Liftbars

[kippintranet]

I have spent endless hours researching car lifts for my low ceiling garage (100") at a reasonable price. In addition, I completed a mega-analysis of forums dealing with different car manufactures. I stumbled upon a Porsche forum and found a person manufacturing liftbars for Porsche.

I contacted Ken, at [email protected] about my two BMWs, who told me that he did not make liftbars for BMWs.

I began working with him (actually only supplying him a few measurements) and he is now making custom liftbars for BMW. One type fits all 1 and 3 Series (1998-2012), another for the Z4, one for Minis, and other manufacturers too. His prices are incredible.

Using a low-profile hydraulic floor jack (lifting range from 2-5/8" to 23-3/4") and 6-ton jack stands, I am raising my Z4 close to 2' between my jack-points and floor. More than enough room for me to install brakes, rotate tires, and install a new exhaust system.

His website with an animated GIF, contact, and price information is:
http://bmw.liftbars.com

 

[Jagmandave]

Those are an excellent idea!

I have MINI Cooper garage days at my shop at least once a month, and getting all 4 wheels off the ground is always a challange, in addition to needing a low jack, you need a place to put the jackstands once you have the car in the air, but usually one of the places you'd use the stand is already being used by the jack - it's a great idea that I am totally going to rip off!

I already have the tubing, all I need is to fabricate some pads to go between the tubes and the jack pads on the cars.

 

[toolmaker1]

Even though your post screams of spam, I must say that website gave me some good ideas for fabricating my own liftbar for my STS. It is a pain to fit my big jack under there so I might get a dedicated low profile jack and make a liftbar for it

 

[W126C]

Even though your post screams of spam

I don't know anything about kippintranet, but I do know about Ken. He is well respected in the 928 community and has developed many items used by Porsche owners. I have a few myself. PorKen, as he is known on Rennlist, has been around since at least 2002 and owns a few 928's. So I doubt he would try spam or push anything here.

 

[Jagmandave]

I don't see it as spam, I see it as sharing a great idea.....

 

[kippintranet]

For the record, as a retired state judge, I too, prefer to see it as sharing an idea. I may also suggest that you may want to refrain from comments, which suggest intent to infringe upon patents, design patents, trade secrets, copyrights, and trademarks. That screams of litigation.

 

[Jagmandave]

Fair enough judge, but I can assure you that while the idea may be similar, the execution will be considerably different, both from the materials used and construction methods when/if I build mine.

Plus too and also, I have no money for anyone to get in a lawsuit, it would be a massive waste of time and money on their part....

 

[Danglerb]

Porken the inventor, he can't stop tinkering with stuff and has worked some wonders for the 928 model years he has dug into and messed with.

The concept of the liftbars is great, and people seem to love them that have them.

OTOH I don't think ripping off his idea will be quite as easy as it appears, plenty of revisions as he learned more details of interactions with different models.

 

[kippintranet]

Alas, I will surrender to all who are apparently more learned in the law. I really do not care. It seems that many have missed the point of my initial posting. Simply, a reputable individual developed an idea, a product, and is providing a site and opportunity to purchase his product; and, my post was not intended to be screaming spam. Let us acknowledge and congratulate the inventor and entrepreneur instead of bragging about our reverse engineering skills and how you think you can copy an idea but yet make it different. Kudos to Ken (a/k/a PorKen) for his work.