Balance point on Red Body

[psych]

I want to be able to lift the body on and off the frame with the high lift on my tractor. Anyone have comments on the balance point or ideas on a sling setup?

[DARKPT]

If you're talking about the balance point of the body itself, it should be on the roof just in front of the front lip of the hatch.

Search the Coupe forum here and on ffcars.com for "body storage" for guys hanging their bodies from the ceiling of the garage. That'll give you an idea of how they chose to sling the body. Don't let a gray or black body throw you off; they aren't very different at all.

Cheers!

[STLMARSHALL]

You need people not heavy equipment. The body does not come on and off smoothly and takes lots of bending and tugging to go on and off. The high lift will destroy it. Now once 3-4 people take it off the frame manually you could hang it for bodywork/paint if you build a body buck.

[psych]

DARKPT: Thanks. That is what I was looking for. STLMARSHALL: I really have the ability and finesse to remove the body with "heavy equipment"
I make a point of asking very specific questions in hopes of getting very specific answers. Neil

[kiki231]

hi psych. I would bet if you are VERY competent with your tractor you will figure out a way to lift after you do it once manually. MIne came off and on easily once I did it a few times. For me, there is a ton of forward and backward rotating as it goes on and off. I stand on the driver side and my son on the passenger side. We put one hand at the rear of the wheel well ( 2 oclock for me, 10 oclock for my son) . The other hand we reach down and grab the under side of the rocker panel somewhere along the midpoint under the door. This is the hand that pulls the body outward to stretch around the chassis. Most the stretching you need to get around is the cabin.

THe body rotates backward to get around those bulges, and after about 20 to 30 degrees of rotation, you need to start walking backwards, since the rear of the body curls down under the chassis, and it needs to clear the rear birdcage. So its a sort of rotate and pull backwards horizontally.


-- the center of weight is at the forward edge of the wheel well , if my shaky memory serves me correctly.

[CJBergquist]

Psych, please take a video when you do this.

[psych]

I appreciate all the encouragement. Chris: I have not yet installed a video camera on the tractor but if you want to see some neat pictures check out my picture gallery on the other forum. Neil