Car Dollies for a Z?

[derk]

Has anyone tried this car dollies that allow you to roll a fixed-place car around the garage?

Do they work?

Would the 2000 pounders work for a Z or 4000?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2043723229

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/ebayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1848500619&r=0&t=0

[hmsports]

They do work very well.

The second link you show is for the over-kill version for heavier cars. The first set would be good for you. Harbor Freight tools sells the same ones for $80 for a set of two.

The only drawback is that you have to have your wheels/tires on the car. If you want to support your car on stands, it won't be mobile.

Depending if you want to use them just for storage or to work on your car... I build stands that can be used either way. You can support the car on them by the tires, or place a jack stand on the roll-arounds and support the car on the frame so you can remove the tires and work on the car. You can see mine at Rollers. My design has changed since this photo was taken. The base is now a flat piece of 1/4 steel measuring 10x12" with a lip around the edge so the stand doesn't slide off. They are rated at 1000lbs per stand.

[derk]

Thanks Rick... I will take a look at yours.

I also found plans for a home-built version:

http://www.alfaclub.org/techstff/dolly.htm

[Doehring]

I wouldn't miss them any more. Good buy.

Rolf

[EScanlon]

Harbor Freight has the dollies on sale, just received the e-mail this morning.

Here's the URL for the dollies, they're selling for $39.99

If you don't have a Harbor Freight near you, you CAN order from the website, and as far as I know the price will be honored. If you need, let me know and I'll forward you the e-mail notice I got.

http://www.harborfreightusa.com/displayitem_retail.taf?Itemnumber=32052

[derk]

$80 for the four then?

I am considering making my own depending on what casters cost at Home Depot.

[carguyinok]

If you are going to make your own. You should look @ getting @ least 4 casters with wheel locks. Most of the pre made dollies dont have this (the cheap ones). Without A wheel lock you could find yourself rolling your Z into thing you dont want ta hit.

Dollies are wonderful to say the least. But if you are going to leave the car on them and work on it @ the same time you wont want it free ta roll around. One wheel with A lock per dollie will do the job fine. Just make sure you put it on the outside:stupid:

As far as casters. Go large and metal. Smaller are cheaper but they will be hard ta roll & if home made may even snap off when hitting A crack or small rock. Where with A larger wheel it will be easy ta roll and go over these things that could jam A small wheel.

O-yah watch your toe's if you like um on your feet

[derk]

Turns out casters are about $5 each at Home Depot making the $80 for four completed ones deal pretty sweet (I'd need 16 casters plus wood)

Found a Harbor store in my town....had never even heard of them before.

Thanks for the tips!

[hmsports]

Be careful when shopping at Harbor Freight. They have a lot of cheap prices, but a lot of what they sell is cheap stuff. I buy a lot of expendable things like nitrile gloves. Most of their tools are on the lower end of the quality scale, but if you only use them periodically for shade-tree mechanic work, they will last for a long time.

[carguyinok]

Not cheap.

http://www.car-dolly.com/

but anything good isnt.

[derk]

Found my local Harbor Freight store. Agreed most tools in there look like junk but these car dollies for $39 / pair are amazing.

The casters alone are $17 each at Home Depot so not sure how they are doing it other than cheap Chinese labor.

Anyway they are very heavy duty, 4 inch steel wheels and fine for this shadetree mechanic.

Building my own would have cost $20 than these (four ) and these are solid steel.

I recommend them.

[EScanlon]

Rick has a good point regarding Harbor Freight.

If you are NOT a professional mechanic, not into Racing, not into disassembling your engine on the weekends just for practice, then the majority of the items at Harbor Freight are more than sufficient. They are truly inexpensive, and yes, sometimes Cheap.

The difference is that an inexpensive item is one that doesn't cost you a lot of money and is worth multiples of what you paid for it.

A cheap item is one that doesn't cost you a lot of money, but it is worth exactly or less than what you paid for it.

So, my advice is if you are looking for a tool kit for your JOB, then definitely spend the extra bucks for the lifetime warranties, the assurances of steel content, plating etc etc.; from folks such as Craftsman, Snap-On, Matco, MAC, S-W, etc.. The difference in the price will be more than made up for in years of service and reliability.

Then again, if you have the money, buy the KEY tools for your tool kit from the same companies. By key, I mean, the sockets, the wrenches, screwdrivers, ratchets etc. Remember, these are the ones you will be using the MOST for the majority of the jobs you do under the shade of the tree.

For "Use Once, and Stash" Tools, (and don't tell me you don't have at least a tool box worth of these) go to Harbor Freight. You'll be surprised at how much you can save, and STILL do the job right.

Can you get burned? That depends on the expectations you put into the tool.