Question about lifting/stabilizing bike for hardtail

79josh81

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So I plan on hardtailing my 79' xs650 soon. I'll be installing a TC hardtail and I'm trying to figure out the best way to lift and secure the frame so I can remove everything but the engine for cutting the back half off and tack welding the hardtail in place. The issue is that if I use my motorcycle jack, I won't be able to make the cuts on the bottom rails considering the bottom of the xs650 isn't very large and part of the jack would have to be under the spots i need to cut through.

With that being said, I could probably rig something up with the jack and then ratchet strap the frame to it but I'm curious what others have done. What would be ideal is if I could:

1. Have the frame lifted and secured to where it won't want to tip over when I start pulling stuff off of it when the weight transfers.
2. Have the bottom rails clear of the lift/jack in the areas I need to cut and weld.

Any suggestions or tricks anyone used?
 
The way I have done it for years is make a table that bike can sit on. I do 2x4 and plywood not too high maybe 30" off ground. Put bike on table with a tire stop on front and tie bike down to table . Now when you do this make sure bike is level and what I do is get some 2x4 pieces and jack up rear of bike and put the pieces under the motor and front frame. Only need rear up 2" because once you take tire off you have plenty of room. Keep checking that not only table is level but bike and table level. Now your ready to cut and install hardtail. POOR MANS JIG lol
 
The way I have done it for years is make a table that bike can sit on. I do 2x4 and plywood not too high maybe 30" off ground. Put bike on table with a tire stop on front and tie bike down to table . Now when you do this make sure bike is level and what I do is get some 2x4 pieces and jack up rear of bike and put the pieces under the motor and front frame. Only need rear up 2" because once you take tire off you have plenty of room. Keep checking that not only table is level but bike and table level. Now your ready to cut and install hardtail. POOR MANS JIG lol

So are you just tack welding the hardtail good while the bike is on the table, reinstall rear tire, then take the bike off the table to remove everything from the frame so you can finish your welds? Or are you finish welding everything right on the table?
 
No I am cutting off all that needs to be cut off . Installing hardtail and measuring more than once to make sure its straight and tack welding bottom and finish welding top. Then once that is all done remove motor and finish up bottom welds. All this done on the table and not removing frame until all welding is done. If you cut and take frame off table you have the chance of not being straight. 47 hardtails later all straight and still do it same way. Building now and making table this week. I make table 30" high 8' long and 24" wide and have made them to bolt together.
 
No I am cutting off all that needs to be cut off . Installing hardtail and measuring more than once to make sure its straight and tack welding bottom and finish welding top. Then once that is all done remove motor and finish up bottom welds. All this done on the table and not removing frame until all welding is done. If you cut and take frame off table you have the chance of not being straight. 47 hardtails later all straight and still do it same way. Building now and making table this week. I make table 30" high 8' long and 24" wide and have made them to bolt together.

How do you weld the bottoms of the bottom two rails while it’s on the table? Didn’t you say there’s only like two inches between the bottom rails and the table when it’s all set up?
 
Once you tack weld 3/4 around that weld with motor out and middle weld then you can lift up frame as high as you want to weld under frame.
The two front lowers and the middle cross over have to have the motor out to weld correct. So those you can tack weld take motor out and lift frame if that makes it easier for you. I do all the welds while bike is on table. I have seen frames twist enough to see when welding on the ground without having frame support.
 
49309CE3-9874-4255-9BDA-53B9E1609CF3.jpeg


I figured out a more ghetto way than you to level it and start my chop. It’s perfectly level...believe it or not. Lol
 
4062953D-29B3-4D2A-BA4D-AF6BF3C90400.jpeg
Once you tack weld 3/4 around that weld with motor out and middle weld then you can lift up frame as high as you want to weld under frame.
The two front lowers and the middle cross over have to have the motor out to weld correct. So those you can tack weld take motor out and lift frame if that makes it easier for you. I do all the welds while bike is on table. I have seen frames twist enough to see when welding on the ground without having frame support.

So I’m assuming with all the hardtails you’ve done you welded up a TC hardtail. Up by the stamped piece in the picture, did you grind down the front edges of the stamped piece flat to have a better fit for the upper hardtail rails? The fit the way I have it is pretty gapped.
 
Nope never had to grind it up if your placement is correct it should fall right in the middle. Here are all TC Brothers hardtails
 

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