How do you lay Cab on its back for cleaning ???

[Green Machine]

Have the cab on the green machine stripped to nothing now, everthing including the glass is out, doors are still on but they will be off, just a bare cab shell. I think 4 guys could lift the cab off the frame but what to do with it then ?? I don't want to sit it on the rockers as they and the inners are not too good and would not have room for fingers anyway. I just want to lay it on its back or maybe the front to clean it properly underneath before starting body work. I was thinking of laying down a sheet of 1 inch or 1 1/2 styrofoam and lay cab rear on that. The big question is if 4 guys lift the bare cab off the frame, how do you transition from the cab being in upright postion to laying on its back on the foam without bending in the cab corners at back of the cab ? Can the two guys at the back of the cab hold the whole thing off the ground as the cab is rotated to its back while the two front guys move to rear top of cab and then gently let down ? How would you do it ??? Thanks

[masterbeavis]

my thoughts about this. Weld some support pieces across the cab to stiffen it. Ya dont want it flexin or disorting. I dont know if this is important or not, but why chance it. as far as putting it on its back is concerned, i would not try it. I would lift cab from frame and put a few blocks between them, and clean the cab there. Take off cab, and set it on its bottom (properly supported of course) If you have to put it on its back, use a cherry picker to do the lifting.


I have never done this before, except with an old willys pickup cab. Even with a cherry picker it was a pain in the neck (it was just myself doin the work)

[Green Machine]

Well, I certainy don't want to wreck the cab, as it is very nice for this part of the country, I would think the cab would be strong enough to support itself on its back, but I most surely could be wrong, I've heard of guys REPAIRING them while laying on the back, now I would NEVER try that as that would surely mess something up, just looking for some advice, I really don't feel like lying on the concrete with a pressure washer wand in hand, washing the cab and getting soaked, its starting to get chilly here !!! I want to get the cab off also so we can do a better job of cleaning and painting the frame also. Keep the tips coming - Thanks

[Solver]

This is the second one so you just as well build yourself a cart to set it on cause youv'e got the bug now!!
Also makes it easier to work on when you can roll it around in the shop with 1 person when you need to.
Plus with some extension boards it also works for box support when you are working on that
Can't help with the flip theory yet as I havn't come up with a practical solution to that one yet
If you ever get down this way let me know and I can show you how mine is set up

[stllookn]

Set it on a couple of 2x4's it is very light with 4 guys and nobody gets a pinched finger. One person can roll it on its back or fire wall to work on the bottom. I have done this many times. If it is on concrete or gravel you will want to have card board or something to prevent scratching the paint if it is worth protecting. Other than that you don't need anything...it is plenty strong to support itself. When you roll if forward onto the firewall...use a couple of 2x4's as well to make sure it sits flat and does not bend some of the studs sticking through the firewall. It is a pretty rugged structure, more so than most people think! You can roll it on its side too...if you are on grass you won't have to bother with the 2x4's at all. If you need to roll it around your shop you should build a flat platform with rollers or get four furniture dollys from Harbor Freight and put one on each corner.

[JimKshortstep4x4]

We have set a couple of cabs on their backs with (4) guys. The cabs were completely stripped, one was in need of rockers and cab corners, the other was very solid. With the cab on its back the floor is very easy to work on.
We layed the cabs onto the wood floor of my farm wagon being gentle with the cabs and there was no damage done to them. When not working on the cab, I strapped it into place just on the outside chance of high winds blowing it over.

Here is a pic.

Jim

[Russell]

I did the same thing to my far weaker 80 cab. I just flipped her over onto her back onto an old pair of matresses, did some floor patching, cab supports, and coated the floor as well in that position. No problems with warpage when I was done. My cab was gutted less the doors, and glass when I did it though.

[jamesi20]

I have rolled my cab several times by myself it's not that difficult put a couple sheets of carboard under it and it will roll easy onto the back or the firewall.

[AKChevyman]

My setup when I flipped my Cab was 2 4X4's on four cinder blocks centered under the cab running front to back with a thig of carpet as a buffer. I had the cab sitting on 2x4's and the wheel dollies from harbor frieght so I could move it before I put it on the 4x4's Wish I had pictures. butI was able to flip the cab onto the 4x4's all by myself.

[Russell]

Here is a pic of my cab while I was still busy workin on it

[71shortfleet]

I would set it on 2 saw horses. it's not that heavy. or set it on it's back on the grass.

[muddyole 69]

If you have a buddy with a wrecker it is very easy we bolted chains to the fender mount holes and gently lifted with two spotters to ensure no damage and laid it down on pallets with cardboard on them to keep scratches down if no wrecker tractor with boom pole or backhoe you get the picture if no machinery cherry picker lift plans are in the faq section somewhere looks fairly simple to make or have made hope this helps Mike

[meathead95]

me and a buddy lifted mine off of its back and back onto my 4x4 frame with a 4" lift and 33's by ourselves