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Hello everybody, I’m in the process of stripping down my 1979 F350 crew cab and was wondering what’s the best way to lift a stripped down cab off the frame. I have a skid steer so I was thinking of running straps through each door opening and lifting that way. Will this cause damage? I’ve seen it done with regular cabs before. What does everybody think? Thanks in advance.
I would not run straps thru the doors and lift unless you use spreader bars.
If you were to lift the straps will pull to the center lifting point and could crush the door opening / drip rails.
Straps thru the doors and 4x4's thru the 2 straps. Maybe 4x4's between the 2 4x4's as spreaders thru the straps. You can then lift from the 2 added 4x4's.
This way it is lifting up at the doors and not up & in (crushing) the doors openings.
Now the best way ....... Get a lot of people to lift it off then give them pizza & beer!
On my regular cab I was able to do it by myself. I jacked the truck up then lifted 1 side up a little, kick a saw horse under the rocker then lifted the other said and did the same.
I then pulled the rear axle, lowered the rest of the truck, put the rear of the frame on dolly and rolled the frame out from under the cab.
Dave ----
I would not run straps thru the doors and lift unless you use spreader bars.
If you were to lift the straps will pull to the center lifting point and could crush the door opening / drip rails.
Straps thru the doors and 4x4's thru the 2 straps. Maybe 4x4's between the 2 4x4's as spreaders thru the straps. You can then lift from the 2 added 4x4's.
This way it is lifting up at the doors and not up & in (crushing) the doors openings.
Now the best way ....... Get a lot of people to lift it off then give them pizza & beer!
On my regular cab I was able to do it by myself. I jacked the truck up then lifted 1 side up a little, kick a saw horse under the rocker then lifted the other said and did the same.
I then pulled the rear axle, lowered the rest of the truck, put the rear of the frame on dolly and rolled the frame out from under the cab.
Dave ----
So basically your saying I can use straps through the door openings but to make sure they are lifting straight up with spreader bars of some kind in both directions correct?
J: It might be overkill, but I would put 2x10 or 2x12 planks across through the door openings, with some 2x4 blocks screwed into them on the inside & outside to keep the wide ones from slipping, then put your straps around the plank.
Another local fellow here is working on a '68 Crew (going on an '03 F250 SD chassis), but he has a four post hoist, so lifting the body is EASY for him
The straps are fine, but as others have said, the use of a spreader bar is a MUST! I use a 2x6 and it's plenty. For that I would use a total of (2) 2x6 and (2) 2x4 to build a spreader for the inside that can't shift on you.
The straps are fine, but as others have said, the use of a spreader bar is a MUST! I use a 2x6 and it's plenty. For that I would use a total of (2) 2x6 and (2) 2x4 to build a spreader for the inside that can't shift on you.
Inside is fine but where do you put the straps to lift at?
If they go from the ends of the 2x6 to a center life point they can still crush the cab.
I was thinking what you mad but on the top.
Run the straps thru the cab from wood end to wood end.
Then make a central lift point on the wood frame.
Dave - - - -
Wow very helpful guys. Thanks a lot. My plan is to get it lifted off after I get home fromk holidays here and set on my small trailer. We are down in the Alberta bad lands now. Anyways I’ll make sure and post up pictures in my build thread. Thanks again.
Not to break in but those saw horses look like plastic ones from Homedepot is that correct. I have several pairs of those and I have a 69 F100 single cab and I like the idea of lifting the cab with my floor jack and setting it on saw horses and pulling the frame out from under the cab. I even have several pairs of those heavy duty jack stands too. That to me would be easer that all that strap and building a spreader and then finding some where to hang my come along to pull the cab. I don't have any type of heavy equipment other than my zero turn lawn mower.
The ends of the 2x6s can be made longer, it's not to scale. the key would be to keep the straps from touching the metal at any point.
Yes make the 2x6 longer but the straps would be touching the metal, the wood frame would be outside on the roof.
Strap from the board down into right front door to the left front door up to the board. Do the same for the rear door.
Then all you would need is to make a central lift point on the wood frame.
Just thought of something I did for the bed. My garage has open rafters and I was able to put straps over the rafters and hang down to the lifting points on the bed.
If you had something like this then you could use that wood frame inside and longer boards and using 4 straps lift at each board end.
Other wise if you lift with out the spreader frame it will pull to the center on each strap and this may not be a good thing.
Dave ----
07-10-2018, 06:40 PM
