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Body swap question

85 Jimmy

85 Jimmy

Sheepdog
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Has anyone done a body swap by them self? I have a feeling that when I do my body swap here in a couple of weeks that all my friends will "forget about it and come up with other plans..." It wouldn't be the first time I've had to do stuff like this by myself b/c my friends boned me and I already had everything ready and didn't want to wait.

So, does anyone have any suggestions? Just to let ya'll know what I'm working with, I don't have a garage and all of this will be done on my gravel driveway.
The way I have thought about doing it is to get some saw horses and 2x4's and put a saw horse at each corner of the body, then lift one corner at a time and slide a 2x4 under it, then go to the other side and lift it up and push the 2x4 the rest of the way through and have the 2x4 resting on the saw horses with the body off the frame, then do the same for the rear. After the body is off the frame and I have made sure there is nothing to hold me up I plan to just roll the frame out from under it. Do the same thing to my other truck, then roll my frame that I plan on using under the body that I plan one using. I plan to take the whole front clip off as one piece before any of that.
 
Sounds like it'll work to me. I might suggest a 4x4 just for peace of mind but everything else will work. You might try an engine hoist to lift the whole front, then the back just to make board placement easier too. Good luck:waytogo:
 
Realize that the rear of the frame is quite a bit higher than the floorpan in front, and take as much off the tub as you can to lighten the weight. I would use at least a 4x4 with a 2x8 (due to the width of the span between sawhorses) to support the floorpan/bed areas on the sawhorses. And make sure they are stout saw horses too.
 
I've done it by myself, and it's not as hard as you might think. What I found to be the easiest method was to NOT try to jack up the body off the frame. Instead, jack the whole vehicle up, frame and all. Once you get it up high, place blocks under the rear tail pan and the front corners at the rockers. Then just let the frame drop down from the body. You will have to remove the rear axle so the frame will slide out in between your front support blocks, but that's no big deal - I rolled mine out with a floor jack under the rear of the frame.

If you have some stout saw horses and 4x4's that are long enough, you may be able to roll the frame out without removing the rear end, but it will have to be HIGH to clear the rear tires.
 
3MAX said:
I've done it by myself, and it's not as hard as you might think. What I found to be the easiest method was to NOT try to jack up the body off the frame. Instead, jack the whole vehicle up, frame and all. Once you get it up high, place blocks under the rear tail pan and the front corners at the rockers. Then just let the frame drop down from the body. You will have to remove the rear axle so the frame will slide out in between your front support blocks, but that's no big deal - I rolled mine out with a floor jack under the rear of the frame.

If you have some stout saw horses and 4x4's that are long enough, you may be able to roll the frame out without removing the rear end, but it will have to be HIGH to clear the rear tires.
Click to expand...

I'm going to have to lift the the body pretty high anyway, the body I'm using is on a stock height frame and the frame i'm using has a 4-6" lift with 35's
 
Are you military? Any chance you have access to a base hobby shop (w/ lift) ?
 
nvrenuf said:
Are you military? Any chance you have access to a base hobby shop (w/ lift) ?
Click to expand...

I am military, the blazer that I'm using the body from doesn't run, so I can't get that on base, and I dont have a way to get the frame and body to my house after I split them up on the jimmy I'm using the frame from. Plus, the hobby shop on the navy base and the air force base both suck and I try to stay away from them. They don't let you tow vehicles on base unless they are on a tow truck...
 
Lol Ive had that one pulled on me by "friends" plenty of times. Guess what I dont talk to those people anymore. Time to find new friends :waytogo:
 
Doing a K5 tub alone is not going to be easy--O've done a few pickup cabs alone,ans they were no picnic either,but do-able IF you have the right equipment and are in good phusical condition...

I removed a cab on my truck with a home made gantry crane,that looks like a kids swingset,only made of 3" scgedule 40 pipe...I know guys who have used the old oak shade tree branch with a chain falls,one even used a wooden swingset with good success-not sure one of those will be strong enough to support a K5 tub though...whatever you use must be sturdy,and I trust steel channels more than wood,but we used 4x4 or 6x6 posts at the junkyard to support some car bodies when we did a frame off restoration...

When I did my truck,I parked it under the gantry crane,and put a doubled up 2x12 plank bolted together thru the inside if the roof,I took the doors off first to lighten it up more--I put 2 eye bolts thru the planks,one on each side,to attach the lift chain to,and used a boat winch attached to the gantry to lift it,with a snatch block pulley...once I got the cab hoisted up high enough and made sure I had everything dissconnected,I used one of my garden tractors to tow the chassis out from under the cab....then I put a utility trailer I had under the cab,and lowered it onto it withsome 4x4 beams under it,and used the tractor to haul it out of my way...
I had another large "dolly" from a warehouse already under the "new" cab,so all I had to do was drag it under the crane with the tractor,hoist it up just as I did the old one,and towed the chassis back under it with the tractor..I dont think I'd have gotten it done if I didn't have the tractor and the trailer and dolly...

A K5 tub is pretty heavy,and a lot more awkward than a cab to handle..I'd want a backgoe or loader if I were to pull one off a chassis--it can be done the way you desctribed,but its risky and I'd have someone to at least WATCH while you do it,just in case they need to call 9-1-1 for you if something bad happened..
 
Well, I already have the interior outof one of the trucks, should I strip the other to lighten it up? also will I have any issues with the body if I take the doors and top off when it's time to take them off, or should I leave them on to keep the body more rigid?
 
I doubt you'll have any issues since both are half cabs.

Dude, you need to find somebody over there with a shop and lift.
 
I might try and trick some of my friends and tell them that I'm doing a pig roast and when they show up I'll tell them we'll start the roast after the body swap is done... Haha
 
Heck yeah.....pig roast and some beer on ice and you should have lots of help.

No sense in doing **** by yourself and possibly getting hurt because of something going wrong.

The older we get the longer it takes to make the pain go away.....lol
 
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Pressure treated 4x4s,cherry pickers,floor jacks, n jack stands :haha:

Your gravel driveway is going to make things rough.

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85 Jimmy said:
Well, the front clip wasn't that bad to take off by myself.
Click to expand...

:sign6:




Yup. Had to do it.

I like the idea of jacking up the whole truck, unbolting and supporting the body, then dropping the frame from under it.

Definitely remove the top. That's almost 200 pounds right there.
Removing the doors, no big deal. Just have to line them back up when you reinstall.
If you and your friends are going to be doing any body lifting by hand, remove everything that has any weight. Carpet, seats, t-gate glass, or the whole gate. This will make it easier on everyone involved.
I wouldn't worry about the body flexing with doors and top removed. Sure, it may flex here and there, but should conform to the frame when you get it reinstalled.
Always bribe help with food, beer, or both for best results.
 
Are you trying to save body #1 ? If not, take it off by chopping it up with a sawzall, etc..
 
DK5 said:
This is what I did once:



Used a hoist (manual chain driven) and chains and a strong ratchet attached to four points
Click to expand...

I like that set up, looks pretty slick. Thought about doing something similar for top removal but I guess if I build it strong enough I can do much more with it.
 
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