I am getting ready to swap my body over to a rebuilt chassis. Can I remove the front fenders, running boards and the rear fenders all as one unit and move over to the new chassis without taking them a part after I remove the body ?
Does anybody have an suggestions.

Thanks

No. All of the lower sheet metal must be installed separately. The rear fenders can be left on the body, but with the rear fenders in place it makes handling the body more difficult.

JunkYardDog came through again.
Thanks JunkYardDog

You bet!!

JunkYardDog,
Does the fenders and running boards have to be removed first before the body or does the body have to come off first.
I though I might try removing the body then taking off the fenders , running boards and re installing on the other chassis before I put the body back on. Is this the proper way or ?

You can do it either way, but since the running board splash aprons are under the body, I would remove the body first before removing those, and after removing the rear fenders, the front fenders, headlight bar and etc. Also, if you leave the running boards in place, that will prevent you from hitting your shins against the sharp edges of the running board brackets. Man.....that hurts!!

Thanks for all you input JunkYardDog, you are an asset to VCCA.

Thank you very much

The front fenders, splash aprons and running boards can indeed be removed and installed as a unit. However it would take at least two and maybe more people to accomplish the task. If using a mechanical device to lift the body then it might make sense. If doing it by hand then the closer to the body the easier to handle the load. I understand the problems with running board brackets but the running boards will get in the way if manually removing and installing the body. It is necessary to raise the body a few inches above the frame to get the splash aprons off and back on.

Sure, the body can be lifted either way....with the running boards on or off, but I have found them to be very useful if left in place when raising the body, including using the running boards as a place to lay tools and they also provide a surface to kneel on as well.

As far as lifting all of the sheet metal as a unit, ya it can be done, but why would anyone want to? That is an accident waiting to happen...both to you and to the sheet metal.

I don't know why you would try to remove the body first. The fenders, running boards and splash aprons just get in the way. Besides, what would you do with the body? Unless you have a mega garage with lots of space to lay it down somewere. Seems to me, you will mount it to the new frame at that point. What then? Remove all the old fenders, splash aprons, and running boards? Might as well do it that way in the first place. Then add them to the remounted body on the new frame.

Space is no problem because we have two lifts side by side . We plan on lifting the body up then tranferring the fenders and running boards over to the new chassis then rolling out the
old chassis and rolling in the new then letting the body back down on the new chassis. Sounds easy don't it however I know its going to be a lot of work but it will be worth it when we get through with it.
Thanks for everybodys input.