Getting ready to start, but need to move the car sideways... Options

[Mike Pearson]

OK, I'm about ready to move the car over to where I can actually drop the engine/tranny and start work on it, but it's been sitting in the same spot for 7 years now. The rear wheels have sunk into the mud a bit (not too bad...just created a little trough). I put it up on a jack and made sure the rears turn (the brakes aren't locked/frozen). Unfortunately, where it's sitting is on a little uphill section. I need to turn it 90 degrees. The easiest way, where it's sitting, would be to pick up the front end and walk it over about 8 feet. Yeah, right...I don't think *that* going to happen...we have maybe 3 people that can help.

I was looking, and we have a large Douglas fir tree. I was thinking that we may be able to tie a tow strap to the front A-arm, pass it around the tree, and use the Subaru Outback to pull the front end around. This would be moving it in an arc, turning the car about 45 degrees to where we could actually push it to roll it into place.

If the engine hadn't gotten water into it I would just use the starter motor to help move it, but it's in a rather tight spot. How much (potential) damage would we do by dragging the front end sideways through the dirt? Any other ideas? We tried pushing it earlier, but the bumper on the Outback doesn't line up right, and we'd wind up doing all sorts of front-end damage to it if we tried to push the 'teener.

Lots of smart folks on this board...any ideas on how to turn a teener 90 degrees with the minimum of fuss and damage?

Thanks!

[nomore4]

Try using a floor jack on a sheet of plywood.

joe

[URY914]

Is the dirt loose, muddy, gravelly or packed in hard?

Kinda of hard to advise unless we see what ya got. I say get all the stuff out of the trunk (spare tire, gas, everything, even unbolt the bumper from inside the wheel wells), put something under it (plywood and a floor jack) and roll it around.
You'll need to free up one of the rear tires as it will have to pivot on one and roll on the other.

Be careful

Paul

[Mike Pearson]

Is the dirt loose, muddy, gravelly or packed in hard?

Kinda of hard to advise unless we see what ya got. I say get all the stuff out of the trunk (spare tire, gas, everything, even unbolt the bumper from inside the wheel wells), put something under it (plywood and a floor jack) and roll it around.
You'll need to free up one of the rear tires as it will have to pivot on one and roll on the other.

Be careful

Paul

It's just....dirt. Sort of hard-packed, with some grass and weeds. The rears are free enough to roll out and pivot on (we dug around them yesterday).

I talked with a friend last night, and we decided the best way to go would be to lay some plywood, get the front end up on the floor jack, and then use a come-along attached to the big fir tree to pull it around, slowly. That'll keep people and body parts pretty much away from it as it's up and moving, and let us keep a good eye on what's happening as we go.

Man, after seeing the people and cars at the swap meet yesterday, I *really* want to get this back on the road! It'll be a full-winter project, though, since we were noticing how much sag we have on the passenger side, so I'm assuming that I'll also be replacing the longitudinals. I'll know how much structural stuff I need to do after I get things apart.

[tryan]

squirt some liquid dishwasher soap down on the plywood and you might not need the come-a-long. look out for giant rats. they like wiring harnesses and fuel lines.

[rhodyguy]

get cheap plywood. 5/8 cdx if it will be in ground contact for a while. bet it takes 3 sheets. that gives you 8'x12'. double up where the floor jack will run. prob have to "walk" it around. borrow or buy a second floor jack so you don't have to drag the jack back and forth.

kevin

[GWN7]

Just pick it up and move it...their not that heavy. My son and I did this.

[Curvie Roadlover]

WOW! Isn't that an event on the MetRx Worlds' Strongest Man competition?

[GWN7]

I'd only enter when they have a short fat guy class for it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Mike Pearson]

Just pick it up and move it...their not that heavy. My son and I did this.

My wife and I are a lot smaller than you (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

We thought of that, but I didn't like the sounds it started making when we grabbed the fenders and started lifting (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

Actually, the front bumper is a little too close to the fence for three of us to be able to get directly in front of it, lift, and walk it around safely.

I'll use the floor jacks and plywood with the come-along this weekend. I want to take this slowly and safely and make sure nobody gets hurt.

I'm *really* looking forward to getting the engine on the bench so I can find out how bad it is, then seeing what structural parts will need to be replaced/repaired/reinforced.

[Mike Pearson]

get cheap plywood. 5/8 cdx if it will be in ground contact for a while. bet it takes 3 sheets. that gives you 8'x12'. double up where the floor jack will run. prob have to "walk" it around. borrow or buy a second floor jack so you don't have to drag the jack back and forth.

kevin

Thanks, Kevin. We have some plywood that was left over from last year's roofing project, two floor jacks, the come-along, and 3 of us working on it, so we should be able to make it happen next Sunday.