CanyonRider
Member
I've always wanted a lift table for working on bikes, but have no space in the garage. I am fortunate to have a 4-post lift so I figured - surely I can figure out a way to use it. So I slid the ramps together, set the bike on it and stood back and thought.
I wanted a wheel vise, but it had to be removable so I could still use the lift for cars. Also, being a cheap-skate I didn't want to buy one.
Besides, I like fab-ing stuff. So I scrounged my scrap metal pile and found some 3" channel I thought would be suitable and bought a trailer jack from Tractor Supply. Let the fabrication begin! 
With the jack fully collapsed, I cut about 5" off the bottom. You have to cut high enough to remove the deformed end of the threaded rod. This allows the jack to be taken apart.
Then I cut the outer tube just above the mounting flange and cut the inner tube so it would be about 1.5" longer than the outer.
Re-assembled, it looks like this:
From here, I marked and cut the threaded rod about 3/4" shorter than the inner tube.
Now its time to weld. I weld the 16" long channel to form a 70deg angle.
And weld the inner tube to one of the vise jaws - making sure it is square.
Next I weld the outer tube to another channel that will be a support leg.
Obligatory weld closeups - not the pro quality I've seen on this site, but better than some I've done.
I welded a base plate to the support leg, assembled it and gave it a bench test.
Here it is mounted on the lift with bike in place.
No more stooping over or working on my knees. Just need to paint it now.
CR
I wanted a wheel vise, but it had to be removable so I could still use the lift for cars. Also, being a cheap-skate I didn't want to buy one.
Besides, I like fab-ing stuff. So I scrounged my scrap metal pile and found some 3" channel I thought would be suitable and bought a trailer jack from Tractor Supply. Let the fabrication begin!
With the jack fully collapsed, I cut about 5" off the bottom. You have to cut high enough to remove the deformed end of the threaded rod. This allows the jack to be taken apart.
Then I cut the outer tube just above the mounting flange and cut the inner tube so it would be about 1.5" longer than the outer.
Re-assembled, it looks like this:
From here, I marked and cut the threaded rod about 3/4" shorter than the inner tube.
Now its time to weld. I weld the 16" long channel to form a 70deg angle.
And weld the inner tube to one of the vise jaws - making sure it is square.
Next I weld the outer tube to another channel that will be a support leg.
Obligatory weld closeups - not the pro quality I've seen on this site, but better than some I've done.
I welded a base plate to the support leg, assembled it and gave it a bench test.
Here it is mounted on the lift with bike in place.
No more stooping over or working on my knees. Just need to paint it now.
CR
