"lifting" a lift by 1"

[rick in colorado]

I have a Backyard Buddy 7,000lb extended height. The maximum height is 71.5" and, due to a new Jeep, I need .1" - 1" more clearance underneath. [.1" if I get a Liberty; 1" for a Wrangler]. I currently have a Grand Cherokee which is 1.2" shorter than either of the other two potential replacements.

Can I "shim" (under the lift's floor pads) my lift - safely? In my workout room I have 1/2" highly dense rubber flooring designed to support weight-lifting equipment without compressing.

http://www.humanemfg.com/flooring.htm

How about putting 12" x 12" squares under each floor pad? I'm thinking that the 1/2" rubberized shims would easily buy me 1/10" - more likely closer to the full 1/2". To fit the Wrangler, I'd need another option.

 

[PAToyota]

I'd be a bit hesitant to use rubber. Better to get a couple steel plates cut. We routinely use steel leveling plates for steel columns in construction, so I don't see any problems with using them for the lift.

 

[jimvannoy]

I don't think I would work under a lift that had rubber pads between it and the concrete. How will you tighten it back down? The rubber is going to have to compress some and probably shrink with age and heat or become brittle with cold.

 

[z28toz06]

can you just put 2 x 10s under where it contactsthe frame or tires?

 

[v8garage]

Use steel shims only. Also are the anchor bolts long enough to get full thread engagement when you lift it 1"?

 

[wilbilt]

It sounds like you are using the lift to park under, and referring to the manufacturer's specs on the vehicle height.

I would strongly suggest actually measuring both the lift clearance and the vehicle height before driving under it. Also note how much the vehicle rises when you get out of it.

 

[boiler7904]

It sounds like you are using the lift to park under, and referring to the manufacturer's specs on the vehicle height.

I would strongly suggest actually measuring both the lift clearance and the vehicle height before driving under it. Also note how much the vehicle rises when you get out of it.

+1

I'd make sure that the vehicle is as light as possible - 1/4 tank of gas at the most, no cargo, and the tires are inflated the way you would drive it. Also consider any suspension mods or a different tire / wheel combo.

Then I'd use steel shims. How is the lift anchored now? You might need longer studs / bolts /etc. to make it all work.

 

[Danglerb]

Never hurts to talk to the vendor too.

 

[PxTx]

The BYB does not have any provisions for anchor bolts, so no concern there. I have raided 4 post lifts on the racedeck plastic tiles without issue, but it has only been for about 48 hrs during shows. Since you car probably had less surface area where the tires contact the ground, I imaging the oversized rubber pads you want to use would work just as well as anything.

 

[mikeyr]

When I installed my lift, I asked the manufacturer about the racedeck tiles and I also asked racedeck, both came back and said put the lift on the tiles with no worries.

But racedeck tiles are a hard plastic I would be concerned with rubber unless it was very hard. Call Backyard Buddy and ask them, they have had to come up with this issue before and I bet some solution.

 

[Junkman]

get a piece of inch and a half steel plate that is about 6" larger than the square of the post, and put it under the post. I would tack weld it in place, and that would be OK. The lift won't know the difference, unless you try to move it. If that idea doesn't fit your plans, then let the air out of the tires, and it should fit fine.

 

[DynoDave]

I'm with the guys that suggest steel plate. I wouldn't want to work under anything else.

 

[Stuart in MN]

I've been doing this for years with a four post lift. I made four square pads the same size as the feet on the hoist from two pieces of 3/4" plywood screwed and glued together. They raise the lift 1 1/2" which is just enough to fit the two cars stacked one over the other within the confines of my garage ceiling. The lift is just as stable with the pads as it is without, and there's been no deterioration to the pads - no compression, water damage or anything.

The hardest part is lifting up the hoist to get the pads under there in the first place (this is done when it is unloaded, of course.)

 

[PAToyota]

To expand upon my earlier comment, when setting a steel column we typically detail for a base plate on the column (same as the base plate on your lift). Then the anchor bolts are set in the concrete and a leveling plate is used with non-shrink grout. This sets the leveling plate perfectly level and at exactly the right height to accept the column - since the foundation/pier/whatever may be off by 1/4 to 1/2 inch or more. This setup could be advantageous to your situation because it would allow you to set things up perfectly and correct any possible issues with the floor being out of level.

 

[rick in colorado]

As a follow-up: I decided to use two sheets of highly-dense 3/4" rubber flooring cut into 12"x12" squares as my "shims". The end result is incredibly stable - probably more so than steel would have been. I would guess that the 1.5" (3/4"x2) base has compressed to 1.49" and the (oh so) slight compression has made for a less wobbly platform. I think that the word "rubber" scared some people. This stuff is very, very dense.

 

[Junkman]

............... This stuff is very, very dense.

I wonder if it is as dense as my ex???????