps and chains instead.
And it was probably a little lighter than 800 pounds.....
Here it is sitting next to its new chassis, a Miata:
Thats not the final position of the body, it will need to slide forward and downward several inches, btw.
Here's the video of me lifting up the body and dropping it onto the Miata: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pecjOGjYPQ That's a fun one!! |
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nogoodwithusernames Samba Member
Joined: November 10, 2014 Posts: 599 Location: CA, USA
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Mike Fisher Samba Member
Joined: January 30, 2006 Posts: 17970 Location: Eugene, OR
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Posted: Thu Feb 07, 2019 12:44 pm Post subject: Re: Removing & lifting the body off the frame with an engine hoist? |
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Build a 4X4 wooden stand on wheels to hold the body. Removable cross 4X4's to rest it on.
Make it tall enough to roll over the chassis, so you could store them both in your single car space? Might need a taller garage door? _________________ https://imgur.com/user/FisherSquareback/posts
69 FI/AT square Daily Driver
66 sunroof,67,70,71,71,71AT,72,72AT,73 Parts
two 57 oval ragtops sold
'68 Karmann Ghia sold
Society is like stew. If you don't keep it stirred up you end up with a lot of scum on the top! - Russ_Wolfe/Edward Abbey |
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ataraxia Samba Member
Joined: March 19, 2010 Posts: 4504 Location: Illinois
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Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2019 9:22 pm Post subject: Re: Removing & lifting the body off the frame with an engine hoist? |
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Bobnotch wrote: |
The weight of the empty body shell is about 800 pounds. It might seem like more, but 4 guys can lift it up and off, or up and on. But, that's with all of the glass out, no doors, hoods, no bumpers or their brackets, no fenders, or anything that bolts onto the body shell. |
The bare body has to weigh significantly less than 800# because - more than once - I've removed a bare body from a pan and put it on a wood cart with only one other person - we picked it up, walked across my driveway and set it on the cart - no struggling whatsoever. I'd be surprised if it weighed more than 300#. |
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vwfye Samba Member
Joined: April 15, 2000 Posts: 7661
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Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2020 9:22 pm Post subject: Re: Removing & lifting the body off the frame with an engine hoist? |
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_________________ 64 No'back Speedster "Pearl"
1980s Sand Dragster "The Plunger"
LME "Little Giant Killer 3" |
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EastForkBrewing Samba Member
Joined: November 30, 2018 Posts: 16 Location: Portland
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Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2021 8:10 pm Post subject: Re: Removing & lifting the body off the frame with an engine hoist? |
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I'm trying to remove the body of my 71 square to replace the floor pans, I have all the bolts out of the existing floor pans, shocks are disconnected, disconnected from the front axle and I still can't get that sucker to come off. I know the rear is free but something must be holding up in the front. Any suggestions other then rust holding it in? I'm practically lifting the car off the ground so feel I must be missing a bolt but can't find it for the life of me.
Thanks _________________ Learning how to rebuild a 71 squareback with my son. |
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vwfye Samba Member
Joined: April 15, 2000 Posts: 7661
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Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2021 12:13 am Post subject: Re: Removing & lifting the body off the frame with an engine hoist? |
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Steering rag joint? 2 bolts from beam to body? _________________ 64 No'back Speedster "Pearl"
1980s Sand Dragster "The Plunger"
LME "Little Giant Killer 3" |
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EastForkBrewing Samba Member
Joined: November 30, 2018 Posts: 16 Location: Portland
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Posted: Sun Jan 03, 2021 11:24 am Post subject: Re: Removing & lifting the body off the frame with an engine hoist? |
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vwfye wrote: |
Steering rag joint? 2 bolts from beam to body? |
got the 2 from beam to body, by steering rag joint do you mean the steering column to steering box? if so yes got those. might just be 50 years of rust/ galvanic action going on there. Didn't really expect it to just fall off but didn't think I would have to bash it off either. _________________ Learning how to rebuild a 71 squareback with my son. |
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