tire skates/wheel dollies???

[mauve66]

i just moved to a much smaller place and since the wiring on the car burnt i had it towed to the new condo.  the parking spot i wanted the car in wasn't easily accessable for the flat bed so he put it down on the ground and used some 4 caster dollies so we could move it into place.  the car moved incredibly easy and even when i decided to flip it around we had absolutely no trouble turning it from a stand still.  he said that his dollies were about $200 each, way more than i can spend but i did find some on the web from $99 for a set of four to $200 each, all the manufacturers say theirs is the best , yadda yadda yadda.

i have read some horror stories about casters breaking and needing 3 people to even budge the car on these things.  anyone here ever bought them?? if so what brand and model/size of dolly??

[maxwellwedge]

After I fractured my ribs pushing a car and slipping in oil (full weight into the bumperette!) I bought Go-Jacks....cheaper than a punctured lung! I have heard nothing good about those ones you have to jack up the car first and then slide them under. Cheap crap. If they only last a few weeks or months you saved nothing. A friend bought some from Mac tools - similar to the Go-Jacks but hydraulic - around 100.00 each  - half the price of Go-Jacks but made in China instead of the US of A. He likes them.

[Old Moparz]

I bought a set of cheap car dollies to use on my completely stripped down, no drive train, no interior, no nothing, Charger shell, thinking that it would roll easy.

It didn't.

I only spent $70 for all four, so I wasn't out too much money. I then spent $55 from Harbor Freight for better casters, redrilled half of the holes to line them up, & ended up with a semi decent set of dollies. I don't move the car much so I couldn't justify spending a lot, but I do wish I had bought a better set to begin with. The biggest issue with the crappy casters is that they don't swivel very well & end up pointing in different directions & act like brakes.   

[stripedelete]

Pretty much the same experience with the cheap ones.  At the time, I just needed a to make a 2.5 car into a 3 car garage for a while, so they served thier purpose OK.

You almost need two people to get them going, or turn.  I ended up using a snatch block set up to move it sideways more easlily.   

[dodgecharger-fan]

How timely. I just reied to put my 71 New Yorker up on a set of the Harbor Freight cheapies yesterday.

I made the mistake of putting the front end up first. That went fairly easy.
The problem though is that now the back end is that much closer to the ground.
So, when I tried to get my jack under the diff to lift the whole back end, there wasn't any room to pump the jack. 

I tried from the side but having to use the frame rail, that meant I had to go that much higher to account for the suspension travel plus the height of the dolly.
I didn't make it even with a piece of 4x4 post as a spacer.

I had to give up because I ran out of time.
But the front end was still on the dollies. I didn't want to take them out.
So, I tried pushing the car. No go because the wheels of the dolly were all twisted and working against each other.

I was able to push the car from side to side to line things up, then I said, "Hold my beer and watch this." (That's funnier because I was alone.)
I got in the car, fired it up and drove it back in to the garage with the fronts wheels up on the dollies. 
Now, we're talking about 3 feet here - not from outside the garage into the garage. I only had backed up enough to be able to work in front of the car.
Stupid? Yes. It worked, though. Would I do it again? No. Did I have a choice yesterday? Not really.

My take on the cheapie dollies: they'll work but not as easily as a real good set like the Go-Jacks.

[FJ5WING]

I also tried the HF dollies. They worked on an asphalt driveway as long as there were four of us to spin the car with no engine or trans.

[Landonsrt]

Bought mine from Summit. Within driving distance from their southeast store. Paid $150.00 per pair. Has the caster brake on it so the car wouldnt roll my kids over if they messed around the car. Worked well so far.

[Old Moparz]

How timely. I just reied to put my 71 New Yorker up on a set of the Harbor Freight cheapies yesterday.

I made the mistake of putting the front end up first. That went fairly easy.
The problem though is that now the back end is that much closer to the ground.
So, when I tried to get my jack under the diff to lift the whole back end, there wasn't any room to pump the jack. 

I tried from the side but having to use the frame rail, that meant I had to go that much higher to account for the suspension travel plus the height of the dolly.
I didn't make it even with a piece of 4x4 post as a spacer.

I had to give up because I ran out of time.
But the front end was still on the dollies. I didn't want to take them out.
So, I tried pushing the car. No go because the wheels of the dolly were all twisted and working against each other.

I was able to push the car from side to side to line things up, then I said, "Hold my beer and watch this." (That's funnier because I was alone.)
I got in the car, fired it up and drove it back in to the garage with the fronts wheels up on the dollies. 
Now, we're talking about 3 feet here - not from outside the garage into the garage. I only had backed up enough to be able to work in front of the car.
Stupid? Yes. It worked, though. Would I do it again? No. Did I have a choice yesterday? Not really.

My take on the cheapie dollies: they'll work but not as easily as a real good set like the Go-Jacks.

Sorry, but this made me laugh.    

I did use a cable puller to move mine before I bought & installed the better casters. The dish part of the dolly is made well, but I can't imagine trying to roll a full C-Body around. 

[dodgecharger-fan]

How timely. I just reied to put my 71 New Yorker up on a set of the Harbor Freight cheapies yesterday.

I made the mistake of putting the front end up first. That went fairly easy.
The problem though is that now the back end is that much closer to the ground.
So, when I tried to get my jack under the diff to lift the whole back end, there wasn't any room to pump the jack. 

I tried from the side but having to use the frame rail, that meant I had to go that much higher to account for the suspension travel plus the height of the dolly.
I didn't make it even with a piece of 4x4 post as a spacer.

I had to give up because I ran out of time.
But the front end was still on the dollies. I didn't want to take them out.
So, I tried pushing the car. No go because the wheels of the dolly were all twisted and working against each other.

I was able to push the car from side to side to line things up, then I said, "Hold my beer and watch this." (That's funnier because I was alone.)
I got in the car, fired it up and drove it back in to the garage with the fronts wheels up on the dollies. 
Now, we're talking about 3 feet here - not from outside the garage into the garage. I only had backed up enough to be able to work in front of the car.
Stupid? Yes. It worked, though. Would I do it again? No. Did I have a choice yesterday? Not really.

My take on the cheapie dollies: they'll work but not as easily as a real good set like the Go-Jacks.

Sorry, but this made me laugh.    

I did use a cable puller to move mine before I bought & installed the better casters. The dish part of the dolly is made well, but I can't imagine trying to roll a full C-Body around. 

I laughed while I was sitting in the driver's seat. I knew it was insane, but the worst that could happen is I'd bump a tire or a wooden shelf. So, it was an act of "informed insanity."
Kinda like my "educated slice" when I'm golfing.

[mauve66]

i need to go by the tow truck place and look at the brand they have, my car is still full dress and when he put it up on these dollies i tried to push it when he went back to his tool box for something and i was able to move the car by myself with minimum effort, my wife freaked out cause she had spent several different days with me trying to "spin" the car with a regular floor jack in our 3 car garage when i wanted it the other way around

tire skate says there casters are the best, i'll have to look at the go-jacks

thanks for all the replies

[maxwellwedge]

Here you go....       http://www.zendextool.com/gojak/gojak-5000.html


This distributor has them for a lot less than I paid!  http://www.ntxtools.com/network-tool-warehouse/uni-5000.html

[mauve66]

i found these that seem really similar to go-jacks but half the price...........

http://www.gregsmithequipment.com/Wheel-Dollies-s/30.htm

[Daytona R/T SE]

I bought a set of the cheapies from the local Rural King store.

They worked fine under my Daytona clone, without a drivetrain or interior in it.

I then decided I wanted to scoot my '72 Imperial sidways in the garage...

I soon found out that when the box says the capacity of these things is 1000

pounds per dolly, they mean it.

The Imperial tips the scales at roughly 5500 lbs...

The dollies under the rear end worked fine...

Under the heavier front end of the car

Not so much...

Crunch.

I did invent a new thrill ride though...

Put the rear wheels up on the dollies, leaving the front wheels on the ground...

Fire the car up, leaving it in park.

Roll the steering wheel back and forth...

Forcing the backend of the car to fishtail while it's sitting still in the garage...

Go ahead, kids...

TRY THIS AT HOME