Vegaman_Dan
Well-known member
With the excellent opportunity to purchase a MaxJax by Danmar during a recent Group Buy here on Garage Journal (Thanks Upshift!), I pulled the trigger and got what I never could have dreamed of having- a real lift. No more jacks and jack stands for me!
At $1800 ($1940 delivered with liftgate service to my driveway), it was a good deal. A bit more than some lifts, a bit less than others. I went with this over others because of the excellent customer service this company has offered and proven time and time again here on Garage Journal. Customer service means a lot, and won my business based on how they treat members here on this forum.
The unit arrived well packed. This has been a concern in the past and it appears they have addressed all the issues. A steel welded frame holds the parts together on a pair of pallets to get the elevation needed. The pump, arms, and other smaller parts are sealed in a large box on top that was reinforced inside against carrier caused damage (something that has been a common problem).
Placement / spacing varies depending on your usage needs. 110-115" between the *back* of the plates / columns for small to midsize, 120" for midsize to small compact trucks, and 125+ for larger. As I would be working on vehicles from a compact pickup to a tiny 3 wheel Cushman, I went with 120". I did consider 123" but that would have made it offset to the garage door opening too much. You can place the column against a wall, but be advised access to the hydraulic quick disconnect will be limited and awkward. The hose will be fine, but you might not be!
Each hole needs to be 7/8" and 4" deep. Residential slabs in my area were 4" per code at the time (1987), and I lucked out that all of my holes were at 4-5.5". I did drill through all the way just in case I had to redo a hole/fastener. A hammer rotary drill is a must. Well, not a must, but being able to drill the hole in 20-45 seconds is worth it to me. I used a 7/8" SDS Plus drill bit for the job. These aren't cheap- $50 for one from Grainger, but it was amazing to watch it do its magic, boring holes in concrete. My mind just boggles at a metal bit drilling through concrete, yet, there it is.
Oh, don't skimp on the hammer you use to drive those Weijet anchors (included) into the concrete. You want some mass to pound them in.
Preparation of the columns was pretty easy. Lay them down on their back (propped up on wood helps to keep them level), lift the carriage to the top and then you can remove the cylinder from the column at the bottom and lift out. It's held in place by gravity and the carriage. You'll need to do this so you can thread in the hydraulic fittings. Use Teflon tape- the tape that was put on there in advance was a bit light and coming off. I replaced it on all fittings with a good quality tape which ensured no leaks. An ounce of prevention really makes a difference here. Put the cylinders back in place and remember to *slide the carriage back down to the base* before you tip the column back up. Some members have nearly lost their fingers because the carriage will slam down with some force. That advice helped me avoid any problems.
Bolting the columns in place was easy. Shims are provided to help level the columns. I used a pair of magnetic levels to guide me. I put them at the top where any shifting would be the greatest. Since my floor is sloped lightly for drainage, it was important to make sure the shims were in place. Danmar recommends noting the number of shims and placement for when you move or return the columns. That's not a bad idea and I might write it on the base with a paint pen next to the holes.
That brings up an interesting point. There is no left or right column. They are identical so it really doesn't matter which one you put where. I might label them with some vinyl stickers if only to keep them straight for myself.
No installation goes without a few ... challenges. In my case, everything fit great. During the initial lift/testing/bleeding process with the lift empty, I discovered that the vertical cylinder going up through the column was more than happy to keep going right up... and into the overhead garage door track! D'OH! It could have been moved to the left or right a few inches to have avoided it entirely, and I should have seen that before drilling the holes. Oh well. The affected track area was an extension piece and not where the door actually rolled, so it was not affected. I didn't have a good mounting if I shortened the track, so I essentially C-notched it with some 3/16" flat bar stock I used a bender I had picked up recently. It now fits around the cylinder nicely and is stronger than the original track.
Does it work? Yes. Once the system was bled, it was pretty easy. Definitely lube up the slides in the columns with white lithium grease as recommended. Greatly helps in avoiding binding.
The Cushman is very narrow, and I had to use the extension pads to get it to fit, but it did and is rock solid. It can't go up that high due to a light bar behind the cab and the overhead beam. I wish that beam wasn't there! But it does get it in the air and that's more than I could do with the jacks and stands earlier without a lot of trouble.
The S10 fits in there as well, but can't lift high either due to the same overhead beam restriction. This is not a limit of the lift, but of my space. I could move the lift colums towards the garage door four feet and get another foot at least of clearance. Since I'll be using this to hold my Spitfire though mostly, it wasn't as big of a deal. The Spitfire's roof is only at 40" compared to the Cushman's 6 foot height or the S10's 7 foot height with light bar.
At $1800 ($1940 delivered with liftgate service to my driveway), it was a good deal. A bit more than some lifts, a bit less than others. I went with this over others because of the excellent customer service this company has offered and proven time and time again here on Garage Journal. Customer service means a lot, and won my business based on how they treat members here on this forum.
The unit arrived well packed. This has been a concern in the past and it appears they have addressed all the issues. A steel welded frame holds the parts together on a pair of pallets to get the elevation needed. The pump, arms, and other smaller parts are sealed in a large box on top that was reinforced inside against carrier caused damage (something that has been a common problem).
Placement / spacing varies depending on your usage needs. 110-115" between the *back* of the plates / columns for small to midsize, 120" for midsize to small compact trucks, and 125+ for larger. As I would be working on vehicles from a compact pickup to a tiny 3 wheel Cushman, I went with 120". I did consider 123" but that would have made it offset to the garage door opening too much. You can place the column against a wall, but be advised access to the hydraulic quick disconnect will be limited and awkward. The hose will be fine, but you might not be!
Each hole needs to be 7/8" and 4" deep. Residential slabs in my area were 4" per code at the time (1987), and I lucked out that all of my holes were at 4-5.5". I did drill through all the way just in case I had to redo a hole/fastener. A hammer rotary drill is a must. Well, not a must, but being able to drill the hole in 20-45 seconds is worth it to me. I used a 7/8" SDS Plus drill bit for the job. These aren't cheap- $50 for one from Grainger, but it was amazing to watch it do its magic, boring holes in concrete. My mind just boggles at a metal bit drilling through concrete, yet, there it is.
Oh, don't skimp on the hammer you use to drive those Weijet anchors (included) into the concrete. You want some mass to pound them in.
Preparation of the columns was pretty easy. Lay them down on their back (propped up on wood helps to keep them level), lift the carriage to the top and then you can remove the cylinder from the column at the bottom and lift out. It's held in place by gravity and the carriage. You'll need to do this so you can thread in the hydraulic fittings. Use Teflon tape- the tape that was put on there in advance was a bit light and coming off. I replaced it on all fittings with a good quality tape which ensured no leaks. An ounce of prevention really makes a difference here. Put the cylinders back in place and remember to *slide the carriage back down to the base* before you tip the column back up. Some members have nearly lost their fingers because the carriage will slam down with some force. That advice helped me avoid any problems.
Bolting the columns in place was easy. Shims are provided to help level the columns. I used a pair of magnetic levels to guide me. I put them at the top where any shifting would be the greatest. Since my floor is sloped lightly for drainage, it was important to make sure the shims were in place. Danmar recommends noting the number of shims and placement for when you move or return the columns. That's not a bad idea and I might write it on the base with a paint pen next to the holes.
That brings up an interesting point. There is no left or right column. They are identical so it really doesn't matter which one you put where. I might label them with some vinyl stickers if only to keep them straight for myself.
No installation goes without a few ... challenges. In my case, everything fit great. During the initial lift/testing/bleeding process with the lift empty, I discovered that the vertical cylinder going up through the column was more than happy to keep going right up... and into the overhead garage door track! D'OH! It could have been moved to the left or right a few inches to have avoided it entirely, and I should have seen that before drilling the holes. Oh well. The affected track area was an extension piece and not where the door actually rolled, so it was not affected. I didn't have a good mounting if I shortened the track, so I essentially C-notched it with some 3/16" flat bar stock I used a bender I had picked up recently. It now fits around the cylinder nicely and is stronger than the original track.
Does it work? Yes. Once the system was bled, it was pretty easy. Definitely lube up the slides in the columns with white lithium grease as recommended. Greatly helps in avoiding binding.
The Cushman is very narrow, and I had to use the extension pads to get it to fit, but it did and is rock solid. It can't go up that high due to a light bar behind the cab and the overhead beam. I wish that beam wasn't there! But it does get it in the air and that's more than I could do with the jacks and stands earlier without a lot of trouble.
The S10 fits in there as well, but can't lift high either due to the same overhead beam restriction. This is not a limit of the lift, but of my space. I could move the lift colums towards the garage door four feet and get another foot at least of clearance. Since I'll be using this to hold my Spitfire though mostly, it wasn't as big of a deal. The Spitfire's roof is only at 40" compared to the Cushman's 6 foot height or the S10's 7 foot height with light bar.
