Topic: How to lift while painting underbody

[TonyFio]

I would appreciate suggestions on how to hold up the unibody of my 65B while painting the underbody.
I don't have a rotisserie, but do I have it on a two post lift. I plan to use Jeff Speegle's design for the devices to get the dolly marks.
I would like lift the frame rails off the lift's pads so I don't have to make a second pass at painting bare spots due to the pads. I was thinking of putting heavier duty dolly mark devices that would hold the weight of the body (something like Jeff's design, but using steel pipe rather than PVC), and lifting at those four points. I'm leery of lifting it that way though. It likely wouldn't be very stable.
Anyone have a better suggestion?
FYI, it it down to the unibody. No other weight to consider.

[Bossbill]

I put my 67 on a rolling carrier in order to paint the body color and black out.
Although I used 1 1/2 white PVC pipe you can use iron pipe. Here's a pic:



The lateral 2x6s are laid flat and are going from side to side. I used the holes in the frame there with great success and good balance.

I would suggest the following:
Use the rear hole in the front sub-frame that has a hole into the interior.
Take out the two post lift pads, put a large washer on the underside of lift arm, a pipe on top of the lift arm, a washer on the underside of the subfame and a washer on the top. Run a threaded rod through the whole mess and bolt it up.
To keep all of this from shifting weld smaller washers to the large washer so they index on and go into the lift arms and sub frame holes.

In the rear (as seen in my pic lined up with the other 2x6) there will also be frame holes. Instead of going all the way through they dead end. Use toggle bolts here.

The car was very stable on just these 4 points.

I'm sure you can get other ideas from this one and I'm sure others will chime in.

[TonyFio]

Thanks for the input Bill. Going through the lift holes is a good idea.

[tobkob]

Sorry, I couldn't resist...    

TOB

[Bossbill]

I forgot I had this pic:



For a test, just put the lift arms in these locations and see how it reacts lifted up a little.

[67gtasanjose]

... I was thinking of putting heavier duty dolly mark devices that would hold the weight of the body (something like Jeff's design, but using steel pipe rather than PVC), and lifting at those four points. I'm leery of lifting it that way though. It likely wouldn't be very stable.
Anyone have a better suggestion?
FYI, it it down to the unibody. No other weight to consider.

I forgot I had this pic:



For a test, just put the lift arms in these locations and see how it reacts lifted up a little.

I would agree that anything bolted down securely through the floor and frames on a fixture similar to what Bill showed WITHOUT THE ROLLER CART that is pictured, would be more than adequate on a stripped down unibody....
I would not think it wise to do so with extra weight in the unibody, the front floor points do not have reinforcement tubes and may bend the rails a little with extra weight (added this in case another reader thought to do so on a completed car).

[TonyFio]

Bill, to clarify what you have in your picture, is the PVC passing through the top 2x6 , so the weight is passing down to something below (another 2x6) and the top 2x6 provides side to side stability?

Is there a threaded rod running from down below up through the frame?

Did the cap on the PVC provide good replication of the dolly bare spots?

And thanks again for your suggestions.

[Bossbill]

Bill, to clarify what you have in your picture, is the PVC passing through the top 2x6 , so the weight is passing down to something below (another 2x6) and the top 2x6 provides side to side stability?

The PVC passes through the top 2x6 and I used a Forstner bit to make a "cup" into the bottom 2x6. The cup is only about 1/2" deep.

Is there a threaded rod running from down below up through the frame?
Did the cap on the PVC provide good replication of the dolly bare spots?

No threaded rod. I placed the cap in a lathe and machined a bump the size of the frame hole into the top. As well, the cap was machined flat.
I drilled a hole in the center of the cap and placed a machine screw on the inside of the cap with a toggle that went into the frame.
This was so the cap would stay put. It simply fits onto the tube dry.
Remember, the body weight pushes down.

I should note I did the bottom of my car on a rotissorie and the cart was used to overspray body and blackout. The 2x6s that hold PVC on top were later removed and now it's just a cart that can hold the car up on the sill seam.

[TonyFio]

Thanks!

[TonyFio]

Update on how I approached lifting the unibody for painting. The first photo is what I came up with, with the help of a local machine shop. The bolt that is welded to a piece acts as a guide pin into the dolly hole. The pipe slides into the lift's mount (2nd pic). 3rd pic shows it in use.

[midlife]

Brilliant!

[CharlesTurner]

I did something similar with a car I worked on a few years back, worked well.  Was a bit sketchy getting the car onto the lift points.

[TonyFio]

Was a bit sketchy getting the car onto the lift points.

True that!