Chain Grade for Lifting Body from Frame

I've used <truckntow.com> for years for most of my trailer straps, ratchets etc. Used to have a full-size catalog, but that went the way of the dinosaurs.

WamboJambo said:

Here ya go, maybe this is what you wanted

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(excuse my mess of a garage, it turns out cars take up a lot more space in pieces)

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I THINK we talked about this once before, but you're up in Greensboro..... No?

I was just up your way last week at the Alro steel depot if so.

Never really thought about chain ratings...

Advisable, not advisable who knows, okay I know, but I had a regular old run of the mill log chain,and I think it was a 2 ton chain hoist I used to regularly hook the chain hoist to the basement I beam under the frt bumper of what ever and lift the frt as high as I could sling tow truck style.Log chain over the beam through the hood opening back under the frt bumperr then hook it to itself let the chain hoist down till the chain was taught then get under and wrench..Also have done the same with my cherry picker and a 78 grand Prix lifted the whole front end on a whole grand Prix,and I know the chain on my cherry picker is nothing special. But seriously I've done some frame offs, only you can judge because it is a judgement call but I have welded angle iron to the inside of the car across the door opening to stiffen things up.I was worried about springing or twisting the body .That said I think I'd also consider lifting the body from underneath. Whether it's 4x4s underneath lifted with a cherry picker or jacks lifting the 4x4s .

Vbb199 said:

I THINK we talked about this once before, but you're up in Greensboro..... No?

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In that direction and just a little further, I'm about in the Raleigh/Durham area

Ricko1966 said:

I was worried about springing or twisting the body .That said I think I'd also consider lifting the body from underneath. Whether it's 4x4s underneath lifted with a cherry picker or jacks lifting the 4x4s .

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So that's actually a really good point and one I've been thinking about for this process. There are a couple factors that help me from what I can tell; one is that it's a hardtop, and the other is that I plan on keeping the doors in for some added protection against it folding like a pretzel. The body is actually in very good shape so I think the metal should be pretty strong. I was going to use a 4x4 or 2x10 underneath the trunk pan, but I'm not really sure how I could get anything underneath the firewall. Maybe if I lifted the front with a 2x10 and floor jack under the floorpans and then added the 4x4 between the body and the frame? Then I could proceed with the engine hoist lifting

If you weld a piece of angle you can open the doors if necessary.When done cut and grind off your welds that area is covered by frt and rear kick panels.Its just cheap insurance..Damn you next time I'm going to weld an X across my door openings.

Busy so real short version.Build yourself a bad bad bad ass work bench with a full sheet of 3/4 plywood bottom shelf and top surface.Tie all 4 corners together top and bottom with 2x6 perimeter. 2x6s triplled up for uprights.another sheet of 3/4 for gusset everywhere. Bolt and nut everything together not screws
Put casters on the bottom. Set your car on it fill the bottom with milk crates full of pieces. Now you can push it out of the way and it's at a comfortable height for working, it gives you storage and you have a bad ass work bench when your done.When I move mine I put a rock bar on the ground and use it as a lever you can't move fast but things don't shift or get wobbly that way

Without getting into load rated vs non load rated, sling angles, d/D ratios etc, you can easily lift that car body safely with any hardware store 1/4” or larger chain. Assuming 4 point pick. That’s like maybe 400lbs per leg.
As mentioned, how do you plan on lifting it. Body won’t fold or tweak bearing a hard top. Doors or no doors.
But sheet metal will. Cradle like your talking is necessary IMO or risk bending sheet metal.

Ricko1966 said:

Busy so real short version.Build yourself a bad bad bad ass work bench with a full sheet of 3/4 plywood bottom shelf and top surface.Tie all 4 corners together top and bottom with 2x6s. 2x6s triplled up for uprights.another sheet of 3/4 for gusset everywhere. Bolt and nut everything together not screws
Put casters on the bottom. Set your car on it fill the bottom with milk crates full of pieces. Now you can push it out of the way and it's at a comfortable height for working, it gives you storage and you have a bad ass work bench when your done.When I move mine I put a rock bar on the ground and use it as a lever you can't move fast but things don't shift or get wobbly that way

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That's actually a fantastic idea, I wish I'd have thought of that sooner. I actually welded up my own workbench about a year ago out of 1/8" thick square steel tubing, it's a little high (almost 4 feet) but close to what you described. I do have a couple 20' lengths left over, maybe I could make another one a bit shorter like that, with some extra vertical supports..

Grit dog said:

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As mentioned, how do you plan on lifting it..

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I think I've solidified my plan as follows:

• start at the front, placing a 2x10 under the floorpans and jacking up the front end of the body a few inches off the frame
• slide in a 4x4x8, run some eyebolts through either end and rest on two jackstands
• move to rear, put a 4x4x3 with some eyebolts on either end underneath the trunk pan and attach to engine hoist, lift up rear enough to put another 4x4x8 across the rear of the body (before wheel well) and rest on jackstands
• grab on to front 4x4x8 (via eye bolts) with engine hoist and lift a few more inches, raising jackstands to fit
• repeat steps 3 & 4 until I reach desired height

I think that should give me the height that I need without putting any stress on the sheetmetal. Originally I was just going to run the chain around the cowl/firewall to the bottom of the car, but now you guys have me thinking about crushing the metal, so I think using the 4x4x8 should space out the chains from the engine hoist enough to actually lift up the whole front end without actually touching the metal.

IMO, I would look for a 2-3" strap, chains against the body of a vehicle can't be good.

Ricko1966 said:

If you weld a piece of angle you can open the doors if necessary.When done cut and grind off your welds that area is covered by frt and rear kick panels.Its just cheap insurance..Damn you next time I'm going to weld an X across my door openings.

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If you do any sheetmetal work, especially quarters, you need to do this or it won't fit when back on the body. Ideally, any bodywork would be done on the frame. On my cars, I pull the body, dip it, prime, back on frame for bodywork, pull it for paint and the frame restoration, and then back on. On my Nova, I think the car went from the frame to the rotisserie 5-6 times. It was a little extra as it was a unibody and I put a pro-touring chassis under it.

dvdswan said:

IMO, I would look for a 2-3" strap, chains against the body of a vehicle can't be good.

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That's how I picked up my k5 body.
Straps and a 70 chain.

Late to the party, here is a load chart: