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Roll over frame

Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2004 10:12 pm
by JimY
Just about to start a restoration of a 1956 four door. I am sure that I have seen in the distant past a system of roll bars that can be bolted to the wheels that enable the car (empty of fluids) to be rotated to allow easier access to the underside. I have searched but can only find an expensive system advertised in the 'classic' press. Can any one give me a lead or perhaps some dimensions (a local steel fabricator might make some up for me)?

Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2004 10:44 pm
by rayofleamington
Welcome to the message board!
If you join the owners club then look for the 'Grumpys' advert in the magazine - they supply one as a kit or complete.
If you've not joined the MMOC it would be a good idea to do that before doing the resto...
It'll be money well spent - it's worth joining just for the mag, but the club does oodles of other stuff as well.

Posted: Sun Mar 28, 2004 10:50 pm
by JimY
Thanks will do!

Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2004 8:02 am
by lowedb
If you need the rollover for welding, then I guess you have a welder / can weld. It's not that hard to make something yourself. A local steel stockholder will sell you square steel tube (easier to joint) and I paid about £30 for the tube to make mine. Mine bolts to the suspension mounts so I can have a completely bare shell to work on. No fancy curves, either. the corner is angled to make it easier to roll but also easy to make. I turned the car on it's side on my own, and have fitted castors so I can move it. I'm sure you could achieve something similar that bolts on to the wheels.

Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2004 11:28 am
by Kevin
Well for a welding ignoramus such as myself you make the jig sound really easy to make, which it probably is if you know what you are doing :) , the other drawback for me apart from not welding is the lack of space, if I had enough room for a roll over jig it would probably have another car there, but that is the penalty for living in a busy town centre.

Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2004 3:49 pm
by salty_monk
Yep... How about a diagram in the tips/FAQ section with dimension etc?? I'm sure Billy would sort out a pdf (or I could & email him to add to the site..)

Posted: Thu Apr 01, 2004 7:56 am
by lowedb
OK, I'll work on it. Hopefully this weekend.

It's just two L shapes, with the corner cut off. The horizontal bar of the L shape has two vertical bars which are spaced to fit outside the chasiss rails and bolt to the holes where the front suspension eyebolt goes through. The rear bolts to the front spring mountings. The two Ls are joined front to rear by more tube in four places.

Failing a drawing, I'll try to wheel it outside and take a photo.

Posted: Tue Apr 06, 2004 12:05 pm
by lydenburg
You can always hunt around the internet for a second hand one. I got one for £120 from findit.co.uk, if you can wait you might see another one (not mine, im keeping it!).