Lifting the 'Cuda

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MrJLR

Built, not bought
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I decided to make myself a set of wooden wheel cribs to lift the 'Cuda higher and safer...
I needed 12 two by fours....

Sawed them up cutting each 96 inch board into 6 pieces of 16 inches each.

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I screwed them together first at a "10 plank height"
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I set all 4 corners up at that height, then added a second level at 8 planks...kinda had to lift the car in 2 stages....

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Dang thing is as high as my truck now...

Best of all, I can pull my transmission (again) and there's extra head room and more secure than jack stands...


Jeff

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That’s a lot of work. You could just have easily fabbed a lift bracket to raise the car and drop the whole assembly and install all of it from the bottom like the factory did in one easy to service assembly. JMO.
 
Good idea. The only thing I would caution you on is the hollow block platform you had the floor jack on for stags 2 of the lift.... Hollow blocks on their side like that are not as strong as they are if the hollows/holes are perpendicular to the floor - in other words, in the same fashion as the foundation of a house is laid. They are more likely to crumble/collapse the way you have them. Or get solid blocks.
 
Good idea. The only thing I would caution you on is the hollow block platform you had the floor jack on for stags 2 of the lift.... Hollow blocks on their side like that are not as strong as they are if the hollows/holes are perpendicular to the floor - in other words, in the same fashion as the foundation of a house is laid. They are more likely to crumble/collapse the way you have them. Or get solid blocks.
I'm gonna make a better jack platform. ....

Jeff
 
That’s a lot of work. You could just have easily fabbed a lift bracket to raise the car and drop the whole assembly and install all of it from the bottom like the factory did in one easy to service assembly. JMO.
I'm a gluten for punishment. ....lol

Jeff
 
I'm a gluten for punishment. ....lol

Jeff

If you have not tried the method you should. It really can be so easy. Lots of posts here on doing it with finished cars. If you try it once you will be sold. No worries about scratching paint and more. I did it on resto with my wife and fully dressed BB engine, trans and suspension. So simple for us and wonder why I had not appproached it that way in my younger years. Granted it was a full resto but, We always pulled from above as that is what we knew. Step outside the box and life might smile on you! That said if I had to pull just a tranny I would likely just jack the car on stands and use my tranny jack and grunt and groan on my tired old back!
 
So it probably cost you about $55-$60 in material a little time. You got about 20" between the tire and the floor. I think it looks like a pretty good idea. Good luck getting that trans. sorted out Jeff.
 
So it probably cost you about $55-$60 in material a little time. You got about 20" between the tire and the floor. I think it looks like a pretty good idea. Good luck getting that trans. sorted out Jeff.
$44.00.......
Thank you!

Jeff
 
Not knocking the idea, but wouldn’t four heavy duty jack stands accomplish the same thing?
 
Couldn't get my stands that high.....
Plus, to me, this feels safer.....

Jeff
PLUS, If you want to do something that requires the suspension to be loaded, jack stands won't work sometimes. I have both............
 
This was a little 3 hour project that cost less than $50 and solved a need.....
And now I'll have them the rest of my life.
And now I can get back to work on my transmission!

Jeff
 
I did basically the same thing (22"x14"). I used a few 2 X 6 also. I have 2 levels (7", 14"). I feel safer now. Screws & everything, $75-$80 probably.
Woody

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My biggest problem would be storing them after I'm done with them. You may have that problem down the road as you keep moving them from one place to another when there in your way. I see your garage is pretty packed up now.
 
My biggest problem would be storing them after I'm done with them. You may have that problem down the road as you keep moving them from one place to another when there in your way. I see your garage is pretty packed up now.
Ya.....I have 10 pounds of crap in a 5 pound bag....!

Jeff
 
I picked up scaffolding tripod footers for 5 bucks each at a surplus lot about 25 years ago. Welded a piece of 5 inch channel 5 inches long on their tops. The eye screws are just for handles. So about $35 spent total. These sit under the frame rails, axle tubes, whatever, nicely but getting the vehicle so high is a chore. They wouldn't stack to store in a corner either.

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I did a similar thing years ago for my Jeep. My 6 ton stands weren't tall enough to get the tires off the ground when they were under the frame, so I used 2x4's to make 10" tall stands for my jack stands. I have them all stacked up in the corner of the garage when not in use.
 
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