I started the teardown of my 56 on Monday and have now got to the bare cab on the chassis. (I hope it all goes back as easily, somehow I know that it wont...)

I am taking the cab off and am wondering; Is there a correct or right way to remove the cab? I had a look in my workshop manual but there does not seem to be any reference to it. I guess they never thought that there would be a need to remove the cab in the normal day to day shop maintenance.

The front looks fairly straight forward but the back appears to have an arrangement with a curved section and a bolt at either end. So should you undo the top or the bottom bolt first? Are they some sort of adjusters for alignment?

Thanks
Lee

 

I undid the bottom bolts and the cab came off quite easily. That's after getting the front bolts out which was not so easy give the rot in the area. Ended up ripping the floor out on one side, but it was junk there anyway.
Once the cab is off, the arms that curve down can be removed if you need. I left mine alone since they seemed in good shape. When putting the cab back on with new bumpers, the only tricky part is to loosely fasten the front, connect the top of the arms, get the C shaped bumpers into position and lower the cab into place. Took 4 people for my cab and we had to push the cab down to get the arm to line up with the mounting bracket holes. Fit was tight because of the new C bushing.

-Scott

 

I undid the bottom bolts and the cab came off quite easily. That's after getting the front bolts out which was not so easy given the rot in the area. Ended up ripping the floor out on one side, but it was junk there anyway.
Once the cab is off, the arms that curve down can be removed if you need. I left mine alone since they seemed in good shape. When putting the cab back on with new bumpers, the only tricky part is to loosely fasten the front, connect the top of the arms, get the C shaped bumpers into position in the mounting brackets and lower the cab into place. Took 4 people for my cab and we had to push the cab down to get the arm to line up with the mounting bracket holes. Fit was tight because of the new C bushing.

-Scott

 

Lee,

basically it's unbolt and lift... agreed the unbolt might be the hardest part with years of rust/crud built up... and these aren't gonna snap off if you tighten them down

I used an impact and a boxed end wrench braced against the cab mount... wasn't too bad... the rears simply unbolt from the rear cab mount on the side of the frame rail... ' course you've got pedals, column, wiring, etc removed or in the clear...

you can inlist a few (at least 4) friends ... (technical note... if alcohol is involved...remove the cab first, then imbibe)... it will be lighter without the doors... and you're probably gonna remove them anyway... the doors are about 40 #s each..

I did mine alone.. (no friends ) by using an engine hoist, a wide nylon sling and a short piece of chain to hold the sling together and give a good place to hook the hoist. fed the sling thru the door openings and over the top to the center of the truck. With the hoist fully extended I simply rolled it under the truck ...hooked her up and started jacking.... 10 minutes later.. the cab was suspended above the frame and rolled out from over it..... the balance point is just ahead of the back edge of the door opening...pretty well balanced...

Several neighbors slowed, swerved and nearly ditched watching my little show... but none offered to help (again, no friends)... have something mobile to set the cab on... you can build it out of 2x6 lumber and 'good' casters or weld up something out of metal... but you're gonna want it movable..I took two old rack like the bread man uses to bring in the flats of bread to the grocery... welded up 4 legs about a foot long and then put cross pieces across the top for the cab to sit on...

what ever you decide to do...BE CAREFUL... you can replace sheet metal but fingers and toes are a little harder to fab up

later
john

 

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Hint.....when your building this rack to sit the cab on, add the height of the cab to the height of the rack. These two added together must be less than the height of the garage door if your going to send it to the sandblaster. Don't ask. ...............XFM

 

"come to the darkside....we have cookies !! " lmao - very funny! hee hee! oh my! ...heh.. ummm.. what kind? I've considered the hoist myself for the bed and cab, glad to hear I'm not the only one that has scared off friends and nieghbors with too many um..."interesting" projects and favors!

 

In a totally off topic question, how do you get your "cookies" saying to show up in your post? I've tried a few with no luck.

 

Thanks guys,

I will see if I can rustle up enough bodies to attempt the lift off today or tomorrow. Thanks for all the great tips... especially the height . Thats just the sort of thing that I would do.
Cheers Lee

 

In the CP you set up your signature, then when you post your scroll down to the "additional options" part of the page, below the "Post Icons" and make sure the "show signature" box is checked.

If you want to change the saying below your name in the signature you have to return to the signature part of the CP and edit it there.

It took me several months to get mine to work, and even now I can not get all the features others have to work on my machine.

 

Uh oh. If rhw figures it out none of us will be safe!!!

Quick, run for the hills while you still can!!!!!

xfordman, great words of wisdom!! I don't think any of us need to ask how you know that

Bobby