Another reason not to tip the 1947 Willys jeep on it’s side in order to replace a $20.00 speedometer cable is that doing so will result in $1,900.00 in damage to the body. Besides, the hard part is not undoing the cable from the tranny under the car, the hard part is installing the new cable into the speedometer head while lying half in and half out the jeep to feel under the dashboard! Best bet is to find a 15 year old Rumanian contortionist and assigning a degree-of-difficulty of 7.3,
I think it’s a great idea. I flipped an old Mustang up on it’s side to do a tranny swap. Just pick a nice soft spot on the grass where the earth is contoured to match the side of the vehicle, take off the side mirror on the down side, and get half a dozen friends together to flip it up on it’s side. Works like a dream and doesn’t even buckle the sheet metal. Beats the heck out of trying to bench press the tranny while laying on your back under the car. It was like a real redneck reunion. Half the neighbourhood was in the yard with lawn chairs and soft drinks watching the show.
Beats the heck out of trying to bench press the tranny while laying on your back under the car
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200318921_200318921
I’ve used one. They work. (I didn’t have to buy it either. I just rented it).
A friend and I when we were kids used my dads chain host to hang a CJ5 by its bumper to change the trans. It was in the winter and real cold. We had no garage to work in. So we chained the chain host to big oak tree branch. Lifted it by the rear bumper. Took out the old trans and droped the new one in.
A couple old tires (minus rims) strategically placed would help prevent body damage…at least somewhat. I had a friend who scrapped cars, and whenever he needed to get a part off one he would pull it over using the seatbelt on the opposite side and hook it on his payloader. Yes, they really are that strong!
40 years ago it was SOP to tip jeeps on their side to repair them in the field.Neither the M38s nor M151s seemed to suffer any ill effects.
If one searches there are manufacturers of cradles designed to tip cars on their side for service. On modern vehicles the fuel and oil systems are designed to accommodate this position so as not to leak (and burn) in a wreck. Have seen pictures of Porsche 928S’s in such cradles.
Ray strongly recommended a floor-jack, and jack-stands. I own a couple of old, metal “ramps”, and they seem to work pretty well (and my Dad had made a couple of ramps out of some old, heavy hardwood, many years ago). I’m just wondering if “ramps” are somehow problematic, and that’s why Ray didn’t mention them?
Just adding this to the fray.
Having ridden in Jeeps during Vietnam I can tell you they tip easy. Not very reassuring when riding in one.