body swap, how hard?

[muddybuddy]

im wondering how hard it would be to do a body swap for a pickup truck. the same generation, just replacing a beat up body with a nicer one. i have never taken any part of the body off...how exactly do you lift everything off? could a couple "strong" guys lift the bed and cab off, or is it jus too heavy? thanks

 

[sweetk30]

easy way is to get buddy buddy with a shop friend. then use a 2 post lift. works easy. or if not 4 guys to do the grunt work. need to do the box/cab/front clip. just unhook the wires and stuff . then pop the bolts and up it goes. plan on new body bolts and bushings if you havent do them yet.

 

[muddybuddy]

im just thinking ahead to my next project once my k5 is sold

 

[senatorwoodhouse]

Cabs are suprisingly heavy. I did a cab swap on a couple toyotas, we used a forklift to pick up the cabs. But for fun my friend and I tried to push over the bad cab...no dice

 

[diesel4me]

They are heavy!!

I've scrapped many rotted and gutted out cabs--even stripped bare they weigh 400+ pounds!..you'll need a hoist or chain falls to do it safely--or you could jack it up and keep blocking it up until its clear of the frame,and use 4x4 posts on sawhorses to keep it supported up clear of the frame while you roll the chassis out from underneath..its not a job for the faint of heart!..its dangerous,and you could get squashed if it slips off the blocks!

I'd strongly reccomend a lift or chain falls--its easy to crush the rockers and cab corners using the jack and blocks method..a bucket loader or forklift would be the easist way,or a lift...I've removed beds with an engine crane alone,or with 4 moose sized friends bribed with beer----usually one guy will lose his grip or get a hernia and drop one corner! ... so far,I've never swapped a bed and had NO damage!..something always gets dented,bent,or caught on something..

You need to lift the cab the right way,or you'll cave in the door frames and roof!..I used a 2x12 with eye bolts thru the open windows to help spread out the load--a strap alone will bend stuff badly!--I wrapped the 2x12 with old blankets to avoid mucking up the door frames..

I have an "A" frame made from heavy wall 2-1/2" pipe that looks just like a kids swingset("Gantry Crane" in shop terms)..It is the balls for cab and bed swaps--has a hand cranked winch to lift stuff up to 1500 lbs..I've had the front of my truck off the ground with it!..Maybe you could rent or borrow one??..its the best way out if you have limited funds and no helpers..

 

[Muddytazz]

I did a body swap on a burb. Look in my sig for the webshots link, there is 3 full albums for the body swap.