Rolling my car...

So I want to paint the underside of my car. I'd like to roll the shell (it's completely bare) onto it's side in my garage.

Here's my question to those of you who have done this before; will the shell lay perpendicular to the floor, or does it need to roll more than 90 degrees to be stable?

I ask because my garage is ~120" at the narrowest point, my shell is ~50" tall and ~70" wide. That means if I roll it by placing tires under the rocker, the roof will hit the wall when the shell is at (or just a tiny bit past) 90 degrees.

If it would fit, I'd just use an engine hoist or 'high-lift- to flip it, but I don't have room so I'm hoping that myself and a couple extra hands can do it. How hard is it to roll? Any tips?

I plan on placing three tires under the rocker, a bag of insulation under the rear quarter, and some foam insulation between the roof and the wall. Then a couple 2x4's as a brace for safety sake.

Comments?

Thanks.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/04/2010 07:09AM by Daniel Buehler.

Not sure how wide my shop is, but it's not that wide. 120" sounds about right.

it took 3 people to roll my caged shell just as you are describing, we had to get it up about 3/4 of the way, and then shimmy it over a bit. pretty easy to just pick it up one end at a time

---

Chris

When it's not held down by the rotissorie, I could pick up the sides of my caged shell, by myself. So a couple guys should be able to flip it easily, and fairly controlled.


If you can't go more then 90, you might considered going LESS then 90, like maybe 85 degrees or so, and then using some rope or chain to tie it off to something that holds it up. I wouldnt go 90 and do that, though, unless it REALLY wants to fall back down at 90 also. When it wants to fall back, and is held up, It'll probably be a bit more stable, as if you need to work on the bottom side, you can press harder before it "gives" easily.

---

Welcome to the cult of JVL drink the koolaid or be banned.

I rolled my car with 1 hand - it's all about leverage and angles. Hah I just happened to get it right the first time. I jacked up the car and put it on 3 blocks about 16 inches high. Then picked up the corner opposite to the corner missing the block and it rolled right over.

I agree with Tim, I went to probably 100 or so degrees (where the roll of the body was flat against the ground) but I would do less than 90 and strap the crap out of it.

---

-Jason

If you really want to get the car rolled...call Chris Blakely.....

Daniel, I've seen your fab skills which are excellent. Why not build a rotisserie now which you can use for the next shell also.

---

Gone fishing

Yeah, and recoup the costs by renting it to David.

---

Grant Hughes

Thanks!

Five reasons:

Time - I figure it would take me a couple weeks to build, if I do it the way I want to.

Cost - it's a lot of steel. I'm not sure what exactly what it would cost, but I have an idea (almost $50+ in castors alone).

Space - I'm running out of places to store things.

Tools - I don't have a way to make straight cuts on large material. With something that's going to hold valuable shells and prevent personal injury, I want to make sure that everything fits up just right before I weld.

Welding - I have no experience welding anything greater than 1/8 of an inch. I'd probably spend a week practicing welds on thick material before I even started.

Having said all that... I have another shell. I'm going to build it starting from the first moment I have spare time AFTER I'm done working on the current shell. I've learned a ton of things and I want to put them to good use. The next shell will not be done like I did this one. I can't even begin to imagine how much quicker (and easier on my back) it would have been if I had a rotissarie. So... I will build one at some point in time.

So... do you have access to something to cut metal (easily, quickly and straight)?

I'm still going to flip this one on it's side though. I'm chomping at the bit to get it done!

Awesome!

I was wondering if I'd be able to shimmy it across the floor. Good to know that works.

Two Harbor Freight engine stands, Big hunk-o-scrap on each for bumper mount, Another big long piece tying the two stands together. Probably a couple more pieces for outriggers on the stands.

At least that's what I saw some Tedneck do once. There was only one maiming involved in its use on a couple different cars.

---

Andrew Steere
Lyndeborough, NH
KB1PJY

what stands were those?

The princess auto/harbour freight ones I've laid my hands on are angled at the cylinder with the rotating part. I figure, by the time you make it rotate perpedicular to the floor, make it wider, make it taller (you need something like 3'6"- I have the math at home), then I might as well just build from scratch...

Honestly, this whole rolling it over thing seems perfect.


QUESTION: How do you lift the shell high enough to get it onto a rotissarie? The equal height front/rear has me wondering what the best way really is...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/05/2010 02:29PM by Daniel Buehler.

We have three people on one end, lift it onto the back one, then lift it onto the front one.
Ours we've been using is two engine stands that have been heightened. Not connected together either so probably a little sketchy.
I used a 2.5X.25 square piece, 3-4 feet long. Then two 1.75X.095 pieces of roll cage tubing welded to it going into the frame rails. Then another piece to go into the engine stand. Should use 2.25" round into the engine stand though. It's alittle sketchy.

---

Grant Hughes

Yeah, the stands were probably jacked up, too. I can't remember exactly, not my setup.

---

Andrew Steere
Lyndeborough, NH
KB1PJY

...you were supposed to connect them together?

no wonder that fucking thing bit me!!!!!

---

She's screamn' fer eet!
Rallyho
Mike White
http://www.facebook.com/rallyhomotorsports

Daniel Buehler Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> QUESTION: How do you lift the shell high enough to
> get it onto a rotissarie? The equal height
> front/rear has me wondering what the best way
> really is...
>
>



LOL, I picked the end up and had my brother put the bolts through the holes, hahaha.

---

Welcome to the cult of JVL drink the koolaid or be banned.