A multiple choice quiz:
To work on your transmission, would you prefer to:
A) Lay on your back in a puddle of oil while 50 years worth of crud drops down into your face?
B) Sit on a milk crate with a cup of coffee in your hand while you conveniently reach forward to do your work?
If you chose B, scroll down:
There is a come-a-long on attached to a big nylon tow strap wrapped around the frame. The come-a-long is visible at the driver's side of the cowl. It didn't take a whole lot of force to lift the Jeep up like this. There is another come-a-long similarly attached to the passenger side. Once the Jeep was up and balancing, the second come-a-long was used to let her down on her side.
Now doesn't that look like super easy access for all those undercarriage jobs you've been putting off?
The passenger side front locking hub was removed so no weight would rest on the axle. There are a pair of 2x4's visible that kept the protruding axleshaft clear of the floor. The passenger side of the bumper has a short length of 2x4 on the backside against the frame rail to keep the front fender off the ground. The side of the tub is resting on some old cushions and blankets. It was solid as a rock like this. During some major undercarriage work, it sat this way for several months with no damage incurred at all.
Should you want to try this, some common sense precautions are in order. Drain the fuel tank and run the engine until the carb is dry. Drain the engine oil, transmission and transfer case lube. (I didn't drain the radiator, but probably should have. It didn't leak but caused a problem when I had to remove it later.) Remove or drain the oil bath air cleaner. Remove the battery. Remove the passenger seat since it can pivot free. Remove or restrain anything else that could come free. Inflate the "downhill" tires to max pressure since they must support the vehicle weight on an angle while the tip is in progress. I fitted some 2x4's between the engine block and "downhill" frame rail so the engine mounts wouldn't shift. I also chained the engine to the frame so the mounts wouldn't let loose. After the Jeep was fully on its side, I fitted another 2x4 between the cylinder head and the garage floor to resist any twisting. Should you pull the transmission, you will need to support the aft end of the engine also. (The transmission crossmember also supports the rear of the engine.)
The lifting point in my garage ceiling is professionally designed to support tremendous weight via some massive beams above the rafters. Don't trust your life to anything less. Naturally keep clear during the lifting procedure in the event anything fails and the Jeep drops unexpectedly.
My inspiration was seeing WW2 pictures of this process. Four or five guys could probably tip a Jeep with no trouble. Pictures are available at the Australian War Memorial Photograph Database. Follow that link and search for "Jeep repair" or "Jeep side" to see some of the photographs.
