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Thread: Help Lifting the body

  1. #11
    Junior Member
    Join Date:  Jun 2017

    Location:  Doral, FL

    Posts:    8

    My VIN:    4543

    Re: Help lifting the body

    So, last weekend I finally had the time to go through with my plan. Honestly it was pretty easy (take into account that my engine bay was already stripped and I had disconnected everything prior). I did the whole procedure myself, and would only change a couple things:

    Luckily I test fitted my steel tubing over the 4x4's beforehand. I had to grind/sand down the corners of the wood, just slightly, so the steel could slide easily over. This took some time because all I had was an angle grinder. But, lesson learned, make sure you do the test fitting ahead of time. You would not want to be in a position where the car is in the air and you are forcing the 4x4's through the steel tubing.

    Other thing I forgot to double check, was the total height of my jacks. The jacks worked great and the set came with a nice hand crank as well as a drill attachment for quick adjustments. Only thing was that I needed the height to bottom of 4x4s to be 31" and the jack when maxed out only went to 24". So needed to improvise and make shitty blocks out of the only wood I had lying around.


    It worked out pretty much as I had planned. Just took my time and ended up walking around the car quite a lot, jacking up each corner a little at a time.
    It may have been easier for my car, since the interior is totally stripped, doors are off, rear quarter panels are off...so its pretty light.

    Here are some pics:
    IMG_20200105_095357045.jpg
    Make sure to test fit that these slide easily!
    those are hockey pucks JB welded to the top of the steel tubes

    IMG_20200118_120831415.jpg
    I did have to originally jack up the car a few inches, in order to add in the 4x4 steel tubing.
    Also I angled the jacks so they weren't all facing the same direction...thought this would be a little more stable.
    however, knowing now that I need another 7" of height, Ill make a nice wide base for each jack

    IMG_20200118_121617064.jpg

    IMG_20200118_124148870.jpg
    Once there is daylight between the jacks and the frame, inserting the 4x4 crossbrace added a lot more stability to the jacks.

    IMG_20200118_145531015.jpg
    There was a little flex due to the casters, and my car will be up for a while, so I added some 2x4 braces below

    GOPR0052.jpg

  2. #12
    Senior Member
    Join Date:  Nov 2013

    Location:  NYS

    Posts:    2,511

    My VIN:    4519

    Nice!

  3. #13
    Senior Member
    Join Date:  Nov 2013

    Location:  NYS

    Posts:    2,511

    My VIN:    4519

    Quote Originally Posted by Rich_NYS View Post
    Nice!
    I'm really liking this approach, I might do mine a similar way.

  4. #14
    LS Swapper Josh's Avatar
    Join Date:  Mar 2013

    Location:  Illinois

    Posts:    2,440

    My VIN:    11408

    Club(s):   (DMWC) (TXDMC) (DCUK) (DOI)

    Im glad the "lifting" dolly worked for you.
    I do think you are over-complicating this, Im also sceptical of the horizontal to vertical joints with the plates. The gussets you added after would help releive these issues, but it still is all wood held together with little screws.
    The long horizonal span of 4x4 is also prone to flexing.


    Here is how I have two body separations and re-installations.
    -steel horizontal beams
    -Engine hoist on front
    -Two floor jacks in the back
    -Wood cribbing (used some cinder blocks as I can out of cribbing)

    Im not saying this method is any safer, but it is quick and less complicated. Took a few hours start to finish.


    Supercharged 5.3L LS4 + Porsche 6spd
    [email protected]
    lsdelorean.com
    I am not affiliated with Delorean Midwest in anyway.

  5. #15
    Senior Member
    Join Date:  Nov 2013

    Location:  NYS

    Posts:    2,511

    My VIN:    4519

    I like the idea of having the body on wheels to move it out if the garage if needed.

  6. #16
    Senior Member mr_maxime's Avatar
    Join Date:  Mar 2015

    Posts:    1,243

    My VIN:    10201

    I never updated this thread, but as I posted on the daily thread. This is how i lifted it. Just jacked the frame up as high as I could. Put 4x6 blocks under the body lift points with a 4x4 running the length of the car, then I slowly let the frame down by 1 notch on the stands alternating from front to back.



    [/QUOTE]

  7. #17
    Dr. Bob Bob635's Avatar
    Join Date:  Aug 2011

    Location:  Las Vegas

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    My VIN:    4675, 4190, 3114 and others

    Club(s):   (DMA) (DMWC) (NCDMC) (DCUK)

    The body is very light. I currently have the body and frame separated on my New Delorean project. The body is very light. I use jack stands and a floor jack to raise it up.
    This has worked just fine for numerous projects.

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