Rolling a car - advice needed please

[Matt Tomkins]

Hi all,
I am just starting to tackle the restoration of my brother's traveller.
currently it has the engine out and the wood off.
it needs some welding underneath and, having turned mine over as a totally bare shell to weld it, i dont really want to be lying on the floor getting set on fire if i can help it. I have borrowed a grumpys rollover jig (need to fabricate some legs though) but wondered about the brake fluid situation -- obviously with a vented cap, it would all leak out, but if i were to fir a non-vented cap (as for disc brakes) would i be able to get away without draining the fluid?
thoughts greatly appreciated.
Matt

[bmcecosse]

I would just drain the fluid - you'll surely be overhauling the brakes anyway? But a thickish bit of plastic bag under the normal cap will keep the fluid in meantime. Drain the axle....

[POMMReg]

Read somewhere about Traveller's "flexing" when being rotated - I
suppose it depends on the extent of rot(?)

[Matt Tomkins]

mechanically, the car is great and comes with a lot of service history including recent replacement of much of the braking system.
this isnt going to be a full rebuild, just a 'get it on the road' job now he''s 17, so i'm trying to avoid touching anything which isnt essential tbh.
wrt rolling causing flexing - surely only the same as jacking up on one corner??? i did it with mine (allbeit a bare shell) without problems. though i take the point and may consider fitting the rollover jig to the wheels, and only tipping it up to 45* on either side to replace the sills.
I dont suppose anyone on here anywhere up the m1 (my other half lives the opposite end of the country to me so i pass regularly) has any huge axle stands i could borrow to give me more working height?
M

[graham1957]

brakes may want bleeding due to air entering at master cylinder when car is turned on its side|.I find it better to do as much welding as possible with car on its wheels so as to keep an eye on the shut lines, then roll it on its side to clean all old underseal off and repaint, graham

[midget]

I plan to do this later and just wondered if you guys roll it onto a mattress or something to protect the side when rolled?
I plan to roll it over onto grass.

[graham1957]

yes i rolled mine onto a matress, but that was with a totally bare shell, no wings no doors no engine or g/box, hope this helps, graham

[jagnut66]

Hi Matt,
It's suddenly struck me, looking at your signature photo, that you are single-handedly saving all the grey cars!!
How's your Traveller by the way, does it have glass and a lock on the rear doors yet?
Best wishes,
Mike.

[ian.mcdougall]

could you bolt in some diagonal struts from top of b-post to lower rear panel fixing brackets ( on the same side of car ) for wood ladder section ( i think thats what its called ) and then some cross bracing as well eg top r/h b-post to lower l/h fixing bracket, do you understand what i mean
Ian

[Matt Tomkins]

thanks for the advice so far. I think what i'll do, then, is use the roller as a tilter instead and jack it up nicely to 30* or something and see how it goes. Just a coupe of sills on the underneath really.
The back is now off and needs pretty much entirely replacing.
this one's a mixture of whites, but will probably go back to its original oew.
pics attached. sorry for slow response, been manic end of term at uni plus two days spent so far on the car.[frame][/frame][frame][/frame][frame][/frame][frame][/frame]