Wow, this sounds like a big undertaking. IIRC, can't the monitor and the upper part of the DDR cabinet be removed (relatively) easily? I thought you could disconnect the wiring and unscrew the top part of the cabinet from the bottom (subwoofers). I know it's not going to be fun, but try looking into that option.

Also, I gotta ask...you're trying to get a DDR arcade machine into a 2nd floor apartment? I pity your downstairs neighbors.

Edit: Oh, and in case anyone is interested:

Q: On the topic of the pads, How much do they weigh?
A: 221 lb. per side. They are splitable and on wheels.

Q: Ok, how about the total weight of the machine, pads and all.?
A: 427 kg. or 939.4 lb. Without the pads it comes up to 497.4 pounds.

there is info on this but its on a private site.  I will pm you the info

Thanks guys!

I already took out the speakers and the top marquee. Very easy indeed!

I didn't get a chance to actually unscrew anything in the top part last night (It's at a friend's house right now) but I looked in the back and didn't see any parts in the wiring that could be disconnected easily like the rest of the parts.

I'm going back tonight most likely to wield my screwdriver and battle the upper part.

It's half for DDR usage (great exercise!) and half for plugging our music into and DANCING!

Thanks pantsuuuu!

np keep an eye on your pm's and your email

I'm essentially in the same boat. Only I'm going down to Murrieta, CA to go pick up a machine that I bought on eBay before heading back up to Seattle. (http://www.ebay.com/itm/140788708101)

I'm assuming that if I take the lights off the top, I can fit it upright in a trailer that's 6' in height. Is that a reasonable assumption for transporting it? I'd hate to get down there and realize that I don't have enough room to move it.

Also, is there a way to get access to that manual mentioned above?

We just had an Extreme that ended on Ebay at only 900.00.  However, the bidder has yet to pay up.  So likely to be relisted.  This is the same Extreme that was just at Sakuracon.

Wow, that's an AWESOME price, Bill! Definitely worth picking up. It's strange though, I check eBay semi-regularly for machines and I didn't see that one. I must've missed it.

@Billatq, yes, the machine without the marquee will definitely be less than 6' tall. I'm 6'-7" tall and I am almost exactly the height of the machine.

You can also download my 3D model of a DDR Machine in SketchUp and use the tape measure feature to measure any distances. It should be accurate to within +/- 1" in any dimension.

http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=82789f6953ac6fb088c3cc56b52f6a9d&prevstart=0

Here's the manual you were asking for:
http://tamdb.net/index.php?page=ManualDetail&id=5527

Clearly I should have looked harder. I just finished the drive from LA with my machine

Thanks! I ended up picking it up this weekend. Did the drive in three days. That was definitely an adventure.

This was really never fully gone into in this thread, but seriously.  Is there any way to disassemble a majority of a cabinet?  I know its all stapled together but I have to go down a staircase with a landing that completely prevents a turn of the entire cabinet.  My dad is threatening to get rid of my DDR 3rd/7th/Extreme/ITG cabinet unless I can get it to its home (our basement) so disassembly is all I can do currently.  I am a construction worker (stereotypes, funny stuff) so reassembly is not even a thought let alone a separate issue. 
Has anyone done this?  If so, what am I getting myself into? I can get the monitor out, the marquee is off already, I'm not worried about the pads, and thats about it. 

I hate to say it, but if you need to majorly disassemble that cabinet, you're probably going to have to just start doing it yourself and be VERY careful to remember HOW you're doing it so that you can put it back together correctly.

I also advise you to check out this manual I linked to above. It'll at least give you a little better understanding of how the machine goes together. Specifically, page 42 - 45.

http://tamdb.net/index.php?page=ManualDetail&id=5527