The car dolly thread

bmwpower · Jul 8, 2006

Ok, I've got a project car I need to move around the garage, so I need some car dollies. Need some recommendations. Here's what I found so far after doing some research:

GoJak:
info: http://www.gojaks.com/
buy: http://www.nationaltoolwarehouse.com/xq/asp/prodid.13253/TID./qx/product.htm

OTC:
info: http://www.otctools.com/products/detail.php?id=1064
buy: http://www.nationaltoolwarehouse.com/xq/asp/prodid.50898/TID./qx/product.htm

Harbor Freight:
info/buy: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=38959

Car-Dolly.com:
info/buy: http://www.car-dolly.com/

Merrick Machine:
info/buy: http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/...Id-100000196270/Pr-p_CATENTRY_ID:100000196270

Accessible Systems:
info/buy: http://tireskate.com/ts12.htm

Dave Carney · Jul 8, 2006

I have the HF ones under my '39 Pontiac. Have had them for 3 years now, they've been perfect so far. I move that car by myself.

Double Venom · Jul 8, 2006

A single adult male-moderate shape-58 yr old, HF etc., do work, in fact I have had a set for years and even used them in my old (professional) shop, but...unlike Dave above, god gless ya, I can not, or I find it extremely difficult to move the car myself, let alone move it in the direction that I want at least without a little help. I can but it is pain in the ****. Don't forget too that all these types still require jacking up each wheel and then setting the 'skate' in place. Now I for one do find that tireing! On the other hand, and don't get me wrong, I am NOT affiliated in anyway, nor can I affrord them but the "go-jacks" are definately the way to go. Roller wheels are different too and they do make a big difference.

Just noticed your avatar-BMW? shoot the "plain jane" ones will probably work just fine. Larger budget, larger car? Go with the 'go-jacks' anyway.
DV

C_F · Jul 8, 2006

I don't have any personal experience with any of them, but I have heard of a few guys who have had problems with the HF ones. They had to change the wheels, because the original ones wouldn't roll with a load on.
I guess maybe it was just some of them? :dunno:

rickas · Jul 8, 2006

About an hour ago I was looking at Hemmings Muscle Machines Mag and saw an ad for new ( to me) dollies from JC Whitney. They look good and the price is reasonable.

http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/...se/s-10101/Ntk-AllTextSearchGroup?Ntt=dollies Let us know what you decide.

nova65ss · Jul 8, 2006

I have the Harbor freight ones under my Nova and can't move it easily and steer it without some help.

Jimmy

Jay H 237 · Jul 8, 2006

Ironic this thread came up. I just recieved the GoJaks I ordered from the toolwarehouse.net this past week. I got a pair of the GJ6200s from them. I got the heaviest one's they offer so I could use them on my Caprice wagon in addition to my Mustang. I looked into the GoJaks when I found out they used them on 'That 70's Show' to move the vehicles into place including the '69 Olds Vista Cruiser. If they had no problems moving that car around with them then I should be able to move my Caprice with no problems.

I tried them out by putting them under the rear wheels of my Caprice wagon and I was able to push the car around in a circle by myself!* :thumbup:

They were a little pricy at $400 but I didn't need a jack to put the car on skates and they roll extremely easy. I like them so much I'm going to order 2 more when I get the money so I could move the complete car if needed.

*If your garage or driveway has a rough surface or is sloped them more than one person would be needed to move a car. If you also try to stop on a sloped surface you'll have to put something down to "chock" the GoJak wheels, otherwise the vehicle will roll away. My driveway is flat where I tried it and the asphalt isn't that old so it's real smooth with no cracks or even pebbles. All 150# of me was able to push a 1987 Chevy Caprice wagon in a circle with the 6200 GoJaks. If I can find my digital camera I'll take a pic.

Stuart in MN · Jul 8, 2006

I've had a set of dollies for years now. I forget the brand, but they're the type where you have to jack the car up and slip them underneath. They work fine; I can push the car around on them without a lot of trouble, the tough part is just getting started - once the casters are pointed in the right direction it rolls pretty easily. I imagine the HF brand probably doesn't have the best quality casters so they may not want to roll as well.

If I were to do it over again I'd get the go-jack style. They hadn't been invented yet when I bought mine, and not having to jack the car up to install them would be a real nice feature.

In either case, when you put the car on the jacks try to get the casters pointed the way you're moving the car before you put any weight on them, and it will make it a lot easier on your back.

DIGGER_DAVE · Jul 8, 2006

My set of dollies (similar to Harbour Freight) are easy to roll in any direction; as long as the castors are pointed in the direction your planning to go!
I change wheel direction by lifting the dolly and turning the wheels. I use a pry bar and a block of wood to ease the load on the dolly wheels. Not my favourite method!!

One other problem that affects ANY dolly; (I've tried) is how smooth the surface is that they are going to roll around on.
My shop floor is a bit rough and one of the earlier dollies I tried, actually broke off one of the castors! (a small stone caught under the wheel)

jim dillon · Jul 8, 2006

I have a set much like the HF model and they are utterly useless as they sit. Someone told me to grease them up and they would work slick. I tried that and figured I must be on the twilight zone. I put them under a C-1 Vette on a smooth concrete floor and they move pretty hard. Thought I would try some better wheels but sixteen wheels may be a bit pricey if the experiment is a failure. Anyone find a sure way to make these roll like they are advertised?_Jim

firebird · Jul 8, 2006

I got a set from Jegs.com. They are about $180 for a set of 4, but very high quality. It is very easy to move the car by myself. I would highly reccommend them.http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CategoryDisplay?lang=-1&catalogId=10002&storeId=10001&categoryId=22921

strizzy · Jul 9, 2006

use the GoJaks (four of them) at work to move larger boats around the show room, work great...

JohnZ · Jul 9, 2006

I have a set of Car Skates (www.carskates.com) I bought about ten years ago, with 3" diameter, 2" wide polymer wheels and ball-bearing casters, and I can push a car around on them with one hand (and they won't scratch my epoxy floor). Metal wheels and cheap casters really ****.

dboat · Jul 9, 2006

I thought about the GoJacks but my Lightning has 18" wheels and weighs in close to 5000 lbs.. the rating on weight seems ok, but it says 13-16" wheels.

Dana

Charles (in GA) · Jul 9, 2006

dboat said:
I thought about the GoJacks but my Lightning has 18" wheels and weighs in close to 5000 lbs.. the rating on weight seems ok, but it says 13-16" wheels.

Dana

Note that it says 13-16 inch wheels but also says overall tire diameter of 35 inch (max?) so you might "skate" by that way, measure your tire diameter and see.

Charles

bmwpower · Jul 9, 2006

4 GoJacks is ~$600. And that's the cheap ones. I don't know, but for as often as I'd use them, I think I'd probably skip buying them.

I'd probably get the car on the dollies and leave it there for some time. I'm not going to be taking it off and on all the time, hence the need for a quicker system like the GoJak.

sca037 · Jul 10, 2006

I have 4 sets of these http://www.car-dolly.com/index.php/standard.html standard model #1016's, and they are great.
I currently have the 944, and the race car on the trailer (see picture) on them, and I can move them around fairly easily by myself. To move the trailer, I just crank up the front (tongue support) wheel and push it around in stages.
I believe that for $165 a set (bought in multiples) they are an excellent value in a USA-made aluminum dolly.

Brian

strizzy · Jul 10, 2006

just got an email about HF dollies 2 for $39.99

http://www.harborfreightusa.com/usa/z.jsp?id=32052

dboat · Jul 11, 2006

Charles (in GA) said:
Note that it says 13-16 inch wheels but also says overall tire diameter of 35 inch (max?) so you might "skate" by that way, measure your tire diameter and see.

Charles

not a bad idea.. will check that and see..
:thumbup:

Dana

PAToyota · Jul 11, 2006

I have a set of these - http://www.enjoythedrive.com/content/?id=10178 - that I picked up at Carlisle a few years ago. Very solid construction with grease-able casters. A couple people with cheaper versions - Harbor Freight and such - have laughed at what I spent for them (about $220 for the set). That is until they've had a chance to push a car around on them. Fact is that they work so well that their one downfall is that they don't have any locking casters -- I have to block them so that inadvertently leaning against the vehicle doesn't send it rolling into a wall...

kbuhagiar · Jul 11, 2006

PAToyota said:
I have a set of these - http://www.enjoythedrive.com/content/?id=10178 - that I picked up at Carlisle a few years ago.

These dollies look like the cat's meow - unfortunately, it looks like the url http://www.nmwcardolly.com/ doesn't exist anymore - anyone have any idea if this outfit is still in business?

Stuart in MN · Jul 11, 2006

PAToyota said:
I have a set of these - http://www.enjoythedrive.com/content/?id=10178 - that I picked up at Carlisle a few years ago.

That's the same kind I have (I was trying to remember the brand name without actually going out to the garage to look...

) They do work really well. I used to see them advertised in Hemmings all the time, but I don't know if they're still in production - perhaps the cheap versions from harbor freight and other sources put them out of business.

bhays · Jul 11, 2006

Wow, those do look nice. Shame they don't seem to be available any more. Were they pretty pricey when you bought them?

bmwpower · Jul 12, 2006

Just tried the phone/fax numbers... fast busy signals. Not good. They're probably history.

PAToyota · Jul 12, 2006

bhays said:
Were they pretty pricey when you bought them?

IIRC, they were about $220. But I got lucky. The vendor at Carlisle had all the different weight ranges, but was sold out of the ones I wanted. So he gave me a set of the heavy duty ones for the price of the ones I wanted.

I didn't get to Spring Carlisle this year and I don't remember seeing the guy last Fall. I do still have his business card - I'll check and post up the information if he is still around. I'd say that the HF ones may have put him out of business, but there is still a market for the more expensive ones as evidenced by Go-Jack and such.

js73751 · Jul 12, 2006

I have a set of those (NMW) as well. The original owner/manufacturer was a staple at the AC auto auction every February. He always had his 32 roadster on the dollies as a display. Two years ago I noted that he was not at the show but there was someone else selling the units. The new guy had purchased the company from the original owner who had retired. I wished the new owner well. This year he was not at the show and I do not recall seeing his advertisements. The great thing about these was the 13"x13" flat surfaced "pocket" which allowed the base of my 4 post lift to fit perfectly in the dolly. This allowed me to roll the lift while in the raised position. At the time I purchaded they were the best made, highest quality dollies I could find. Even with the weight of the lift they are as smooth as silk. Sorry to hear they may have gone out of business.
js

neblinc · Jul 12, 2006

These dollies are made right here in Nebraska, I will be giving them a try when my shop is completed.

Randy

cc_rider · Jul 12, 2006

While not exactly the safest thing to do, I've pushed a car around on a rolling floor jack, with one set of car wheels on the ground. Works okay. Safer would be a jack under each corner. Probably cheaper than those fancy dolly thingies, although likely not as convenient.

c.

PAToyota · Jul 12, 2006

js73751 said:
I have a set of those (NMW) as well.

[clip]

The great thing about these was the 13"x13" flat surfaced "pocket" which allowed the base of my 4 post lift to fit perfectly in the dolly.

A jackstand will also nicely fit in the pocket for rolling a chassis around.

bmwpower · Jul 12, 2006

cc_rider said:
While not exactly the safest thing to do, I've pushed a car around on a rolling floor jack, with one set of car wheels on the ground. Works okay. Safer would be a jack under each corner. Probably cheaper than those fancy dolly thingies, although likely not as convenient.

c.

lol....no thanks. I like my aluminum oil pan the way it is.

PAToyota · Jul 14, 2006

Here is the information that I have from the guy I bought mine from:

Elgin Enterprises, Inc.
Daniel E. Elgin
Waynesboro, PA 17268

NMW Products
Patriot Trailers

I have an address and phone number, but have only gotten to an answering machine that sounds like a personal machine rather than a business. If I can talk to someone and confirm whether they are still in business I'll post it up.

428 · Jul 14, 2006

I have/had a set from HF, once the car got moving (with two people pushing) it wasn't to bad but several times the wheels would get cocked and I'd have to hammer them back into position.
Now that the floor is coated, I wouldn't roll them across without a car on them. Cheap cast steel wheels.
I'll get some better/bigger phenolic casters through work and change them out. But overall I wouldn't recommend HF's dollies.

EdNJ · Jul 14, 2006

I have a pair of GoJak 6200's and a pair of HF dollies,haven't had any problems. How big of a vehicle will you be moving around?

Don't lend your Gojaks to anyone without showing him/her how to use them. I left mine at work,coworker used them (without my permission) to move a SUV,and bent one of the frames. A-hole claimed it was like that when he used them

I've moved the same size vehicle before without damaging them so it had to be user error. Luckily Gojak has every part available for replacement (and a-hole didn't offer to pay for the replacement frame)

bmwpower · Jul 14, 2006

EdNJ said:
I have a pair of GoJak 6200's and a pair of HF dollies,haven't had any problems. How big of a vehicle will you be moving around?

Don't lend your Gojaks to anyone without showing him/her how to use them. I left mine at work,coworker used them (without my permission) to move a SUV,and bent one of the frames. A-hole claimed it was like that when he used them I've moved the same size vehicle before without damaging them so it had to be user error. Luckily Gojak has every part available for replacement (and a-hole didn't offer to pay for the replacement frame)

I hate a-holes like that. Mine won't get lent out for sure.

I'm going to be moving the cars in my sig mostly - relatively small rw drive cars and 2 trucks

steve392 · Jul 17, 2006

I just took delivery of a set of the "Tire Skates" by Accessable Systems.
They offer 4 different versions, 8 if you count the different wheel options...I got a pair of the deep well dollies for the back of my street rod, and a pair of the regular depth dollies for the front. Rears are 12" wide x 24" long and fronts are 12" wide x 16 " long. I made sure I got the ones with the ball bearings on the axles. Every caster has them on the swivel, but a lot just have a bushing on the axle...The plates look like 1/4 " powdercoated steel plate (didn't measure thickness). Casters are made in Korea....but seem to be okay.
As soon as I get a car on them I'll leave another post. I got them off of the company's E-bay store. Total for all 4 to NJ was $250....

Steve

bmwpower · Jul 17, 2006

steve392 said:
I just took delivery of a set of the "Tire Skates" by Accessable Systems.
They offer 4 different versions, 8 if you count the different wheel options...I got a pair of the deep well dollies for the back of my street rod, and a pair of the regular depth dollies for the front. Rears are 12" wide x 24" long and fronts are 12" wide x 16 " long. I made sure I got the ones with the ball bearings on the axles. Every caster has them on the swivel, but a lot just have a bushing on the axle...The plates look like 1/4 " powdercoated steel plate (didn't measure thickness). Casters are made in Korea....but seem to be okay.
As soon as I get a car on them I'll leave another post. I got them off of the company's E-bay store. Total for all 4 to NJ was $250....

Steve

Thanks for the feedback. Definitely let us know.

turboimpala · Jul 29, 2006

I just bought a set of Harbor Freight dollies for my 3000 pound 65 Chevelle.
That's 750 lbs per dollie; each dollie is rated for 1000 pounds.
It was extremely difficult to push the car around in my garage this afternoon, even though the floor is very smooth.
After finally moving the car into position with a lot of effort, I realized that a few of the caster wheels are touching the plate that gets bolted to the dolly frame, even without the car sitting on them.
So with the weight of the car on them, the wheels obviously won't rotate.
I'm sure it would work better if I replace the caster wheels that don't have clearance, but I'm disappointed being that these are brand new.

Ed ke6bnl · Jul 29, 2006

here are a couple I made, I bought a bucket of wheels that look like they were cut off old floor jacks at a garage sale an put them on some old car wheels..

ironroad 9c1 · Jul 30, 2006

HF before the load...

HF after the load

not very good in my opinion.and they don't roll worth a flip ,i use em now to store engine blocks on em so i can move em for cleaning .

bhays · Jul 30, 2006

Chinese cars are lighter, I assume :bounce:

The car dolly thread

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