[schnitz]

Originally Posted by 302/Z28

Stay away from the HF ones, I have a set and when I place my full size Chevy truck on them you cannot move it. Yes they have cast iron casters, but those cast iron casters do not have ball bearings, just a steel sleeve for a bushing. As long as the total weight is under 3000lbs they work fairly well.

Vince

Good to know that. I wonder if anybody has a set of those Menards' brand Tool Shop ones? Possibly the same?


In a while, Chet

[snod83]

I also have the HF ones and have problems moving stuff by myself. I can move my 1500 pound T-bucket ok, but my 94 camaro doesn't like to move unless I make all the casters point in the same direction and even then, I have to have a hand moving it. They are a life saver though, because I used to move everything with a floor jack! These make it much easier!

Ryan

[Davidfe]

I made a set from old heavy duty fence pipe. It was free because it was the drops.

I then measured the size of my jack stands. I mitered the corners of the pipe and added a reinforcing triangle plate of 3/4" plate. I added the casters from HF. Now I can use them with wheels on or with jack stands on.

Very substantial and they work well. I used a pair of them (because the last two were not completed) to move a 6,000 lb. tow truck around. Performed flawlessly.

HTH

David Edwards

[gator412]

Davidfe,

You have any pics you can show us of the car dolly you made? I received my wheels the other day and am trying yo figure out how I want to make the frames. I am looking for examples.

You guys have all been very helpful. I will post photos as I build them.

[Davidfe]

Gator,

I search my HD and did not find any Pix of the car dolly. They are in storage until I can set up a new shop. I hate the wait.

Is there anything I can specifically help with?

David Edwards
1954 5 Window Chevy P/U....waiting...waiting....soon I hope.

[46HudsonPU]

I got a set of the HarborFreight dollies
- Put my 46 Hudson PU on them (3100 lbs) - but it is difficult to move, for the reasons indicated (i.e., cheap wheels).
- In addition - During one 'move' a 'plastic' wheel broke, bending the pressed steel support frame. I was able to bend it back, brace it & obtain a replacement wheel from a local hardware store.

Am not happy with this, and will be looking for something else. If I were to do it again, I'd probably make my own, with heavier steel & better wheels.

[donlp]

Another good source of tools and hardware is Northern Tool and Equipment.
http://www.northerntool.com/

[mham5899]

i made a set last year that has been absloutely perfect.
two plates of 3/4" plywood 12"wide and 18" long with
four 200lb casters
i glued the plywood togeather with some of that Gorilla glue
and and bolted on the casters with 1/2 ss bolts and nuts
attached stacked 1x4 and 2x4 at each end of the plate.
if tire does not fit in the cradle centered slide 2x4 spacers
in and or let some air out of the tires. they have worked
perfictally as i wheel the 57 chevy around the
garage

i bought the casters at a flea market at $2.00 ea got the
plywood and other wood at a housing sub devision going in (scraps) and
bough the nuts and bolts at a swap meet $10.00 a bag

i saw where Harbor Freight had them at 49.99 for two
+ shipping

[gator412]

Hey LanceM...I finally was able to scrounge up the metal to make a set of dollies sort of like yours. Attached is a pic I drew of how I will build it. The dimensions are based on my wheels and the size of material I have. I have the wheels already. So If I get off work at a reasonable time tonight I can start fabing them up. Can't run the cut off saw tooo late at night. I will post pics of the dollies as I make them.

Thanks to all the ideas from everyone.

[jvsapp]

Originally Posted by schnitz

I thought about doing the same thing, until I priced the wheels. $8.50 each for 16 wheels put it over the top for me.
In a while, Chet.

i had to agree with this one... i was building carts to roll engines around on. i actually bought the wheels already, at $3 a pop. 125# each. and was about to get more metal to buil them then stumbled across the moving type dollies at home depot. at $20 a pop and they support 1000#'s... you can't go wrong. i got 5 of them and they all have an SBC with trans sitting on them. easily moved around the garage or shop. though i did have one break last weekend. a trans got dropped on the cross piece and it snapped out. i'll be replacing it with a boxed tube rail. but i still got the casters and i'll probably build something smaller with them.

[gator412]

I am going to be working under the truck so I can't see using wood or a furniture dolly to hold up a truck or car. I have about $70 in for the wheels (rated at 350 lbs each) and the metal was scrap that was able to round up so the price is less than what you would pay for a set of GOOD dollys.

Just be careful when using wood to support a car. One already broke on you....

[jvsapp]

oh no, i wouldn't use them under a car.... only jackstands on the ground... i don't like any chance of anything shifting over me. heard about a guy whose little girl saved him becasue his car rolled off the blocks of wood and pinned him. the girl remembered how the jack was used to lift the car, and lifted it off her dad enough for him to crawl out.... personally i have been pinned under my truck when the trans fell on me... that feeling sucks. and i will never pull a trans from the bottom ever again....

the furniture dollies are perfect for moving engines and trannies around though....

[gator412]

Cool...glad to hear that. Don't want to miss any more of your posts due to an untimely death.

Safety first......

[jvsapp]

yup, learned an important lesson that day... don't work on your car alone... the trans fell on my chest knocking the wind out of me. and it took all my energy just to shove it off of me. i called for help, but no one with in ear shot... when you are under a car there is limited room so i basically had to jerk it off me... and a T350 ain't the lightest trans. glad it wasn't a T400 or 700R4... that would have really sucked.

[LanceM]

Gator,
The drawing is nice! I think it will be nice having that diamond plate for the platform Can't wait to see some pics of them going together and finished!

Lance