Do you even lift?

[Tremelune]

The day has finally arrived. I'm going to install a lift in my garage. An in-floor lift seems out of my price range, so I'm aiming for a two-post lift. The ceilings are 9' high. The floor is of unknown thickness and strength.

Before I go researching lifts, it seems like I should figure out if my floor is sturdy enough to support them. Anyway to do this without cutting? I was hoping this thing would be of use:

http://www.milwaukeetool.com/instruments/inspection-and-detection/2291-21

If it came down to cutting and repouring a section for the posts, does anyone know what the ballpark of that cost is?

 

[efncrx]

Your options are definatly limited with 9 foot ceilings, have you looked into eagle equiptments mobileman lift? designed to be portable for low ceilings and id imagine it doesnt need a slab as thick as stationary posts. Dont quote me on that though.

to measure thickness sure seems cheaper to buy a masonary bit and drill a hole in the slab and measure away.

Price to cut and repour a section for a lift $20-25,000, all depends on how much prep work is done, your location, ect.

 

[Tremelune]

Though the ceilings are 9', there is nothing above them but bare attic. My thought was that I could poke holes in the ceiling for the posts to get an extra foot or two of lift height vs something like a MaxJax (which calls for a 6" slab).

Anything would be better than what I have, of course. I don't expect to have this house in five years, so I don't want to go too crazy with anything I can't transport down the road.

 

[Denwood]

Drill a test hole (s). A hammer drill and 1/4" masonry bit should work. Maxjax calls for a 4" contiguous slab, otherwise retrofit minimum spec is a 3'x3' footing, 12" deep.

I just did a 4'x12'x14" retro slab, and about $600 including concrete delivered, rebar and tool rental to cut/demo/agitate. The thread is here: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=265806

Depending on your roof design, you may be able to do this: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=263351

and use a full height(ish) lift over the Maxjax.

 

[Tremelune]

Whoa. I didn't know anything like the Mobileman existed. That thing looks sweet. Is it safe to work under? I can't find any reviews.

 

[c39er]

Would a big name company make a lift not safe to work under?

 

[Hesketh]

I am in a very similar position, as in 10ft high ceiling and wanting a lift the added issue is that my garage is about 1ft too narrow for a 2 post AND a second car in the garage

so I am looking at one of these now. I Think.
http://www.automotechservices.co.uk/products/as-7530d-garage-scissor-lift/ 3ft high lift which is a heck of a lot more than any jack and stands can and these look a lot more stable.

 

[aka Larry]

Would a big name company make a lift not safe to work under?

You mean like the big companies that make cars with air bags that can kill you?

 

[Tremelune]

Would a big name company make a lift not safe to work under?

Well that's just it, I don't see any big name company selling it at all. What I see is a company in China building a lift and a few small fries in the US painting it and flipping it with maybe a YouTube video showing how easy it is to move around.

Here it is as the Master Series SPL-6. Here it is as the Eagle Equipment Mobileman. Here it is as the Redmount RM-2111. Here it is as the Puli PL-S2.5T. Here it is as the OMA 2.5 Ton. Here it is as Kaip KC-L125F. Here it is as Moveable Single Post Car Lift from (literally) made-in-china.com. So on and so forth.

I'm not the kind of person who thinks a device is junk just because it's made in China, but most of these retailers smell like fly-by-night operations that found a thing they could buy for $1 in China and sell for $2 in the US. Where are all the reviews for what appears to be the coolest automotive garage tool I've ever seen?

My guess is that Mohawk took a look at the design and said something like "Oh yeah, that'll crack a slab in two days" but I want to be wrong. These things look extremely useful.

 

[Tremelune]

Here's the GiroLift...Seems to be of a different design that bolts in:

http://www.girolift.com/hpjproducts-19.html

 

[sublimate]

My guess is that Mohawk took a look at the design and said something like "Oh yeah, that'll crack a slab in two days" but I want to be wrong. These things look extremely useful.

That thing may or may not be safe for any number of reasons, but cracking a slab is not one of them.

You could probably operate that thing OK on hard packed dirt if you wanted to, but certainly any slab would be fine. It would be like the same loading as a jack or jack stands.

 

[Tremelune]

Nobody here has used one of those pallet-jack lifts?

How do I go about testing the thickness of my slab? Drill a hole in where I want the lift? Echo location?

 

[Mike C5]

I just poured a 5' x 12' x 12" thick, reinforced slab due to thin existing concrete (see thread about Concrete too thin). I used just under 3 yards which cost about $550 incl. tax, about $150 on rebar, mesh and chairs (plastic things that keep the rebar at correct height). Rental of the concrete saw was around $60 irrc.

 

[hoyt]

I have 10-1/2 foot ceilings and installed a Benwil BW9 two-post lift. I can get the car high enough to roll around under it in a chair. That's actually much nicer than you would think it would be.

I also had to pour adequate concrete pads to support the lift. Details are in my Journal.

 

[Tremelune]

I'm thinking I should just get a cheap, temporary scissor lift and see what my real needs are in the future. I might put a 4-post lift in the other bay, which would offer a great deal in terms of flexibility and additional parking. I'll need to raise the garage door tracks before I can lift any higher.

To that end, it seems like good choices are the BendPak MD-6XP, the Atlas TD6MR, or something used nearby.

 

[Beemer533]

....

How do I go about testing the thickness of my slab? Drill a hole in where I want the lift? Echo location?

Easiest way is with a hammer drill and a 1/4 or 3/8" bit maybe 12" long; drill straight down in the locations you want to test until you feel the bit break through the slab...

Personally, I would do this in maybe 6 locations to get a decent average... Any holes can be filled in easily with epoxy, hydraulic cement, etc..

 

[zkling]

I'd go with a midrise, either standard or twin pad style. You can usually find then used <$1 if patient. Alot less invasive than bolting down columns. What vehicles will you be lifting?

 

[Tremelune]

Small sports cars mostly, but if I could get the wheels of my E150 off the ground, that would be nice. Not a huge concern.

I have room for a two-post, but the layout of the garage is in flux, so non-permanent solutions are appealing to me. I also don't know if I'll be in this garage for much more than a few years. The MaxJacks are somewhat portable, but I like the idea of just parking over a scissor lift with no other obstruction. I could use it on the other side of the garage if needed, etc.

 

[mikec35]

Get a long small diameter bit and use tape to mark 4" so when drilling you know you hit at least 4" depth before breaking through. I have a 2 post lift that goes up through my ceiling, had to cut one joist and do some re- engineering to support it, it can be done but you need to make sure you don't negatively impact the roof structure.

 

[c39er]

You mean like the big companies that make cars with air bags that can kill you?

I guess we cannot trust anyone anymore!

 

[rburke65]

You mean like the big companies that make cars with air bags that can kill you?

I think t was a Japanese company that made the air bags that the car mfg. installed in their cars....much like buying tires from Goodyears and I stalling them on their cars. Just saying.

 

[bazzateer]

I guess we cannot trust anyone anymore!

Thank heavens we can trust our governments eh?

 

[Tremelune]

The BendPak MD-6XP showed up today...It came with half as many M20 washers specified by the manual, so I couldn't put all the arms on. The instructions were a bit ambiguous, but I guess they figured if you can't put this together, you shouldn't be working under it. Some photos helped with the hose orientation.

It's unclear how I'll get it underneath my non-running, already-on-jack-stands car...

In any event...I needed to lift something with it...So far so good with this thing.

 

[sublimate]

The BendPak MD-6XP showed up today...It came with half as many M20 washers specified by the manual, so I couldn't put all the arms on. The instructions were a bit ambiguous, but I guess they figured if you can't put this together, you shouldn't be working under it. Some photos helped with the hose orientation.

Interesting...mine came almost fully assembled. Just had to connect the hose and fill with fluid and I was lifting in less than 12 parsecs.

 

[Tremelune]

This was after hours of patiently fighting with oil lines on the car in the background. I was starting to lose my mind...

 

[Oldb]

Years ago I installed a worth 9,000# 4 post lift on a nice reinforced 5" concrete floor in my home shop. Then we moved to town, I took the lift with me and installed it in my current shop a retrofitted 45 x 40 horse/hay barn with very thin floors, with a sewer grade to boot. So I cut out 24 x 24" squares, dug down 2', built a 3/8 rebar mesh welded to two 3" 3/8 wall I beams, these I set to level with a good transit. I filled them with sack concrete mixed in a wheel barrow. After it set up I welded 3/8 plate, 23 x 24 to the tops of the I beams, now flush with the floor on one end and 4" higher on the other due to the sewer grade. This made the four post much easier to install this time as I was able to bump the legs around until it was exactly square and then weld them to the plate. Other than having to make ramps to get low cars on it, I am happier with this install than the first. As I work with Heavy duty lifts at work on transit vehicles, I don't trust the hoist safety brake on a light duty lift such a this so I made some stands to guaranty that it can't go anywhere before I get under it. The plates made this easy. Works great for me.

B

 

[Carl B]

The problem I saw for me - with these scissors lifts - was that they took up too much space under the car. I have the usual 8’ high ceilings in my garage, but like many people I needed to get the car up a bit higher than jack stands. Mostly to do brake and suspension work, polish wheels without sitting on the floor, but also to do transmission and rear end work. After years of looking and waiting - I finally found the solution that works best for me. The EZCarLift - easy to store away when not in use and takes very little room to store it. Easy to move as it rolls around when down, so I can roll it outside if I want. Lifts the car up 26” so plenty high for almost everything I do - and you have complete access from the sides or both ends of the car.

I put this in another Thread that was most likely misplaced but I’ll repeat it here.


More photos here:
http://becksystems.com/garage/EZCarLift/EZCarLift.htm

 

[benzoni]

This Is what I was thinking when I saw this.

 

[Y2KFirehawk]

This thread was really helpful in my single post portable car lift research. Sadly it doesn't sound like many can speak to their viability. I had looked at the below online before finding this thread.

http://www.gregsmithequipment.com/Master-Series-SPL-6-Portable-Single-Post-Lift
http://www.naautoequipment.com/MSC-6K_mobile-single-column-lift.html
http://www.redlinestands.com/catalo...ernel-mobile-single-column-6000-lb-lift-p-917

As much as the single post would be perfect, ultimately I may go with the BendPak QuickJack BL-5000...