Highwayman

I was planning on removing the body from my 73 yesterday but discovered a problem with the straps I have. The opening in the hooks is not wide enough to get on the steel body support, behind the bottom trim. If i used it the way it is, all of the lifting pressure would be put on the fiberglass, not the steel. Anybody else run into this? I bought the straps from Zip. I called them, but the manager has never returned my call.

Grumpy 427

I couldnt use the strap i bought from Ecklers either? poor design. they should stop selling it it doesnt work. I used a different set of straps i got locally.

ShinodaVette

Granted I've had my body lift straps for a number of years, they worked perfectly for removing the body on my '81. They hook under the rocker channels. At first glance they appear to be just grabbing fiberglass but they are really being supported by the metal in the rocker channels. Maybe the ones you have are a different design? I thought they were all pretty standard though.

Highwayman

I just measured the opening width at the hook. It is 3/4 inch. I believe it has to be at least 1 inch to work properly.

Zip Corvettes

I believe I may have talked to you earlier. Just had a chance to take them to the back. I compared them to my straps I have been using for the past 11 years and minimum of at least 40 bodies. The only difference in them is the new set has a coated metal hook where mine are plated. The straps hit the body but that is not what is lifting the body. In order for them not to touch the body, the upper hook would have to be wider than the body so the straps would be going away from it. There is another thread on here if you search it they are lifting and 65 body and they placed terry cloth towels under the straps to prevent any paint damage. I have lifted with and without doors on the car and it works both ways.
Justin

Zip Corvettes

Here you go.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c1-a...ca-9-12-a.html

Highwayman

Yes, we did talk today. I figured a picture of what I've been trying to explain is worth a thousand words, so we are on the same page.

This is how the front strap fits:

The hook needs to go inside another inch and a quarter for the hook to contact the metal.

This is how the rear strap fits:
The hook needs to go inside another inch for the hook to contact the metal.

I think either the 3/4 inch opening in my hook is too small, or the length of the hook that goes between the body and frame (two inches), is too long.

Zip Corvettes

What side of the car are you on in the front picture? You should lift under the hinge pillar. Your strap is no different then my 11 year old set of straps and they have removed a ton of bodies. Their has to be something else going on here. Can you take the hook by hand and set it all the way up in there or are you letting the hoist just pull it up and that is where it stays?

Highwayman

Both pictures are on the passenger side. If I could put the hook all the way in, we wouldn't be having this conversation. There is no place between the front and rear wheels where I can fully insert the hook.

crf311

Try openning the door, and then hook the straps up. Mine are the same way and worked fine. just my 02

72LS1Vette

Hard to tell from your pic but I think the front hook needs to to farther forward on the body. Post a pic from a little distance and that will help solve the problem.



Rick B.

Highwayman

After talking to Justin today, it looked like I was down to two options. Increase the gap in the hooks, or return the straps. I ended up opening up the gap from 3/4" to 1.5", and everything fit just fine.

I was able to lift the body enough to clear the frame. I put it back on the frame, and will pull it completely tomorrow, when I have some help.

bj1k

The only complaint I have with my straps is that they are way too long. I see that you had to tie a bunch of knots in yours to shorten them. We usually wrap them around a piece of pipe .

1976 corvette

mine were to long as well so we raped it around some peices of wood.

Highwayman

That's a great idea, I never thought of. My first lift showed I had to remove one knot from both of the front straps. Even though they had their share of the of weight applied, removing the knots was easy.

Highwayman

I thought it might be time to give an update on how I overcame the problem.

I took a short piece of 3/4 pipe and placed at the opening of the hook. next I put the hook and pipe into a good sized bench vise, and turned the handle with a cheater, until the hooks opened up to about an inch.
They fit perfectly.

Aquarian

Nice tall ceiling ...how much height do you have in your garage?

20mercury

Maybe too late and straps are way overdesigned anyway, but putting a knot in them actually weakens the strap. Nice gradual load is one thing, but if you get a dynamic load (jerk or bounce), not good. I actually saw an industrial demonstration with a strap with no knot and strap with knot and the strap with a knot broke at a lower load than the straight strap.

I would think shorting them another way would be much better.

Hope this might help.

spdrcr29

I did something similar, except I heated up mine with a torch and then laid an impact socket inside the hook and then compressed with my shop press. Let it cool back down, and removed the socket. You will see in the photos how much I was able to get the hooks to spread apart. Guessing I probably weakened the metal a little, but it seemed to work fine without any issues...