Weight of bodies??

[PeteVS]

Does anyone have an idea of what various bodies weigh? I'm thinking of lifting a '32 sedan body using the garage rafters and I don't want to have the garage come falling down.

[51 MERC-CT]

What ever the body weighs I would add vertical supports to the rafters as close to the lifting points as possible.

[V8COOPMAN]

Those early bodies are lighter than they look. Myself and a buddy removed and replaced his bare '34 Tudor sedan body back in '66 as 19-year-olds with our bare hands, and neither of us resembled Charles Atlas. DD

[qmdv]

How far apart or the rafters. If they are trusses 24 on center, get a 4 x 6 and span four of them.

Tim

[rotorwrench]

A lot does depend on the dimensions of the rafters or joists and their spacing. Headers of windows and doors are sometimes doubled up 2X6s to make a good beam of it as qmdv mentioned. Rafters (ceiling joists) may also have to be tied together with cross blocks to keep them from twisting or flexing too much. Trusses are braced for twisting due to their design. A 1932 tudor or fordor sedan body can be lightened a good bit by removal of all stuff a person can to lighten them up. The body may need some cross bracing before the lift so that is a factor. A guy on each corner can lift them pretty easy. I know at my age I'm already too far gone to try it with one other friend. You want to keep those friends in good shape too or you may lose them.

[Ronnieroadster]

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I dont know the actual weight of the Tudor Deuce body but I have one thats not in the best of shape since some of the metal is gone making it lighter but it still takes three of us to pick that darn body up.

[skidmarks]

Bare body vs a complete with glass and interior is a very big difference.

[PeteVS]

Originally Posted by Ronnieroadster

I dont know the actual weight of the Tudor Deuce body but I have one thats not in the best of shape since some of the metal is gone making it lighter but it still takes three of us to pick that darn body up.

Best answer yet to my question- Probably about 400 lbs, 500 at the most. And if we do this, it will be without doors or glass or seats, etc.
Thanks!

[DavidG]

Fully trimmed, a standard '32 Tudor body weighed 685 pounds, the deluxe version, 703 pounds. A standard '32 Fordor body weighed 696 pounds and the deluxe version, 720 pounds.

(It's in "the book")

[PeteVS]

Originally Posted by DavidG

Fully trimmed, a standard '32 Tudor body weighed 685 pounds, the deluxe version, 703 pounds. A standard '32 Fordor body weighed 696 pounds and the deluxe version, 720 pounds.

(It's in "the book")

Now this is the best answer and, the most authoritative! Thanks!

[Karl Wescott]

Some thoughts here:

1. Only a building engineer should tell you if your rafters could support that load, however putting a 4x4 lengthwise across several rafters will spread the load.

2. Take the doors off first, not only will it make things lighter but I have seen too many doors ruined by someone putting a chain or narrow strap through them and lifting... then having the body stick on the chassis.

3. If you do lift use a wide straps. Find the balance point but have safety straps at each end of the body, things do shift.

4. Consider using (8' minimum) 4x4's crosswise under the front door post and center of the wheelwell. Then lift and crib each corner at a time. You probably could do it without a helper. Then roll the chassis away. https://www.fema.gov/media-library-d..._PM_Unit_5.pdf page 5-33. This will have less stress on the body as it will be being lifted where it is designed to be lifted.

[RalphM]

If you do not have a roof covering on your body then I would suggest doing as I did on my coupe. I ran the hoist chain down the hole and then straps to the floor or lower body braces and lifted that way. I think it was better than pulling on the roof IMO.

[Mart]

Or go in through the door with an engine hoist.

[JSeery]

I'm of the think twice about using the rafters for this type of activity. There are other ways to go about this like Mart says, consider an engine hoist. If you are just wanting to roll the chassis out from under the body, lift the body up on 4x4s supported on each side and roll it out. It takes a while, but you can lift the body a small amount at a time using jacks and jack stands and slide the 4x4 under the body. Then slowly (as in a small amount at a time at each corner) lift the 4x4s until the body is high enough to clear the chassis.

[rotorwrench]

There was no mention of whether the garage or shop uses wood construction or steel. If it's part of the home then it's likely wood but still could be constructed in different ways. Structural wood can 2X4, 2X6, or even wider members. Some members are set on 16 inch centers and some on 24-inch so that a standard 48-inch wall or ceiling covering with fit. Always keep in mind that the strength is always with the widest section of the member set vertically. If it lays down flat with the wide section in a horizontal plane, it won't have much strength to hold weight and can easily flex too much. Near all structural wood members have a crown or a bow in them when you look down the length of the narrow section. Any crown or bow should be facing up toward the roof in order for it to hold the load applied. This applies to all floor or ceiling joist members that bear a load. Rafters are the members that support the roof and are generally only designed to do just that. Most ceiling joists are there to hold the walls square and for sheet rock to attach to and not much else unless you use heavier lumber in the construction process so that you can store stuff up there. Plywood covering on the top of the joists makes everything a lot stronger since the load is shared over a larger area. Trusses don't lend themselves well to this type of construction but they can be covered to some extent.

If your shop is a steel building with big hefty I-beams like mine then it can support a lot of weight from the I-beams depending on how large they are. There is a lot of engineering info out there on the internet for load bearing members of both wood and steel construction.

[Big Shark]

Here is a pic of my 37. Took it of the rotisserie and putting it on the frame. I use a 2" pipe and span 6 roof trusses in my attic. I also lift flatties out of my truck like this. Bruce

[A bones]

Maybe apples VS oranges but, my garage is nothing special ( ordinary pine 2X4 set vertically ) . I hoisted an empty A coupe body up there ( old style venetian blind cord and pulleys ) and left it hang for seven years, while I stored a top down convertible beneath it. All was fine. As rotorwrench pointed out the important factor is the sturdiness ( and age ) of your garage. Mine is basic simple, Also should mention I hoard various doors, fenders, bumpers, extra lumber, and some old rugs my better half has tired of, but like you say "Don't never get rid of nuthin."

[Charlie Stephens]

Many of the "rafters" I have seen in garages were just strong enough to safely hold holiday decorations. How about a photo of your rafters?

Charlie Stephens

[Capt Kirk]

Pete, I'm a licensed structural engineer. Your question leaves too many variables undefined to answer...size/species/grade of lumber, span, trusses or stick built, spacing, splices...etc. Bottom chords of trusses and ceiling joists are typically designed to carry insulation and sheetrock with some reserve for the weight of someone crawling around in the attic. If you have trusses, your best bet is to apply your loads at a "panel point" which is the point where the web members join to the bottom chord. This is the stiffest point and, if you install a spreader beam, I would guess you'd be OK. If stick built, an engineer or building inspector would need to take a look. If you do hoist from the bottom chord...go slow, listen and watch.

[Kahuna]

Best to get three friends and lift it off. We did mine a few years ago fully trimmed body. All glass & upholstery intact. Not a problem, put body on a homemade wood dolly.
JMO
Jim

[Karl Wolf]

You could put 2x4s vertically to lift by, tie them into the rafters for lateral stability. (Floor to ceiling).

Karl