How much trouble is a cab/bed/body swap ???

[Yullose]

Reason I ask is, I'm a one-man operation.

I wondered how heavy a stripped cab and bed are ?

Am I going to need jacks and a hoist ? (I have them anyway) or are these something I can muscle around myself ?

I only have a 12ft wide x 36ft long concrete slab outside to work on. My 87 Buick Grand National is inside the garage with the motor out... and my brother has a 73 MGB in the other bay... so garage space is at a premium right now.

I want to put my 67 body on my 72 chassis... and need to figure out a practical way to get it done...

I was thinking... park the 72 in front, with the 67 behind it. Lift the cab and bed off the 67 chassis... then back the 67 chassis out from under it... THEN, lift the 72 cab and bed off the frame... and roll the chassis backwards and under the 67 body.

Does that make sense ?

I guess my main question is... How heavy is this stuff ?

[oldschooler]

Hey buddy, I am in the same position one man and a car port. I will be watching this post. I have a lot of home projects going on also, or I would suggest we get together and get'm both done. Later, Rich

[OARNGESI]

Your best bet is proballly a couple friends

[oldschooler]

Originally Posted by oldschooler

Hey buddy, I am in the same position one man and a car port. I will be watching this post. I have a lot of home projects going on also, or I would suggest we get together and get'm both done. Later, Rich

My bed and front clip will be done one piece at a time, so they shouldnt be a problem. I have seen a few one man cab lifts using an engine crane for the muscle.

[Tx Firefighter]

Well, I only work alone. I never ask for help with anything in the shop. I simply like to work by myself. It's mental therapy to me.

So, let me say, the bed, clip, and cab are simply too heavy for one man to move. I say that, and I am a very big guy myself. No way, no how.

What I do is use my engine hoist and a bunch of straps to move these things. If your hoist is a good one, you can rig up chains and straps to lift any of this stuff no sweat. Moving a long bed is tricky though. You need to make something to lift from all four corners to one central point for the hoist to hook to.

[mbgmike]

Get the help of some friends. Its alot easier. 4 guys can get a cab and bed off quicker then using equipment assuming they show up We have wverything needed to take bodies off but can't beat people power.

[Mordachai]

^ yeppers.
a six or twelve pack seems to ensure that the friends show up.
guaranteed to show if you fire the bbq.

I've moved my cab with me and one other guy. Wasn't easy to balance, but do-able(nowhere near as heavy as the 56 cab)
The bed is prolly the same weight, but alot more cumbersome, having 4 people helps a ton.

but other than little adjustments to where the cab or bed is sitting, I don't think you can move/lift them yourself without some sort of hoist/cherry picker etc.

[mbgmike]

Originally Posted by Mordachai

^ I don't think you can move/lift them yourself without some sort of hoist/cherry picker etc.

Not unless your names Bubba or Terrell

We are doing the same swap right now for a customer.

There is a good post in the Paint and Body section a month or so ago how he rigged up his lift. Worked fine

[jeffspower]

It's a pain doing it the hard way- I've been there too:

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=246913

[glock35ipsc]

Engine hoist! I've moved my 68 cab and bed many, many times by myself. Very simple.

[Yullose]

Originally Posted by mbgmike

Not unless your names Bubba or Terrell

I pulled two beds, one 67 cab and the complete front end off the 72... with my own two hands.

Just call me Bubba.

[wancosc356]

Just helped a friend take a cab and bed off of a frame. The bed wasn't too bad. The cab was another story. We were able to slide and lift the bed off by ourselves. The cab was alot more work and ended up getting two more guys to help us. Would never try it by myself unless I had a heavy duty hoist. Good luck.