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View Full Version : Car dollies that make it easy to move the car?



Rileys68Camaro
01-01-2008, 03:42 PM
I'm looking for a better set of dollies for my car. I have a set of 4 Harbor Freight dollys, but even with two guys it's tough to move the car. The wheels don't swivel, so the car goes crooked, and naturally gets stuck in the expansion joints in the floor.

Is there another brand that will work better, or all they all about the same? They really just need better casters and bearings I think.

The car is a 68 Camaro with small block and 700R4, not real heavy.

Modo Innovations
01-01-2008, 06:39 PM
I have 2 sets of these. They are the strongest that I know of on the market. http://www.longhornmanufacturing.com/Frameset-1.htm

I bought mine about 6 years ago and my car has been on them since. I can move the car by myself without any problem. I have a pair of the 10" (I think) for the front and the wider 6 wheel pair for the back. They are kind of pricey though. Excellent quality too.

megaladon6
01-01-2008, 07:27 PM
there's go-jacks. i used them when i was towing, they work well. of course you need wheels and probably tires.

Rileys68Camaro
01-02-2008, 10:45 AM
I have wheels and tires on my car, I'm looking for something not only for the building stage, but for storage later on, so I can slide the car tight to the wall.

Thanks shannon67! Do the wheels turn freely, as in is it easy to change direction of the car? My cars in the back corner and needs to be moved out and forward to work on the passenger side. They are spendy, about double the Harbor freight ones, but if they work smoothly.

Just checked, only a little more than my Harbor Freight ones. Argh.

derekf
01-02-2008, 11:06 AM
I've got the HF dollies and they swivel just fine.

If yours aren't swivelable, it doesn't seem like it'd be that hard to replace the casters on them.

Widetracker
01-02-2008, 11:17 AM
I bought mine at Tractor Supply Company. I think they were 45 a pair. Nothing fancy, but they swivel and have wheel locks. I was able to move one of my cars myself, but two people made the second a lot quicker.

Rileys68Camaro
01-02-2008, 11:24 AM
Didn't think about new casters, any suggestions on what I need to look for?

They swivel, but it takes a foot or more of movement for them to, and even then they don't turn all the way and the car moves crooked. They're a hard steel caster wheel.

derekf
01-02-2008, 11:33 AM
Tractor Supply (if you've got them in your area) has a decent selection of casters; I guess the other big box hardware stores would too. Not sure what to tell you to look for though.

John McIntire
01-02-2008, 04:21 PM
I've been eying these up, little pricey though
http://www.car-dolly.com/

Vettebob1
01-16-2008, 03:07 PM
John,

Thanks for the tip.....Just ordered a set of the Pro Street dollies from Car Doly.com. You are right...they are a bit pricy, but the (cheap) set I have now are useless. Sometimes trying to save a buck just isn't worth it.

1969CamaroRS
01-16-2008, 06:47 PM
Even though they are expensive 4 Go-Jacks are hard to beat for easy of moving cars around. If you plan on moving a car with a dolly a lot, I think they would be worth the added expense, so quick and easy to move a car, especially if they are really lowered and you have a hard time using a normal jack to raise the car.

John McIntire
01-17-2008, 07:22 AM
vettebob, cool, let us know how they work out. You might be the deciding factor on whether I purchase them or not!

Vettebob1
01-20-2008, 11:29 AM
John,

They were delivered yesterday. Even though they are made of aluminum, the box weighed 70lbs. Believe me these things are stout. I am soaking the swivel bearings with chain lube before I assemble them. The casters (the good ones) have needle bearings in them with real hard wheels. YES...they were expensive, but they are the last set I'll ever have to buy.

ProdigyCustoms
01-20-2008, 03:17 PM
I HATE the cheap ones that do not have good tire stops on them Threw a couple sets away a few weeks ago after one popped out after hitting tiny little pebble, jumped up, killed the fender, then proceed to molest one of my guys shins! Lucky the car was not painted yet so not all that big a deal, and the guy that got hit in the shin was not all that important, LOL! Just kidding,.......................................... .. on the car, ROFLMAO!


The Longhorn look like they have a good lip to stay under the tire. The car dolly units look exactly like the ones I threw away, quite violently!

Go Jacks or nothing for us!

chevelle19700
05-06-2008, 06:55 PM
i have the harbor fright ones i installed some casters that where a hard plastic type of rubber and man it made an unbeleivable difference the problem is the metal casters slide when it hits a grain of sand and dont allow them to spin i got my casters at northern tool

amx2334
05-07-2008, 06:08 AM
First set I bought were "grip" brand and work great. Second set was no name and wouldn't roll at all.This was under the back of a car that is a shell. It's the casters. Problem is 8 decent casters cost more than a good set of dollies.
I have a Northern Tool outlet store right up the street. Saw some go jacks there for about $100 each.

7TSS
05-07-2008, 11:32 AM
Another vote for Go-Jaks. Pricey but very convenient since I don't need to drag out the jack all the time.