Body Cart Plans?

[oxytousc]

Has anyone built a body cart/dolly to transport their 3rd gen b-body without the suspension? I am attempting to do this this weekend, out of wood, and would love any plans that folks might have. I want to be able to take it to my body guy, to the paint guy, etc. without having the fresh suspension or motor in.

 

[Donny]

No plans per se, just what works after drawing it out on a piece of paper, look at my organic posts/threads, meaning ones I started for pics of my dolly's. Wood will fall apart pretty quickly under the weight of a car, post pics when you build it.

 

[oxytousc]

Thanks, Donny...I'll check them out. Since I am not going to be moving it too many times and my welding skills are sub-par at best, I figured that if I used 2x6 and 4x4 that it will hold up alright...especially without the weight of the transmission, suspension, engine, bumpers and hood. I actually got the wood idea from a body in white article from the latest Mopar Action...they had an e-body on a wood dolly.

 

[YY1]

Use PT (pressure treated) wood with correctly sized and plated bolts nuts and washers and you should be OK for a few years.
You could also make gusset plates by drilling through hurricane ties (for the bolts) if necessary.

 

[oxytousc]

Thanks...that's a good idea with the gusset plates. Honestly, my hope is that the car is on there for less than a year. It's really just to get it to and from a couple of places...once it's back home it will go back on jackstands and/or suspension back on.

 

[Cranky]

You could use all 2x4's for that matter if you build it right. After all, 2x4 studs hold up most houses.....bracing and gussets will really make it strong. My first garage (a one car) was built out of nothing but 2x4's and after bracing the walls and building a 2x4 box in the attic to hang a chain hoist, I pulled engines in there. 2-2x4's at an angle on each side wall and the box frame in the attic was all it had. It actually lifted the front of the car off the ground. Thought the engine was coming up when I noticed the tires off the ground lol. Hey, it was my first engine pull lol but I built houses at the time and knew bracing.....wood is strong!

 

[oxytousc]

Yeah, I was thinking that I might be able to get away with some 2x4, basically a frame of two 2X4 with a section of 4x4 on each corner for height and a section of 4X4 for support in the middle. I was then going to run a length of 2X4 across the subframe and install it with the subframe bolts...those 2X4s would secure to the box frame and I'd do something similar at the back...with another length of 2X4 in the middle just for height and leveling. All atop 6 heavy duty casters...I figure it I anchor it to the subframe and the rear end areas, I shouldn't have any trouble getting it on a trailer....not quite sure what to anchor to on the rear yet though...maybe to the shackle hangers? A bolt through a 2x4?

 

[oxytousc]

Alright, new plan...anyone seen the US Car Tool wheels? They want WAY too much for them, but I think I can recreate them out of wood pretty easily and much easier than an entire cart. http://uscartool.3dcartstores.com/Mopar-ABE-Body-Front-Pair-Car-Moving-Body-Wheels_p_23.html

What I'm thinking is that I'll get a 2X6 for the front, which I can bolt to the bumper bolt locations. It will be probably a foot long. I'll box it in and brace it and install a caster on either side. In the back, I'll take a 4x4, much shorter and go down into it with lag bolts to secure and anchor that 4x4 in the same way.

Do you guys think I need to use some 2x4 to brace it laterally on either side? In the back, could I just get a 4x4, lag bolt it to the spring hanger and slap a caster on the bottom?

 

[Meep-Meep]

I see no problem using wood, but whatever the amount of wood you have protruding from the body I'd truss it somehow to eliminate flex and add a third support starting from near the wheels and forming a triangle. You don't want the lag bolts to take all the bending and twisting forces involved - just mainly the static load.

 

[oxytousc]

That makes sense...I think I am going to go two 4x4 bits to the two bumper mount bolts with a diagonal support in the middle and a 2x4 on the base with supports running diagonally from the 4x4's to the 2x4 base with a caster in front and back...how heavy duty do the casters need to be? I know the body is light, but not sure how light.

 

[oxytousc]

Well, after much thought and pricing stuff out, I decided to get the body cart that Eastwood offers. It's very similar to the US Car Tools wheels, but it appears to be a much better/more stable design and it's about $100 less---granted it's not powder coated. After doing the math, it was either $175-250 in parts, plus my time---or $400 for something already made that I can probably resell after I am done with it.

Thanks for all the input though!