DIY Scissor Lift

[hermanj]

I need a lift to bring my Loyus 7 up to work bench height.

Any ideas and suggestions?

Mikeyr has kindly agreed to send me some details of his lift.

to keep cost doen I need an atrernative lifting device. It does not have to be particularly fast lifting because once the car is in the air it will stay there for some time.

Some ideas I have is using my Jeep's winch and locking it once up and then removing the Jeep again, or a hand witch with multiplyer pulleys??

Any ideas will be appreciated.

 

[jimgood]

This should be interesting.

 

[volleyball]

Build a frame workbench height. Build it sturdy enough to support the weight. Now collect enough sand to build a ramp and surround the frame. Now tow the vehicle up on top and slowly remove the sand until it is rested on your frame.

 

[zkling]

It really wouldn't be very difficult to build a proper scissor lift, the biggest cost would be from the cylinder, followed by the steel materials. Since you are omitting the cylinder that would be a large savings. BUT I'm not sure how much of a savings when you factor in time and effort over buying a used lift vs the cost of steel. Especially given your location and local market.

How about a set of large jack stands and some type of overhead hoist arrangement? Since it sounds like this will be a long term project, quick up and down probably isn't a huge concern. Considering the overall weight of the 7. BTW what are the specs on your 7?

 

[hackwelder]

It really wouldn't be very difficult to build a proper scissor lift, the biggest cost would be from the cylinder, followed by the steel materials. Since you are omitting the cylinder that would be a large savings. BUT I'm not sure how much of a savings when you factor in time and effort over buying a used lift vs the cost of steel. Especially given your location and local market.

How about a set of large jack stands and some type of overhead hoist arrangement? Since it sounds like this will be a long term project, quick up and down probably isn't a huge concern. Considering the overall weight of the 7. BTW what are the specs on your 7?

I'd agree, I was able to lift the front of mine easily with an engine hoist and could have done the rear if I'd built some sort of rig. FWIW I made a rolling table from heavy duty angle iron at bench level while building a "Locost" 7 and that worked well....have also seen photos of 7's being built on heavy duty steel sawhorses.

Is your 7 a Birkin? I had one myself, sold it last year...

 

[hermanj]

Yip. A Birkin with 20V Toyota power. I lift the fronk with an engine hoist when I take the engine out. It comes out.......at the bottom. too many braces at the top. Want something a little easier to put it up and take down than a steel table. I have the makings of an Arial type car on just such a table, but a mission to put on the table and take off. Need to work on the car after races. That is why I thought a scissor lift and use the Jeeps winch to open it up

 

[hermanj]

Specs of the 7 about 650kg when finished. Nice flat bottom to ly on hoist table. Ground clearance 100mm so hoist can not taller than 100 mm or I will have to build a ramp around it

 

[kerrynzl]

I need a lift to bring my Loyus 7 up to work bench height.

Any ideas and suggestions?

Mikeyr has kindly agreed to send me some details of his lift.

to keep cost doen I need an atrernative lifting device. It does not have to be particularly fast lifting because once the car is in the air it will stay there for some time.
:

I've seen a simple "open runner" lightweight trailer converted to a 4 post hoist using 4 x farm jacks on the corners [at a speedway track]
maybe you could fabricate a variation of this. [you'll need 2 people to operate it properly]

Make up a simple square frame and fix the jacks to the corners . The jacks are less than $50ea.

The engine crane, steel saw horse idea previously mentioned is more Multi purpose though.
Steel saw horses are one of the best mobile work benches to have in your shop.



I thought the benefit of having a "Lotus 7" was never having to crawl under it

 

[hermanj]

Like that idea. I have a lightweight trailer i take the car to the race track. Also eliminates a trailer standing in the garden. Have to have a tnink about attaching the jacks. I take it it is the off road veriaty you are referring to

 

[kerrynzl]

Like that idea. I have a lightweight trailer i take the car to the race track. Also eliminates a trailer standing in the garden. Have to have a tnink about attaching the jacks. I take it it is the off road veriaty you are referring to

It was around 1974 when I saw this.

But after my last post it got me thinking.
You could probably get away with only 1 [or maybe 2] H/D farm jacks.

What you do is weld 4 vertical tubes on the corners [1 each].
Then add 4 x legs that slide down inside these tubes.

Drill these legs with multiple holes for a pin [like jack stands have]
So what you basically have is 4 x upside down jack stands

Use the farm jack to lift one end partially and drop the legs in the tubes and pin them.
Then jack the other end and do the same [back and forth until the desired height]
By pinning it, as the legs slide down they act like a safety backstop while you are jacking it up

 

[hermanj]

Tubes will need some serious triangulation to ensure stability

 

[hermanj]

This is my build table.Atom now on this table so need new one for the Birkin

 

[MBfreak]

If you have a fairly sturdy roof over the car and invest in 4 pcs chain hoists, it i easy to lift the car.
When you have it at the right height build a wooden frame that has 4 uprights and with the uprights triangulated.

I am helping a friend with a frame off rebuild of a 70`s Corvette, and this is how we did it. Except we never built the floor frame. Once we got the car up and the chassis down and rolled out, we left the body hanging from the chain hoists only.
The frame will be built when the chassis is ready and we will start lowering the body and start replacing some parts of the fibreglass. ( Car has rolled over sideways and fenders and more are toast. )

Building regulations here calls for sturdy roofs with huge snowloads per square meter. ( around 800 kilos ) So lifting a 1500 kilo car from 4 points spaced 3x1,8 m is no problem at all. Even when the snow comes. The roof design has a very ample safety margin.

Best regards

Ola

 

[hermanj]

If you have a scissor hoist what is the specs of the hydraulic cylincder

 

[garboui]

If you have a fairly sturdy roof over the car and invest in 4 pcs chain hoists, it i easy to lift the car.
When you have it at the right height build a wooden frame that has 4 uprights and with the uprights triangulated.

I am helping a friend with a frame off rebuild of a 70`s Corvette, and this is how we did it. Except we never built the floor frame. Once we got the car up and the chassis down and rolled out, we left the body hanging from the chain hoists only.
The frame will be built when the chassis is ready and we will start lowering the body and start replacing some parts of the fibreglass. ( Car has rolled over sideways and fenders and more are toast. )

Building regulations here calls for sturdy roofs with huge snowloads per square meter. ( around 800 kilos ) So lifting a 1500 kilo car from 4 points spaced 3x1,8 m is no problem at all. Even when the snow comes. The roof design has a very ample safety margin.

Best regards

Ola

This but even if you build out a gantry frame (portable or flush to the inside of your building) with some posts and a piece of I-beam. put the chain fall on a beam trolley and then you can move the car across the span.

 

[hermanj]

This will work for a race car, but not that versatile. Will not work if I want to work on a tin top

 

[hermanj]

Any comments on the pros and cons of the following 2 designs.

 

[mbatarga]

First sketch makes the lift "portable"

 

[Zeke]

Build a frame workbench height. Build it sturdy enough to support the weight. Now collect enough sand to build a ramp and surround the frame. Now tow the vehicle up on top and slowly remove the sand until it is rested on your frame.

Jeezus you're funny.

 

[zkling]

Any comments on the pros and cons of the following 2 designs.

Look at how high lift mid rise lifts are designed kinematically. It's a design balance that hinges (pun intended) on the closed and extended length of the cylinder.

 

[Mike Miller]

It was around 1974 when I saw this.

But after my last post it got me thinking.
You could probably get away with only 1 [or maybe 2] H/D farm jacks.

What you do is weld 4 vertical tubes on the corners [1 each].
Then add 4 x legs that slide down inside these tubes.

Drill these legs with multiple holes for a pin [like jack stands have]
So what you basically have is 4 x upside down jack stands

Use the farm jack to lift one end partially and drop the legs in the tubes and pin them.
Then jack the other end and do the same [back and forth until the desired height]
By pinning it, as the legs slide down they act like a safety backstop while you are jacking it up

Camper jacks .

 

[hermanj]

When I showed option 2, it is not bolted to the floor. It is just connected to a common frame. The idea is to rather build 2 smaller lifts (table size 1000 x 400). Then one can even use it as a bike lift while the car is on jack stands

 

[Zeke]

Any comments on the pros and cons of the following 2 designs.

Given the reduction gears in a winch, using that and a multi pulley block and tackle would work. Keep the pulleys flat to the ground and pull the X member furthest way from an attachment beyond the X and you'd have a lower profile than ones with a cylinder.

 

[hermanj]

Thanks, was my thinking, but needed somebody to agree to my thinking.

Clearly the height is directly proportional to the lenth of the arms.

Hight with arms at 60 deg = height required / Sin 60
= 800 / Sin 60 = 923mm

So with a couple of pulleys added the whole thing will fit in a 1000mm frame.

 

[hermanj]

This is the idea.

Frame at the bottom and cylinder lying flat.

Can use winch till I soarsed the cylinder

 

[hermanj]

Pic got lost

 

[APEowner]

A Lotus 7? You may be over thinking this. I'd just build a couple of heavy duty saw horses and set it up there with the engine hoist.

 

[fred d]

I believe
In the lower picture you will need a ram/hydraulic cylinder with a much longer travel than the top picture

How about enlisting 6 of the local high school football team to lift the car an roll a suitable table under it