Jacking the body off
Discussion
I'm ready to lift mine a couple of inches but everywhere underneath looks so flimsy! Even with blocks the floorpan looks like it'd splinter before the body moves. If you've raised the body using jacks where did you find that was strong enough to take the weight?
Pictures are as useful as words
ETA how many jacks did you use?
Pictures are as useful as words
ETA how many jacks did you use?
Edited by TheGriffalo on Saturday 29th December 15:37
I think You want to jack the whole car up as high as you can then use axle stands with some strong wood from one side of the car to the other. Possible just behind the rear cross chassis.so its just under the boot. and one across the front somewhere. Then just let the jacks down slowely and the body should be Left on the stands and wood.
Thats how I THINK its done, cant see how you can support the body in the middle unti you have dropped the chassis enough to work on.
Other way is to do it so maybe one side is supported on the wood and you do the drop on one side.Do the work and repeat for the other side? does that make sense? not sure if the body would be under stress though?
Nt much help am i
BB
Thats how I THINK its done, cant see how you can support the body in the middle unti you have dropped the chassis enough to work on.
Other way is to do it so maybe one side is supported on the wood and you do the drop on one side.Do the work and repeat for the other side? does that make sense? not sure if the body would be under stress though?
Nt much help am i
BB
Have you followed Ants wiki - particularly the 'help it to release' bit, breaking the seal is the hard bit (big pry bar). I used boards under the floor pan as jacking 'spreaders' and just eased a corner at a time, but I only lifted to clean paint & replace the bolts & rubber 
Dave
ETA: don't let BB's humility fool you, I was told he was an expert at jacking off
Dave
ETA: don't let BB's humility fool you, I was told he was an expert at jacking off
Edited by spend on Saturday 29th December 17:24
Yup, followed the Wiki, but I'm only doing a 2" raise to inspect/paint the outriggers. It moves a fraction if I jack it one side but I'm terrified of hearing an almighty crack and watching my car split in two 
Might give the lowering approach a go in the morning, gotta be easier than lifting.
Might give the lowering approach a go in the morning, gotta be easier than lifting.
Griffalo, friends are ,err your friends with this job.
You need at least 6 people there I would say.
One on each wheel arch, and two spotters/pry bar operators.
With each of the arch guys lifting the other two can spot where its stuck and gently ease it using bars/large screw drivers.
I would say with jacks you will struggle to get the body up squarely.
As you say , you only want it up a few inches, so when it is up, the two people can insert blocks of wood to keep it in position.
Very difficult one man job.
You need at least 6 people there I would say.
One on each wheel arch, and two spotters/pry bar operators.
With each of the arch guys lifting the other two can spot where its stuck and gently ease it using bars/large screw drivers.
I would say with jacks you will struggle to get the body up squarely.
As you say , you only want it up a few inches, so when it is up, the two people can insert blocks of wood to keep it in position.
Very difficult one man job.
Will you put details of how you physically lifted the car and then the body, and what the chassis and body are both standing on now please Rob.
I'm very interested in this and will be doing it come March - when it snows - so as much information as you have would be really appreciated.
If you've got loads of photos will you email them all to me, or post them on a web site or I'll pay you if you can shove them on a CD in the post or something. As you say - a picture is worth a thousand words.
How many hours so far then Rob?
I'm very interested in this and will be doing it come March - when it snows - so as much information as you have would be really appreciated.
If you've got loads of photos will you email them all to me, or post them on a web site or I'll pay you if you can shove them on a CD in the post or something. As you say - a picture is worth a thousand words.
How many hours so far then Rob?
I've added a fasteners checklist to it 
By the time I've finished I'll make sure all the information I have is available for others to use as a reference.
Thus far I would say it's taken about eighteen to twenty man hours to expose the outriggers. I'm working alone in a cramped single garage so it's possible to do things quicker with better facilities but I'd say if it can break, piss petrol or coolant on you or be just plain awkward then it will be.
eg:
To remove the two lower front chassis bolts I had to remove the rad. To remove the rad I had to remove the alarm sounder. To remove the alarm sounder I had to remove the N/S headlight!
By the time I've finished I'll make sure all the information I have is available for others to use as a reference.
Thus far I would say it's taken about eighteen to twenty man hours to expose the outriggers. I'm working alone in a cramped single garage so it's possible to do things quicker with better facilities but I'd say if it can break, piss petrol or coolant on you or be just plain awkward then it will be.
eg:
To remove the two lower front chassis bolts I had to remove the rad. To remove the rad I had to remove the alarm sounder. To remove the alarm sounder I had to remove the N/S headlight!
Right... This is how much room you have to work with if you leave the exhausts/electrics/brakes connected. It's not brilliant, but it's just enough to do the job.
The digit is there to give you an idea of access.
Not sure how well this shows it but I've gone for a three jack arrangement, two at the rear and one centrally at the front.
When raising the body working on your own I found walking round the car and lifting one corner at a time using the arches then using the jacks to take up the slack worked best. It's possible for one person to lift the front alone so the body isn't that heavy once it's loose.
The digit is there to give you an idea of access.
Not sure how well this shows it but I've gone for a three jack arrangement, two at the rear and one centrally at the front.
When raising the body working on your own I found walking round the car and lifting one corner at a time using the arches then using the jacks to take up the slack worked best. It's possible for one person to lift the front alone so the body isn't that heavy once it's loose.
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