A different concept in lifts!
- Thread starter denis4x4
- Start date
mauls
Well-known member
Pretty sweet, kind of interested. Worried about if they are wide enough and if they could hold my big *** cars
mustanginky
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2011
- Messages
- 473
yeah those don't look half bad but does look like it takes up a lot of space. also there are a few positives and negatives associated with this sorta thing. one it'd be in the way. two it's limited on how high you can get it. three, you'd be limited on what you could do with it, i.e. lifting off a body of a car.
Vegaman_Dan
Well-known member
The only thing that determines width is the removable section cross brace in the rear that you lift with a jack. I suspect that could be adjustable width.
The whole thing looks like something you could weld up in a day. The front supports are just angle iron with a hinge point. Not terribly difficult. The most expensive piece will be the plate the ramps are made of.
As neat as it is, I don't see that it really saves you a lot of time over jack stands, though it seems far safer and puts the vehicle at a greater height. You can still use jack stands on the ramp to the chassis to allow you to remove a wheel if needed.
Overall, I do like the design. Depending on how well it can store when broken down, I might try making one myself.
The whole thing looks like something you could weld up in a day. The front supports are just angle iron with a hinge point. Not terribly difficult. The most expensive piece will be the plate the ramps are made of.
As neat as it is, I don't see that it really saves you a lot of time over jack stands, though it seems far safer and puts the vehicle at a greater height. You can still use jack stands on the ramp to the chassis to allow you to remove a wheel if needed.
Overall, I do like the design. Depending on how well it can store when broken down, I might try making one myself.
Vegaman_Dan
Well-known member
Another thing I notice is the deflection of the ramps even with a lightweight MG on them, but I think that has more to do with where the jack stands are placed- behind the axle and under the beam they use to jack the ramps up with. I think if it were me, I'd add multiple jackstand positions under the rear ramp so that you could place your jackstand as close to under the wheels as possible for the maximum stability and least deflection or stress to the ramps.
Wonder what this would cost to make? Now I'm curious.
Wonder what this would cost to make? Now I'm curious.
gtixpress
Active member
That's nothing new. I had a lift by a company called Kwik Lifts which was the same concept. I found that it worked a whole let better on older cars which had frames, rather than unibody cars due to the jacking points if you needed to take the wheels off while on the lift.
e-tek
Well-known member
At $1700 pounds - that's almost 2/3rd's the price of a REAL lift!!!
sberry
Banned
By the time I messed with all that I think the effort would be well spent to source a modest 2 post lift and be done with it if I had the head room. By the time a guy bought some materials, did the design or sank the money in something like that he wouldn't be all that far from getting the real deal. You go to all that trouble and are still on your back. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes, you bet.
Vegaman_Dan
Well-known member
$1700? No, that would not be cost effective at all. I'd be willing to build such for around $200 in steel I think. I like such projects.
First I need to get my Spitfire out of storage and at the house so I'd have inspiration to use it on.
First I need to get my Spitfire out of storage and at the house so I'd have inspiration to use it on.
alan camby
Well-known member
Not going to work very well for the vehicle in your avatar.
Higgins
Well-known member
Based upon some recent projects, plate steel isn't cheep! I could see this runing $500 - $700 real easy.............
I do not think a 4x4 anything would fit on those tiny death traps.
The largest version holds up to about 4k lbs, not enough for that big body in your avatar or most American cars that need work today...
cool concept though.
Zeke
Well-known member
Someone going to go to the trouble of making a ramp/lift that gets the car only as high as jack stands should consider a 2 stage affair. Drive on and lift to level. Place some formidable supports in the rear. Lift the front again and swing 2nd stage supports into place. Bring the rear up level with the 2nd stage and place the final supports in back.
I think doing this would allow 3' of underside clearance in short order. Built right, it would be way safer than super tall stands.
I think doing this would allow 3' of underside clearance in short order. Built right, it would be way safer than super tall stands.
Charles (in GA)
Well-known member
Copied a Kiwklift but left out some important features. If Kwiklift could not make a go of it, I doubt this one would.
viewmaster
Member
- Joined
- Dec 1, 2012
- Messages
- 5
The cross section of the ramp looks like a channel section. It looks to me that the flanges are not long enough. But still he is an engineer, so I assume its engineered.
AZ Pete
Well-known member
Seems like you could move the front pivot point back a little, so that a little of the weight of the car would be ahead of it, reducing the effort to lift the back. I have seen a similar, home made ramp for working on a motorcycle.
Capt Chrysler
Well-known member
Worked on a front end rack that was made that way. And it SUCKED. Never at the right height to be comfy! One side slide in or out to adjust for track width. I think it's setting in a car dealerships lot as a used car display.
Capt. Chrysler
Capt. Chrysler
Doesn't look as safe as a Quiklift- or as robust.
I had a Quiklift- you are still laying on your back- same as using jackstands.
No bridge for the new design. That makes it nearly worthless IMO.
Here's my old Quiklift. Sold it for $700.00 (Bought it used for $800)
I had a Quiklift- you are still laying on your back- same as using jackstands.
No bridge for the new design. That makes it nearly worthless IMO.
Here's my old Quiklift. Sold it for $700.00 (Bought it used for $800)
And if you're looking for a smaller lift for a smaller garage, as this is targeted, you can do the MaxJax on sale for $2k...
Not much of a deal.
Shocker
Well-known member
It is 1645 British Pounds, that is about $2645 US. Plus shipping.
It is OK, but certainly not worth what he is asking.
Also, just because he is an engineer doesn't mean he is any good.
It is OK, but certainly not worth what he is asking.
Also, just because he is an engineer doesn't mean he is any good.
olytdi
Well-known member
Not too useful if the weight is still resting on the wheels when it's lifted! How's this different from a pit?