Car/Wheel Dollies

I have a project going and am trying to maximize the floor space in my shop. It occured to me that if I could move my car all the way to the wall I could get some additional room to work. The car doesn't have a top so simply moving it outside for longer periods of time won't work. I'm not looking for the self jacking type dolly as the car is easy to jack up with a floor jack. What works and from what company. Seems like you can spend anywhere from a hundred dollars to several hundred. Looking for dollies that I can move the car fairly easy by myself.

I bought a set from Harbor Freight. They were really heavy and HF casters are generally pretty poor quality.

I used regular cheap furniture dollies with a couple chunks of 2x6 setting on top for years before inheriting a set of real ones from my dad. I think the furniture dollies rolled easier.

I made some with plywood and casters. Been using them for about 6-7 years. I love having stuff on wheels to move around the garage.

In reply to oldopelguy:

http://www.harborfreight.com/1000-lb-capacity-mini-movers-dolly-61899.html

??

I suppose you could make a craddle, but they claim 1000lbs capacity, so even if they're only half that they'll cover most cars. I have a few that I move all sorts of things on that haven't broken a sweat yet. Never a car though.

ive only ever used GoJaks so i cant speak to the alternatives, but we use a really wide pair at work that will fit crazy stuff like a gt2 with 335 hoosiers. they work really well and i think we found the pair for around $250. typically takes 2 people to move when its just the rear axle to work the steering wheel to get the car right where you want.

accordionfolder wrote: I suppose you could make a craddle, but they claim 1000lbs capacity, so even if they're only half that they'll cover most cars. I have a few that I move all sorts of things on that haven't broken a sweat yet. Never a car though.

A friend of mine tried furniture dollies for a Miata once -- it worked, but it was definitely suboptimal. The car didn't sit securely on the dollies, and while it wasn't in any danger of falling off, it had a tendency to get cocked and jam the casters when you tried to push it sideways.

If I were doing it again, I'd buy ones specifically intended for cars, something like this:

http://www.harborfreight.com/1000-lb-capacity-vehicle-dollies-2-pc-61283.html

In reply to accordionfolder:

yep, 4 of those or their Northern tools equivalent. I broke one setting the wheel right on it since it put all the weight between the casters but like I typed previously a couple chunks of 2x6 side by side and they worked great.
Even if you pull the casters and bolt them to the bottom of a chunk of plywood, 2x8, or scrap metal it's hard to beat $3 a piece for casters

codrus wrote:

accordionfolder wrote: I suppose you could make a craddle, but they claim 1000lbs capacity, so even if they're only half that they'll cover most cars. I have a few that I move all sorts of things on that haven't broken a sweat yet. Never a car though.

A friend of mine tried furniture dollies for a Miata once -- it worked, but it was definitely suboptimal. The car didn't sit securely on the dollies, and while it wasn't in any danger of falling off, it had a tendency to get cocked and jam the casters when you tried to push it sideways. If I were doing it again, I'd buy ones specifically intended for cars, something like this: http://www.harborfreight.com/1000-lb-capacity-vehicle-dollies-2-pc-61283.html

I bought a couple sets of those. They are heavy, awkward and the casters self-destructed. If I were to buy another set I would try these:

http://www.harborfreight.com/2-piece-1500-lb-capacity-vehicle-dollies-67338.html

However, I've now got the small furniture dollies and they are working fine for the little British cars I'm moving on them.

I bought a skateboard in 1978 that has 122,000 miles on it, never set a foot on it. It moves refrigerators, big house plants, dressers etc.

Buy four.

I have a set of dollies underneath the Corvair, it definitely helps, I have spun it around 360 degrees inside my garage with the door closed. I didn't know what to think of them, because they are not the ones you always see that are curved for the tires, but these work just great. They came with the car, so I'm not sure where my dad got them. Not the self jacking kind, but I can get this off the dollies and on the floor in 2 or 3 minutes.

I've been using the furniture dollies and I'll confirm they are sub-optimal unless you build a cradle for the tires. Handy buggers to have around the shop for so many reasons - especially for engines - but always a bit sketchy under a car.

A friend just gave me a used set of the HF curved ones and I used them for the first time this afternoon - the car is much more secure and the casters seem fine. It's a best-case scenario, polished concrete and a 1300 lb car. But I'm pretty happy so far.

I have a set of the cheap Chinese HF ones, and while they work the casters are not great. But so far I have been able to turn my two car garage into a three car garage, and they have help up mostly through about 5-6 years of abuse.

SyntheticBlinkerFluid wrote: I have a set of dollies underneath the Corvair, it definitely helps, I have spun it around 360 degrees inside my garage with the door closed. I didn't know what to think of them, because they are not the ones you always see that are curved for the tires, but these work just great. They came with the car, so I'm not sure where my dad got them. Not the self jacking kind, but I can get this off the dollies and on the floor in 2 or 3 minutes.

I have that same set. I forget the brand name, but in any case the company that built them is long out of business. They do work pretty well; the tough part is moving the car the first few inches until all the casters are pointing in the right direction, and then it rolls pretty easy.

Be careful where you push on the car - use the bumper, or at least a very rigid part of the body. I managed to put a few ripples in the fender of my '61 Bonneville by leaning on it in the wrong place.

How often will you be moving it?

I had a minty 77 Monte Carlo that I kept in our small garage. I just used a floor jack and pushed it all the way up against the wall. Wasn't hard to do by myself, but I only moved it about once a week or so.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/big-red-1000-lbs-car-dolly?cm_vc=-10005

$44.99 a pair. i think i got them for less in store, like $80 for all 4. they work great. i've had a grand prix(heavy pig) and my corvette on them. the 315's on the vette on 11" rims fit fine and there was an inch to spare for more tire. i can push a car around my garage by myself rather easily with them, and they have steel wheels so they don't flat spot like a furniture dolly with rubber wheels would.

Basil Exposition wrote: If I were to buy another set I would try these: http://www.harborfreight.com/2-piece-1500-lb-capacity-vehicle-dollies-67338.html

I currently have two cars sitting on those, and they work quite well. Fairly easy for me to move the cars around by myself. The only problem with them is that the little levers to lock the casters bend pretty easily.

I have a set of the cheaper HF ones (black). For ease of movement I would half the ratings (e.g. 1000 lbs per end). I have them under a 64 Corvair (~2500 lbs). The front moves and casters fine, but the rear will not caster without help (big screwdriver). It does roll fine once castered properly though (not super easy though). I did fully lubricate all the casters BTW.

So, if it's a light car, the black ones should be fine. If it's a heavy car, definitely spring for the more expensive.

The cheap ones could probably be made better with a set of casters, but that will quickly kill the economy of them.

I've got the cheapo H-F ones, and while they aren't going to win any awards for appearance or quality, they do what I need them to do.

1988RedT2 wrote: I've got the cheapo H-F ones, and while they aren't going to win any awards for appearance or quality, they do what I need them to do.

This. I've had a set of them for about 12 years now, they get the job done.

Garbage. Casters do not change direction even on polished seamless concrete

A bit better. We have them for long term use. It sucks to have to use a jack and go around the car. I know first world problems

Much better. The mechanism is finicky and takes some fiddling but once you use this style you will never buy the type you need a jack to use again.

Not pictured is the hydraulic version hf used to sell. The best by far. My favorite.I love them.

The go jack style is so far superior it isn't funny. They pinch the tire and are much more secure. The cradle dollies like to jump out from under the car when rolling over an errant blade of grass, ball of pocket lint, stray pubic hair or any other minor obstruction. I have damaged cars fresh from paint and body with them. I am gun shy about using them.

We have the three latter sets in the shop. The first set was thrown in the scrap pile after we wasted 45 minutes trying to move a 1400lb car 20 feet with them.

It would appear from internet and catalog pictures the dollies from Jegs or Summit are very similar or the same as Harbor Freight. Any one have dollies from Jegs or Summit to compare?

i moved my 84 Regal T Type (3400lbs or so) over next to the wall by steering the front end over close to the wall and then putting my floor jack under the center of the rear end and using that as a dolly. after some experimentation, i figured out that the best angle of attack was to push the jack under the car in front of the rear wheel.. took me all of 2 minutes to figure it out and get the car moved over to about 6" from the wall, then i spent the next 10 minutes trying to figure out which way the car cover fit on the car..

Folks have a habit of leaving their cars in the middle of our nite series autox course so we bought a set from Northern Tool (dollys) to move them ourselves. After 3 uses in a parking lot, moving a small SUV and a small 4 door sedan, the casters are doing fine. Much easier than trying to winch the vechicle onto a trailer or waiting for AAA and, so far, no complaints.

I have the Monte Carlo on the heavier HF ones and they've worked ok. If you are getting the self jacking ones spend the extra money for the GoJaks with the steels roller. I used them every day for years towing away cars and aside from breaking a lever now and then dropping them and occasionally replacing a worn out spring they worked great.