rotisserie selection

[helzbelz888]

well i just found out my landlord isnt going to sell the house i'm renting and i'm taking what i had saved for a deposit and buying car parts ;)

i'm looking for a rotisserie and i was looking at a couple different brands and autotwirler caught my eye. anyone have any company they purchased from with a lot of success? i'm looking to get the most for my money obviously and i'm going to need pneumatic casters and hydraulic jacks....

[tazzz25906112]

I have an Autotwirler and couldn't be happier,,,, the unit is a snap to use and just great if your wondering.

[colin204]

I bought this one and am happy with it.

http://www.derekweaver.com/update/Auto_Rotisserie_Rotisserie_Product.aspx?id=63

[Draginutz]

I don't have any hands on with this but my dad got a good look at them being used and built at the shop. He talked in length with the guy who invented/builds them and says its a well built and easy to use system. Anyway hope this gives you another option. http://rollerhoop.com/

[elitecustombody]

Buy the AutoTwirler or identical copy that colin204 posted and you'll be very happy . You can't beat that price, people want more for used ones

[helzbelz888]

thanks so much guys! i'm a weekend warrior as i'm sure most of you are and i'll get some pics up when i put the nova on.

[redfire69]

Has anyone used the Torin that Northern tools sells for 1K?

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200381463_200381463

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

[gearbanger]

I made mine for about $500. It doesn't have bells or whistles but I am just doing one car and I am done. It has worked awesome. I just use a bottle jack and blocks to get it where I want it and set it and forget it. I am thinking about fitting it with boat trailer style winches if I decide to keep it. I saw that on an episode of rides on one of Troy Trepanier's rotisseries.

[daredvl22]

My project is currently on an AutoTwirler rotisserie in my garage. I very happy with it. If I had to do it over again I'd buy the adjustable height model. It's not easy lifting a car 36" plus to mount on the rotisserie in a 2 car garage.

[Simbad68]

AutoTwirler rotisserie here. Works great!!

[joe440]

i also got the autotwirler. when i was at the turkey run in daytona a few years ago there were 3 different companies selling rotisseries and the autotwirler was the cheapest, easiest to use and best put together

[EBARTH55]

2 autotwirlers deluxe models for us
they are great

[The WidowMaker]

built my own, and couldnt do without an adjustable one. it makes it a breeze to take the body on and off.

[69keith]

I was looking at the Bottoms up lift, Havent bought one yet butgood post to research.

[helzbelz888]

thanks for all of the suggestions guys. More than likely i'll end up buying the autotwirler or the derek weaver style. i'm curious though... for those of you with the derek weaver or the autotwirler.

do you guys know approximately how much ceiling clearance is needed to rotate a car 90 degrees? my nova is approximately 72 inches wide and those of you with camaros are nearly the same. This is the one dimension that worries me because my garage has a low hanging beam on the house i'm renting.... if nothing else i can roll it out into the drive and rotate/work.

[daredvl22]

My ceiling is 9'6" and I can flip my car completely over with plenty of room. However, I have a high lift door on that side of my garage. If I wanted to flip it over on the other side the garage door would have to be closed.

[camaro68]

Here is another one you can try www.whirlyjig.com (http://www.whirlyjig.com) you can buy them out of Tennessee. Have one to use on a 67 Chevelle this summer.

[The WidowMaker]

2.5 or 3" tube, plus the height of the wheels and about 1/2 - 1" clearance btwn the body and tube. find out their wheel height and you'll know how much ceiling clearance you need. i cant flip mine with the garage door open.

Tim

[helzbelz888]

well the garage is below some rooms and theres a large 4x12 beam that runs the width of the garage. its 86 inches to the bottom of the beam so no matter what i do its gonna be tight lol....

[317millhand]

after lots of research, I just ordered the new autotwirler pro model in bare steel. Has ball bearings pivot a a new clamping style. Whirly jig was too expensive for me and only included two casters, accessible systems trys way too hard to bash other products and compare their models too other manufactures models from 6 years ago.

[xpsled]

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/01/Coupe005-1.jpg
Ive never understood the reason why people buy rotisseries. In my eyes if you are capable of building a car to the extent that you need a rotisserie you are more than capable of knocking one up yourself.
I had never welded a thing in my life when i made mine and its still going strong. I over engineered it for my lack of welding skills and also used Holden Commodore Hubs to spin it on and it works fantastically.
Couple of beers and a weekend in the shed and you will of built it for $150-$200 and spend the rest on the car.

[John Wright]

Question: How do you know exactly where the CG is so when you start to flip it, it doesn't flop over at an unexpectedly fast rate and knock the crap out of you?

[John Wright]

What do you guys think about this?

http://members.tripod.com/~mopar_roadster/body_rotisserie.html

[jackfrost]

Question: How do you know exactly where the CG is so when you start to flip it, it doesn't flop over at an unexpectedly fast rate and knock the crap out of you?

trial and error. :razz:

[billybobdupree]

Question: How do you know exactly where the CG is so when you start to flip it, it doesn't flop over at an unexpectedly fast rate and knock the crap out of you?


trial and error. :razz:

Or you install an adjusting crank at the top of the main slider that allows you to change CG no matter where in rotation you are.

BillyBob

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/02/DSCN2441-1.jpghttps://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/02/DSCN2437-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/02/DSCN2321-1.jpg

[Sparky67]

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/01/Coupe005-1.jpg
Ive never understood the reason why people buy rotisseries. In my eyes if you are capable of building a car to the extent that you need a rotisserie you are more than capable of knocking one up yourself.
I had never welded a thing in my life when i made mine and its still going strong. I over engineered it for my lack of welding skills and also used Holden Commodore Hubs to spin it on and it works fantastically.
Couple of beers and a weekend in the shed and you will of built it for $150-$200 and spend the rest on the car.



I just can't wait till you put the doors back on. Then you find out that you bent the body. All rotisseries have a support beam that connect the units together. Whirly jig is the only one that uses 2 parallel bars to support the weight of the car. The other brands tend to use the center bar to support the weight of the car.

Jeff

[dhutton]

I just can't wait till you put the doors back on. Then you find out that you bent the frame. All rotisseries have a support beam that connect the units together. Whirly jig is the only one that uses 2 parallel bars to support the weight of the car. The other brands tend to use the center bar to support the weight of the car.

Jeff

Are you really sure of this? Those center legs extend quite far to help prevent the sort of flex that you are talking about....

[317millhand]

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/01/Coupe005-1.jpg

Ive never understood the reason why people buy rotisseries. In my eyes if you are capable of building a car to the extent that you need a rotisserie you are more than capable of knocking one up yourself.
I had never welded a thing in my life when i made mine and its still going strong. I over engineered it for my lack of welding skills and also used Holden Commodore Hubs to spin it on and it works fantastically.
Couple of beers and a weekend in the shed and you will of built it for $150-$200 and spend the rest on the car.

Speaking for myself, the reason is lack of time. I only get a few hours a week to work on my car, so I figured my time is better spent working on my car than trying to build a rotisserie that may or may not work like I want it to. Also after waiting several months for a used one to show up for sale, I figure that I can easily resell this thing when Im done with it and recoup most if not all of my money. I can weld and fabricate to some extent, and if I had the time I would definately make one. So, more power to you for having the patience to make your own. Just be safe

[John Wright]

Or you install an adjusting crank at the top of the main slider that allows you to change CG no matter where in rotation you are.

BillyBob

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/02/DSCN2441-1.jpg



Very nice!....a load leveler of sorts.

[xpsled]

I just can't wait till you put the doors back on. Then you find out that you bent the frame. All rotisseries have a support beam that connect the units together. Whirly jig is the only one that uses 2 parallel bars to support the weight of the car. The other brands tend to use the center bar to support the weight of the car.

Jeff

Thanks smart ass. However i am more than one step ahead of you, its called internal bracing!!! https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/01/SNC00002-1.jpg
For your info the unit i built does have a support bar that runs down the center when it is being moved but it is no longer required if the unit is dynabolted to the ground.
And as for your bent frame theory the car now has a 3/4 chassis, braced and jigged on a frame table.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/02/SNC00220-1.jpg
I just wonder how much expereince you have had with uni body cars...
If two people can lift the car(from its factory suspension points) and put it on the rotisserie. how is this different to having the car on axle stands with no doors on it?
Is this something you have seen through years of experience as a automotive engineer or just something that a mate of a mate down at the pub told you????

[xpsled]

Question: How do you know exactly where the CG is so when you start to flip it, it doesn't flop over at an unexpectedly fast rate and knock the crap out of you?

All i did with mine was once it was in the rotisserie we flipped the car on its side and just moved it in and out until the car balanced at that position without any pendulum affect. Drill the hole, pin it in that position. You see the ones they use on shows like overhaulin and it takes 10 people to flip it over. Why???? If you eliminate the pendulum affect you can rotate it with one finger and it will sit in any position.

[John Wright]

All i did with mine was once it was in the rotisserie we flipped the car on its side and just moved it in and out until the car balanced at that position without any pendulum affect. Drill the hole, pin it in that position.

OK, that makes sense...not having used one, it was hard to see how people get them so balanced and not have them flop over when turned.

I would freak out if I started to roll it over and the car flopped over and smacked the ground .....(my worry was)--once it started over, I doubt that I could stop it and have to watch it go....followed by a sickening feeling in the pit of my stomache.

I think I understand how to find the balancing/pivot point after looking at the car in the pics on it's side.

[xpsled]

Yeah I was extremely nervous when we put mine on the rotisserie. I had about 8 mates around to help just in case something went wrong, they were all there for the same reason, they wanted to see something go wrong for a laugh!!

[The WidowMaker]

also, if you leave the trunk lid on, dont try and open it when the car is on its side without paying much attention. :injured:

and i would have to agree that theres no need for the center brace. your theory is correct; if the distance from the front to rear body mounts is "x" and you lock that distance in on the rotisserie with a center connector, then the distance on the body mounts cant get any shorter and thus cannot sag. but, you can build it as stout as you want and you will still have a little give in the uprights. if the body was going to sag it would do so just as much. if im putting it on the trailer then its a big help. otherwise i havent seen any negative effects. but that is with my unibody framed chevelle (thats another story)

edit: where are you guys connecting the rotisserie on camaros? if its up front where the front subframe connects, and at the rear where the springs transfer the load to the body, how the hell is it any different? where is the center connector in gm's design that keeps the body from sagging in stock form?

Tim

[Sparky67]

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2010/01/Coupe005-1.jpg



Sorry, I had a typo on my previous post. It should have said twisted body. Anyway, I have 15 years experience as an Engineer. My friend's dad that did the bodywork on my 67 Camaro, well he has 58 years experience and yes that is only 1 person. Your photo doesn't show any center bar support in between the stands. In the center bar design the support that holds the load. I don't see any bracing in this photo, like you describe in the following post.

Your design looks like the engine stand Rotissories, like on this site. http://www.whirlyjig.com/GTO.htm Although, you said that you had the center bar support. The Whirly jig site shows each weakness of the various designs. Notice that your supports are on a slight lean.

I liked the Whirly Jig design, but we also took more precautions than normal. The biggest problem we had was the Chinese made hydraulic cylinders would drop a inch or so. So, we put US made jackstands, so the car wouldn't drop to the ground. We also had the twin round bars always hooked up.

I don't like Autotwirler's front mount design for the Camaro. It is only 2 bolts holding the front. Whirly jig makes the camaro makes it like a front subframe as shown in my photo below. Although, it was not easy to sand underneath. Paint sticks work well, to sand underneath

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

Typically, we leave the car like this photo below, because of the Chinese hydraulic cylinders. I had to replace 3 hydraulic cylinders. Well, it was free, but just a pain.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif


Here is a photo of the extra support that we have in the back of the car. The threaded rod is the balancing bar. It helps balance the car, so it will turn smoothly.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

I would recommend buying a good rotissorie like the whirly jig., because you can rent it out to friends or sell it.


Jeff

[The WidowMaker]

jeff, how is a center brace going to help with twisting. i could see an arguement for sagging, but im not seeing how its going to prevent twisting.

Tim

[Sparky67]

jeff, how is a center brace going to help with twisting. i could see an arguement for sagging, but im not seeing how its going to prevent twisting.

Tim


Tim, The center brace in that design holds the load. You remove it the brace, and you will have failure of the design. I am not a big fan of the center brace design, but it is used the most often of all rotisorrie designs. Anyway, I just hate to see a poor designed rotissorie, because I know of the time and money that is spent on these projects.

Jeff

[rrstroker71]

accessible systems. I have 4 of them they hold up. I have put over a hundred cars on these rotisseri's. Yes they are arrogant, but they can back it up. Hands down the best on the market!

[317millhand]

I just got the autotwirler pro model last night and got it put together in my garage. Very nice, strong, well built unit. Has ball bearings and is extremely smooth. Clamping design of the pro model also eliminates play between the pieces. This thing is extremely strong and does not wiggle, or sag at all. I considered the accessible systems, because they are located very close to me, but the design of the new autotwirler pro model is just so much better. Also has heavy duty albion casters, not the cheap ones that accessible systems accuses them of using.

[The WidowMaker]

Tim, The center brace in that design holds the load. You remove it the brace, and you will have failure of the design. I am not a big fan of the center brace design, but it is used the most often of all rotisorrie designs. Anyway, I just hate to see a poor designed rotissorie, because I know of the time and money that is spent on these projects.

Jeff

not trying to argue, just learn. but i still dont see how a center brace does anything but keep the two "rotisseries" from seperating. if i release the rotation lock on one side, the body doesnt want to twist because its balanced on its center pivot point and therefore doesnt stress the body. even if it did want to twist, how would the bottom connector keep this from happening? if by "twisted" you were referring to sag, i could see your arguement.

and how still does it matter when a camaro doesnt have a full frame and supports itself on these same spots?

Tim

[rrstroker71]

I just got the autotwirler pro model last night and got it put together in my garage. Very nice, strong, well built unit. Has ball bearings and is extremely smooth. Clamping design of the pro model also eliminates play between the pieces. This thing is extremely strong and does not wiggle, or sag at all. I considered the accessible systems, because they are located very close to me, but the design of the new autotwirler pro model is just so much better. Also has heavy duty albion casters, not the cheap ones that accessible systems accuses them of using.

Use what works best for you, I guess I would look at one before buying a new one , but these accessible system ones have been work horses for 10 years. That means something to a guy that uses the crap out of them.

[xpsled]

not trying to argue, just learn. but i still dont see how a center brace does anything but keep the two "rotisseries" from seperating. if i release the rotation lock on one side, the body doesnt want to twist because its balanced on its center pivot point and therefore doesnt stress the body. even if it did want to twist, how would the bottom connector keep this from happening? if by "twisted" you were referring to sag, i could see your arguement.

and how still does it matter when a camaro doesnt have a full frame and supports itself on these same spots?

Tim

I agree 100% mate. Sag is a possibility, however i would still argue that if two people can lift it and it is supported approx from the same place as the factory intended its not gonna sag.I would however be very hesitant cutting panels or structural components whilst supported on the rotisserie
And as for the twisting theory, the rotisserie is the last of the worries, what about the 600+ foot pound transmitted through the chassis under acceleration.
I guess you base your theories and opinion on experience, and as an Aircraft Engineer who jacks 150+ ton aircraft for a living, im pretty confident my 300kg car hasnt sagged or twisted.

[ATOMonkey]

Has anyone ever thought of suspending their car using chain fall hoists or steel cable?

[jake8092]

Here's the one that I made, I just picked and chose from the best ideas that I could find

[The WidowMaker]

that looks good. i was going to lower my wheels as well, but i use an engine hoist to take the body off, and the legs slide right in under the rotisserie. not sure what i would do if it didnt fit.