For those of you who have done a full frame restoration.......

[ForOffRoadDriving]

ive been building/ restoring my 94 ranger for almost a full year now and i was wondering how you guys got your bodies off your frame? i borrowed a crane from my buddy who works at a pump shop that repairs large waste pumps that require being lifted out of service pits to work on them, but the boom on this crane doesnt quite reach the center of my cab. so i was trying to think of another way to lift my cab off the frame and support it so i can roll the frame out from under it and install my engine and trans and get my driveshaft situated (when i find out if 1 of the 3 i have will work ), and also sand blast the bottom of my cab so i can POR 15 it and also underbody coat it. what have you guys done?

 

[grey ghost]

3friends+

 

[Southern3.0]

Ive seen it done with a jack, 2x4's and some cinder blocks.

 

[alaskan155]

ford a BII but an idea
http://broncoii.org/techpages/bodyoff/index.html

 

[ForOffRoadDriving]

thanks alaskan155, thats what i was thinking i would end up having to do. ill probably use some 2x5" channel because thats what i have laying around, but im happy to see someone else did the same thing. my motor is already out so i should be able to just pull straight out with the frame. anyone know how much one of these cabs weighs with the front fenders attached? its a 1994 extended cab with full interior installed. too bad about the crane i got though, that would have been bad ass and loked cool in my build pictures, which i stil have to scan and post on here when its done, well driveable anyways. these kinds of projects are never really done.

 

[Maverick]

 

[rboyer]

Depending on what kind of "crane" you are using you may be able to extend it and get away with it. If it is just a normal portable cherry picker you can pick up a scrap piece of square steel to go in place of the boom but with a longer length to it but the only problem is that it will put more leverage on the thing and cause it to tip. I cut up a longer piece of square steel for mine so that I could use my cherry picker to put one of my ATV's up on a big shelf for storage and when I use it I ratchet strap an engine block to the bottom rear of it to keep it from tipping.

 

[Wicked_Sludge]

^

thats what we do when a 6.4 needs anything more than an oil change done to it.

 

[ForOffRoadDriving]

thanks for rubbing that in maverick. also thanks to the rest of you guys. tomorrow i have the day off so i am going to gather my jackstands and some channel and have a go at it. i have 4 floor jacks, 6 -6 ton jack stands, and im sure i can find a helper/ spotter. as long as it doesnt rain tomorrow i will be up to my ass hole in sand blasting sand and that makes me smile inside. thanks for the advice guys, im going to bed to have ranger dreams now.

 

[AllanD]

Floor jacks, a selection of wood blocks and two stacks of concrete "chimney" blocks
and a pair of 10ft long 6x6.

For next time I'm going to have two 10 foot vertical supports intended to support wharehouse pallet shelving (ala Home Depot) there WILL be a "next time"

AD

 

[Mark_88]

If you happen to have a forklift truck handy...that's how I did mine...I borrowed it from my landlord at the time since he had one that was rated for something like 5 tons...

I just ran a strap through the windows and lifted it up...took a few tries to get it just right so it wouldn't tip, but it lifted straight up and high enough to just roll the frame out...

I also did the sandblast on both the frame and the underside of the cab and firewall...then prime painted with a good epoxy and covered that with rubber gaurd...and then did the floor panels inside with both rust paint and rubber guard...

I figure the cab will last into the next millenium...

 

[ForOffRoadDriving]

well i got the cab off yesterday. i used two pieces of channel and had to weld them together to get a long enough length to clear the wheels when i rolled the chassis out. i used 6 cinder blocks and 6 jack stands and got it just high enough to clean the front coil spring towers, after i took the front wheels off and put floor jacks under the radius arm bolts. so now i can put the engine and trans and most of the wiring harness in. the next obstacle will be lifting the cab higher to get the chassis back under now that the motor will be in it. maybe like was sad before, 5+ guys and some beer. we'll see how it goes, maybe i can get a fork lift or something