Best way to gently put a body back on

[mebco09]

Here's my situation- I am looking for the easiest possible way to marry up my body and chassis utilizing the equipment I have at my disposal:

4 post lift
engine hoist
excavator
tractor with loader
4 carpenters

Kind of a puzzle, but I don't want to damage my body (its painted) and I am afraid that we won't be able to get it high enough to roll the chassis under the body at the engine.

Another consideration is attachment points. Assuming I were going to sling it (maybe underneath my 4 poster?) Where is a safe place to strap it?

Another thought was to put 4X4s underneath it and simply lift with guys. Then we have the problem of getting the 4X4s out and the whole body sitting crooked while we get the other 4X4 out. Maybe 2X4s laid flat?

3 of us got it off of the trailer and onto a cart, so 4 guys seemed a little more even for lifting.

Anyone have any thoughts?

 

[mtp71174]

First you need to brace at the top of the doors to keep its from folding at the seam behind the front seat. I hung my body from my rafters and lowered it down onto my frame. This was done in a regular garage. Rear body mounts work the back and you will need to lift at the firewall not the radiator support. This is just a thought and it did work for me.

 

[mtp71174]

Note the easiest way is with a two post lift and 2x4 notched to fit over the pinch weld the length of the rocker.

 

[Rustytruck]

4 carpenters would be a disaster in the making. you have to lift too high it gets into that awkward transfer point at mid waist.

 

[mebco09]

4 carpenters would be a disaster in the making. you have to lift too high it gets into that awkward transfer point at mid waist.

That was what I was thinking. All 4 guys would have to power clean it at the same time. Easy for 4 guys to move it around, but raising it up might be a problem.

 

[SteveL]

That was what I was thinking. All 4 guys would have to power clean it at the same time. Easy for 4 guys to move it around, but raising it up might be a problem.

Would make for good tv though.

 

[Rustytruck]

Yep right when your pants get hooked on the bumper and tears your pants and the house of cards come tumbling down.

 

[Redbark]

I used my engine hoist to move the tub from the frame to a body cart, then back to the frame. The tub was braced in the door openings, behind the front seat area and across the tailgate opening.
I ran lift straps to the outermost seatbelt mounts and below dash body mounts. I positioned the hoist so that it was reaching through a door opening.
It worked quite well. I think I had hoist leveller to fine tune the angle of the dangle.

 

[sprdv1]

I used my engine hoist to move the tub from the frame to a body cart, then back to the frame. The tub was braced in the door openings, behind the front seat area and across the tailgate opening.
I ran lift straps to the outermost seatbelt mounts and below dash body mounts. I positioned the hoist so that it was reaching through a door opening.
It worked quite well. I think I had hoist leveller to fine tune the angle of the dangle.

Have some extra help there as well won't hurt

 

[Spaggyroe]

I dropped a painted body on a frame this summer. I built bracing that bolted between the bedsides and door hinge attachment points (foam in-between), and then ran a bar from drivers side to passenger side with a lifting eye in the center. From there I just used a cherry picker.