Chassis Cart

[Coach529]

Hey guys......looking for some example pictures of a chassis cart.

I am taking Henry down to the frame this winter to install IRS and IFS. I want the chassis up to a height I can work on it comfortably. I need to be able to level the cart since my garage floor is sloped, and it needs to be mobile.

I was thinking about just tacking some vertical steel tubing with adjustable castors at the bottom........any better ideas?

[tmoble]

That's pretty much it unless you want to build something out of 2x4's or something. Basically, what you need is a table a little wider than the outside of the frame with wheels on the bottom. Then you can add shims to level it.

[mr48chev]

A lot of it might depend on how much money you are willing to spend on it or how well you are able to scrounge. Also if you want a wood or metal cart.

I keep looking at the frame on the 1-1/2 ton sitting in my yard thinking that one would make and incredible but inexpensive frame table with legs and three or four cross pieces on it. Put casters on it and put some leveling bolts on the corners like I suggested on FB this morning and you have a table that you can roll in or out or into place or against the wall and level up in a couple of minutes and be good to go.

Maybe even scrounge a junk travel trailer frame for the metal to build a frame table. The ideas for something inexpensive are endless if a guy wants to think outside of the box a bit.

[Coach529]

The idea I like best so far is some old scaffolding with adjustable wheels. Cut it down so it is the right height and weld some tubing to make it a table.

I do not want to stick a ton of money or time into it, because it will probably be scrapped afterwards.

[mr48chev]

That would work pretty well. You might check with local construction rental places to see if they have any that they have deemed obsolete that they would sell for a right price and let them know you don't plan to use it for scaffolding..

I see some here on Craigslist quite often but I need some to use to work on my boat with.

[Advanced Design]

Originally Posted by Coach529

I was thinking about just tacking some vertical steel tubing with adjustable castors at the bottom........any better ideas?

This is a very good idea and worked for my truck build. Guessing the vertical steel tubing will be attached to the frame? The height would be adjusted at the castors?

[Clay54]

How about something like this? Don't know if you can see , but there is a pipe on each end of this dolly which would allow for wheels as well as the jack stand. Should be easy to build. Not sure if the .org noted on the picture is active or not but I copied this from the Homemade tools site. Clay

[G&R's57GMC]

Here's mine on a set up like above , makes it easy to move around on a smooth floor.

Don't pay any attention to the trailer over head

[Coach529]

Originally Posted by Advanced Design

This is a very good idea and worked for my truck build. Guessing the vertical steel tubing will be attached to the frame? The height would be adjusted at the castors?

Yea either welded or bolted to the frame on all 4 corners. Some 1" or 1-1/2" steel tubing.

I have some burly 1" all thread. I could weld a nut inside the end of the tubing and weld the all thread to the castor at the bottom for the adjustment.

Seems like the easiest.

[_Ogre]

I need to be able to level the cart since my garage floor is sloped, and it needs to be mobile.

think of it... anything you build level will be level in only one spot, once you move it your level will also move
my barn floor is not level, not sure the farmer had a level when he built the barn or my house
i built truk chassis on 4 jack stands

not knocking your idea... but the more you spend on a rolling tubular adjustable one time use support
is less you have to spend on your truck

your building a truck, not doing brain surgery



and some drywall mud buckets

[mr48chev]

Ogre, one thing we never found in my grandfathers tools was a level. I'd agree though that there are a myriad of ways to easily and simply level a frame cart once it is moved where you wan it.

Like any other group we have members who are very adept at visualizing in their minds what someone else is describing on the screen and who can come up with ideas to make it work and then we have others who aren't good at visualizing and have to have detailed drawings or photos to work with to see what we are trying to say. Nothing wrong with that as it is human nature and when we get over into other fields of expertise it's probably our turn to need the detailed drawings and photos.

[Coach529]

I hear what you are saying. Yes I would easily do it on jack stands........but I feel I should at least make an effort to make sure everything is level.

With adjustable height, locking castors it would be pretty easy. A little paint dot on the floor by each castor would get you very close every time it gets moved.

To be honest I am more concerned about mobility that anything. I use my shop for other things than building this truck, so having the ability to roll the chassis out of the way occasionally is necessary.

I do not think $50-$100 is too much to invest in this.....and I will likely be able to reuse any materials I buy for it.

[mphudak]

I've always played around w/the idea of picking up some cheap wheeled trailer tongue jacks/dog legs. Could easily rig one up at each corner to bolt on, and if you needed to flip the chassis you could find one that swings 180 or 360 degrees.

[G&R's57GMC]

Perhaps a small harbor freight trailer

[_Ogre]

there will be a relatively short time between pulling the old wheels off and putting the new wheels on
once the new suspension is on your frame will be mobile again
as for level, i used wood shims cut from scrap plywood
for the short time you need to move it maybe the harbor fright trailer is a good idea

half of my barn is hand mixed concrete, about 1.5'' thick, though it varies
the other half is way to thick but is sloped to the manure trough
mr48's grandfather might have built barns in michigan at one time

[Advanced Design]

If you don't go with the adjustable casters, one bottle jack for each corner of the chassis (or hf trailer) is really handy for leveling front to rear and side to side. I keep four small ones for little jobs like that.