Maxjax Installs: Post Here

[regguy1]

Yes, I did

 

[540i6]

Yes, I did

Thanks!

I thought they needed to be, but for whatever reason they did not come pre-wrapped like all the others. Just wanted to make sure.

 

[540i6]

FYI.. I have had my Maxjax for about a month now. I did the clutch on the 99 Cobra and a few other things...worked great. I also put my 2007 Saturn Outlook full size AWD SUV up in the air and left it overnight. Base vehicle weight is right at 5000 lbs and there was atleast a few hundred lbs of stuff inside. Probably 5250 lbs or so. Held like a champ even with me shaking the **** out of the SU like I was having a wild seizure. I wanted to put it to the test and not be all gingerly around it. Its either gonna hold...or its not. Held just fine. Next up is front brakes on the Saturn followed by headers and cam on the 04 Z06.

Sounds great! Did you use epoxy in your anchor installation?

 

[Hybridss]

Sounds great! Did you use epoxy in your anchor installation?

No epoxy. I installed the anchors as described with the instructions that were in the anchor package. Some of the anchors I could not even get back up to the recommended depth they were so tight. IMO any decent mechanic should be able to determine if the anchors are set properly as they are complying with the install procedures. I also personally think that no epoxy should be used unless it is needed due to a less than perfect hole.

 

[Joe From NY]

 

[540i6]

I've finally got my lift installed. Everything went relatively smooth with one exception for the three back holes in one of the columns where I hit rebar. Had to run out and get a rebar cutter to get through it. Concrete turned out to be roughly 5" in all 10 holes, drilling was very easy. After I drilled the first hole per instructions, I didn't like the way the bigger bit drills out the pilot hole to the final diameter and I opted to drill with the larger 7/8" bit all the way without using the pilot and it worked great. I positioned the columns the way I wanted them and then used them for both starting the holes exactly where I wanted them and also to ensure the drill is stable and square to the floor. This way, once the columns are positioned, they don't need to be moved until all holes are finished.

All anchors seem to hold fine, none of them pulled all the way to the surface, none of them allowed me to do more then 4 turns to set and all hold 90 lb.ft. of torque.

The concern I have is that some of you who already installed their lifts said that they were "rock solid" while lifting. Mine is not. The base does seem to be rock solid, but the columns seem to flex and at the top they move roughly a quarter of an inch. Is this normal? What do you guys think? I'm attaching pictures of the base and the top before and after the vehicle is lifted.

I'm lifting a BMW E39 540i, which reportedly should be about 3800LB.

 

[UPSHIFT]

I've finally got my lift installed. Everything went relatively smooth with one exception for the three back holes in one of the columns where I hit rebar. Had to run out and get a rebar cutter to get through it. Concrete turned out to be roughly 5" in all 10 holes, drilling was very easy. After I drilled the first hole per instructions, I didn't like the way the bigger bit drills out the pilot hole to the final diameter and I opted to drill with the larger 7/8" bit all the way without using the pilot and it worked great. I positioned the columns the way I wanted them and then used them for both starting the holes exactly where I wanted them and also to ensure the drill is stable and square to the floor. This way, once the columns are positioned, they don't need to be moved until all holes are finished.

All anchors seem to hold fine, none of them pulled all the way to the surface, none of them allowed me to do more then 4 turns to set and all hold 90 lb.ft. of torque.

The concern I have is that some of you who already installed their lifts said that they were "rock solid" while lifting. Mine is not. The base does seem to be rock solid, but the columns seem to flex and at the top they move roughly a quarter of an inch. Is this normal? What do you guys think? I'm attaching pictures of the base and the top before and after the vehicle is lifted.

I'm lifting a BMW E39 540i, which reportedly should be about 3800LB.

540i6,

It sounds like the anchors are set correctly and secure, you may have to retighten the bolts the first couple of lifts as the anchor will come up slightly. The main concern is to keep the columns level when lifting to prevent friction between the lift arms, if the 1/4" movement continues all you need to do is shim the column out 1/4" to assure both columns are level with a load. Please call me if you need any further assistance.

Thanks as Always,
Gabe
Dannmar

 

[Joe From NY]

Gabe, it's Joe from Long Island. You helped me out when my steel strap pieces at the top of the column were bent. I finally got the lift installed, and all is well. It is the best single investment in my garage set-up. The install went fine, and after bleeding each cylinder once, everything is working great. The updated install manual was a straight-forward read. i spend hours a day under and around my cars now locating things that need attention, that i had no access to before. I recommend this lift to anyone who likes to get under the car, and wants to actually have room to turn around, use tools without cramping up. and work without getting a face full of **** falling on you. Thanks for giving great support for a great product.
joe

PS, do you have longer adapters available than the ones that shipped with the lift?

 

[Silverback51]

Can someone tell me the size of the floor pads? I have looked at the Dannmar site and cannot find the size.

Thanks,

 

[regguy1]

Can someone tell me the size of the floor pads? I have looked at the Dannmar site and cannot find the size.

Thanks,

scroll down a bit

http://www.maxjaxusa.com/specifications.html

 

[540i6]

It sounds like the anchors are set correctly and secure, you may have to retighten the bolts the first couple of lifts as the anchor will come up slightly. The main concern is to keep the columns level when lifting to prevent friction between the lift arms, if the 1/4" movement continues all you need to do is shim the column out 1/4" to assure both columns are level with a load.

Thanks, Gabe, for replying. I also called Dannmar as you suggested just to be on the safe side. So the conclusion is that it is normal (or acceptable) to flex within 1/4" under load as long as the base is secure. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Thanks,
Alex.

 

[crushers]

evening gents...
I came across this thread (and glad i did) when i had an issue with the first anchor i installed. i went to tighten it as per Wej-it instructions coupled with Dannmars. the anchor started to spin a bit and that seemed strange.
after re-reading the instructions, Dannmar stated these are for 4" floors (mine is just over 4" of year old concrete - 3500 rated) and Wej-it stated you need 5 1/2" and shouldn't break through ...
so i did a search to see which was right and came across this post (thanks for posting this up ).
add to this the chipping of the top 1/4" didn't make me happy.
i am considering going with the epoxy anchors and ditching these ones. what ones did you end up using? are you happy with the results.

all in all, i am impressed with the over all quality of the lift. i will be getting longer feed lines made up since these are too short for my application of the lift. will 4000 lb lines be adaquate or should i go to the 8000 lb? i do not have access to 6000 lb.

cheers and thanks once again.

No problem. I only posted here because I was frankly amazed - and scared crapless - when I discovered just how badly the anchors were set (or really, not set). When I installed the first lift post exactly as per the Dannmar instructions, it seemed completely solid. I had obvious issues with installing the second post. This is what started the whole thing and me doing more investigation and calling Wej-It directly. Had the really "obvious" failures not happened, I'd have finished the install and there would be a car on the lift right now. I'd have had absolutely no idea that the lift was really unsafe. But, because of the discrepencies in information, I decided to unbolt the first post and test it.

The point of the story is that I'd be willing to bet two things with some very serious money.

1) That there are people who have installed (in this case, Dannmar specifically) lifts and who think they are to spec - and who have unsafe anchors. If you notice, parts of the instruction manual are kind of "generic". So it may be related to more than just the MaxJax. I don't know. But I do know that the MaxJax instruction manual gives a clearly inadequate and untested process that is not recommended or supported by the actual anchor manufacturer.

2) That some people who have had anchors fail or twist, resulting in them having to cut out and repour concrete, may have experienced this because of the incorrect method of setting the anchors listed in the MaxJax installation manual.

These are my opinions, and may not be fact. What is most certainly fact is the discrepencies in the installation process. And when you consider the differences in the process, consider this. The only advantage to doing it the Dannmar way is - that Dannmar doesn't have to provide a single washer and a single 5/8" coarse nut. I don't think it was deliberate. I just think it was a sloppy mistake. I posted this because I don't want to read about somebody getting crushed under their car because the anchors pulled out and they didn't know - and I didn't speak up.

I have 10 Wej-It Power Sert anchors waiting to be installed this weekend. I'm going to order the AWF epoxy and then all should be well. Hopefully that'll end the issues.

 

[DogP]

Quick question on the anchor install. I've got the holes drilled and anchors recessed 5/8" below the top... but the first one I tried to set wouldn't pull up flush to the surface like the MaxJax instructions say. I grabbed a breaker bar to allow me to crank harder, but the washer ended up just bending and going down in the hole... the concrete chipped a little bit around the hole, but the anchor is still about 1/4" from the lip of the concrete. The anchor itself didn't turn (I was holding the bolt to prevent it even if it tried).

Then I read the instructions that came with the anchors, which said for the 5/8" anchors to do no more than 4 turns to set the anchor.

Any suggestions on what I should do for the other 9? I assume the first one is fine, even though it's still 1/4" from the concrete lip? It must be REALLY tight since the washer is basically a funnel now . But for the others, should I keep cranking on them like I did this one, or should I stop at 4 complete turns?

I don't think it matters, but the concrete is very deep... I tried to go all the way through, but the 8" long bit only barely made it through one of the holes.

Thanks,
Pat

 

[540i6]

If the holes are drilled properly, the concrete is of the required strength and the anchors are set per anchor manufacturer instructions, there is no way they will be flush with the surface. In my case I wasn't even able to complete 4 full turns for some of the anchors. And you don't want them to be flush, the anchors are designed to bite into the concrete when they are pulled with the bolts. If they were flush with the surface, you'd end up tightening them to the base of the columns instead of pulling on them.

Someone on this forum also suggested to tighten all bolts to 95 ft.lb. when installing the columns, which is what I do every time I lift.

Quick question on the anchor install. I've got the holes drilled and anchors recessed 5/8" below the top... but the first one I tried to set wouldn't pull up flush to the surface like the MaxJax instructions say. I grabbed a breaker bar to allow me to crank harder, but the washer ended up just bending and going down in the hole... the concrete chipped a little bit around the hole, but the anchor is still about 1/4" from the lip of the concrete. The anchor itself didn't turn (I was holding the bolt to prevent it even if it tried).

Then I read the instructions that came with the anchors, which said for the 5/8" anchors to do no more than 4 turns to set the anchor.

Any suggestions on what I should do for the other 9? I assume the first one is fine, even though it's still 1/4" from the concrete lip? It must be REALLY tight since the washer is basically a funnel now . But for the others, should I keep cranking on them like I did this one, or should I stop at 4 complete turns?

I don't think it matters, but the concrete is very deep... I tried to go all the way through, but the 8" long bit only barely made it through one of the holes.

Thanks,
Pat

 

[DogP]

Thanks... I was hoping for that. I got the rest of the anchors set... I grabbed a new bolt, nut, and some bigger washers, then basically turned them all 4 turns. They all felt really tight, and were all still below the surface.

I got the whole thing connected, though I'm having some troubles getting the lift to raise level. I've bled the system plenty of times, but one side tends to start lifting a few seconds before the other side, and in turn, also lowers fully after the other side. At full height, one side is about 3" higher than the other.

I've found that switching which side of the flow divider the hoses are connected to changes which side raises first. Is there an adjustment for equalizing flow on the flow divider? Or does that mean the it's bad? Or is there another problem? I haven't tried it with a car load on it yet, but the manual said to bleed until it's level... but that wasn't working for me.

Thanks,
Pat

 

[540i6]

Yes, my washer also turned into a funnel after the first hole After that I used the thick steel plate which was a part of the temporary lift hoist.

I have a similar lifting problem, the symptom is the same as yours, one side starts first and the other a second or two after and the side that starts first also lowers faster finishing first. It is the same under load. The difference from yours is that switching hoses at the columns does not change the behavior of the columns, which in my case points to difference in cylinders.

I've talked to Denmar and they suggested "equalizing" the columns before lifting by holding the pump button and the lowering lever pressed at the same time. Before lifting I usually lift a few inches and then while continuing holding the button, push slightly on the lowering lever so that lifting suspends, play with the lever so that the arms go up and down slightly. Then lower the arms back almost all the way down. After this procedure the lifting on both sides usually starts at the same time, one side is still faster then the other though. So for me the situation is still not fully resolved and I'll be contacting them again. For now I don't raise my car higher then the first safety lock position. Last time I went all the way it was quite scary when one side started lowering faster then the other until difference in height became too big to continue lowering safely.

 

[demoderbydave]

MaxJax Hose question.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi everyone...

I found this group while doing my research on the Maxjax. I bought one and installed it and I LOVE IT!

I plan to leave one column bolted to the floor...it is mounted pretty close to the wall and move the other one out of the way when not in use. My question is.... (bear in mind I am not a hydraulic expert or for that manner an expert in anything other than plugging a toilet).... do the hoses that plug in from the "power unit" have to be equal length for this to operate properly?

I would like to mount the power unit on the wall close to the stationary column and run a hose up and along the ceiling to the other one. Primarily to avoid tripping over them and to have a more "professional" looking shop. When not in use I would figure out a way to secure it to the ceiling out of the way.

My thoughts are car brakes are hydraulic and have uneven line lengths and operate properly...I contacted Danmar and I got a simple basic answer...keep the hoses the same length and coil up the excess... My guess is that is a liability answer. I figure I could get a coupling to connect the two hoses that came with the unit together and have a short hose made up locally for the short side. Everyone I have talked to so far has said that in their opinion it wouldn't make any difference...as soon as you "pressurize " the system the lines equalize..much like a cars brakes... Any thoughts?

Also if anyone is contemplating buying one and would like to see one ( in central Massachusetts) let me know.

Thanks in advance,
Dave

 

[540i6]

Re: MaxJax Hose question.

...do the hoses that plug in from the "power unit" have to be equal length for this to operate properly?

Would like to know the same thing. Got the same answer from Denmar.

Alex.

 

[DogP]

I have a similar lifting problem, the symptom is the same as yours, one side starts first and the other a second or two after and the side that starts first also lowers faster finishing first. It is the same under load. The difference from yours is that switching hoses at the columns does not change the behavior of the columns, which in my case points to difference in cylinders.

Thanks... I'll give Dannmar a call and see what they say.

Also, there's four large E clips included... it appears that they are to be installed on the pegs that attach the arms to the post (sorry for lack of proper term).

The manual just says to put the pegs through the holes...are the E clips required to be installed, or are they just there for permanent installation? Of course it'd make it harder to take the arms off for storage, but if it's not safe unless they're installed, then I want to put them in .

Pat

 

[540i6]

I don't remember anything like this included with my set. I just put the pegs in and that's it. Can you attach a picture of them?

 

[drmoonshine]

Do you bring those in every night when your working on your car or leave them outside?

 

[m.james]

I notice some of you are having problems you should contact Dannmar here. The phone number and email are on that link.

 

[ponchopower]

Re: MaxJax Hose question.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

do the hoses that plug in from the "power unit" have to be equal length for this to operate properly?

I would like to mount the power unit on the wall close to the stationary column and run a hose up and along the ceiling to the other one. Primarily to avoid tripping over them and to have a more "professional" looking shop. When not in use I would figure out a way to secure it to the ceiling out of the way.

Well, at the risk of getting myself in trouble...

I've done this. Doing it now. I called and got the same answer, but thought about it quite a bit and could not figure out the mechanics behind the answer. So I decided to experiment.

First of all, even after getting 2 replacement sets of quick release fittings, my fittings would simply not stop leaking. I constantly had fluid all over the floor near the lift posts and the pump cart. So, I went out and bought new Parker fittings, and a 12 foot hose segment along with a swivel joint and adapter. I should have bought one extra fitting for the extra port on the divider, but they ran out of fittings.

When I got back home, I disconnected everything and installed most of the new fittings. I had to keep swapping one fitting for the following reason. I decided that it was likely that the divider may meter both pressure and volume, and that the extra 12 feet of hose on the one side could be too difficult to prime and bleed normally. I also noticed in the instructions that you are to use the single lower output port on the divider to power the motorcycle lift when only one column is in use. So, I put a fitting on the lower port, and then connected the (now about 24 feet or so" long hose to that port, filled the reservoir, and pushed the button until I got fluid out the end (depressing the opening to allow fluid to escape. BEWARE: Do this in an area where you can capture escaping fluid as it's messy! Also, try to elevate the hose higher than the divider to allow air to get pushed out by the fluid, helping with the bleeding process. I then disconnected this now primed (filled with fluid) hose, and did the other "short" (ie, oriignal length) hose. Then, reconnected both hoses to the divider and then to the columns/rams.

I then went through the normal bleeding process. Bleeding was a little more difficult, but I got it done. Everything works. I will say that one side lifts just about 2" "faster" (uniformly) than the other side, but I can't honestly say it's the result of the uneven lengths. If you want to go full height, just keep pressing the button and about 2 seconds after the near post is at full height, so is the far post.

It is also important to note that after installing the Parker fittings, which were certainly not cheap but of clearly higher quality, I have not had a single drop of fluid leak. That was several months ago. Previously, it never stopped leaking. The leaks were clearly coming from the valved areas of the fittings. You could see them. Now, they are perfectly dry.

I routed my hoses straight up the columns, and then they are suspended overhead securely, then down the wall to where the cart is stored out of the way. The hoses are now out of the way, secure, and can't be "knocked around". It is far more practical and useful, more neat and organized. It has really improved the effectiveness of the lift. I lift around 3700 lbs extremely frequently. When I lift the car to full height, and then install the safety bars, I've come back a week later and nothing has budged a single iota.

Obviously, do this at your own risk, but I had zero issues in doing this and really love the improvement.

 

[demoderbydave]

Re: Maxjax Installs: hose question

Thanks for the reply...I figured it would work but they were afraid to say so due to the liability issue... I am going to try to hunt down the parts and a short hose to do this this weekend. I figue I would just need a coupler to connect the two hoses that came with the lift together and that would give me the "long" side and get a short hose to do the other side. They just opened a new Tractor Supply near my house...supposedly they sell hydraulic hoses and fittings. I am not sure about what type of hose that comes with the lift...it is probably stamped on the hose. Any sugesttions? I have not experianced any leakage issues as of yet with my lift.
I saw your other photos...Do you have any of what you did with the hoses?

 

[ponchopower]

I don't have any pics of the result, but honestly there isn't much to show. You might want to rethink getting a short hose and just connecting the two existing hoses. The reason is that if you want to get hoses completely off the floor, then both hoses need to go straight up aligned with the lift posts all the way to the ceiling - then both across the ceiling (one obviously doesn't have as far to go) and then down the wall to the pump/divider/cart. Depending on how far away the wall is, just consider it's really twice your ceiling height, plus the distance to the wall, minus the divider height from the floor. It's probably every bit of one original hose length. In my case I could actually use some more.

Doing it that way keeps all hoses completely out of the way. Nothing on the floor, etc. For me, that's worth it's weight in gold considering how much of a PITA it is to get an engine stand rolled over a hydraulic hose.

You can temporarily secure the hoses where you need them with heavy zip ties. Later, you can use conduit clamps to really get things neat.

When you get a coupler, make sure it's a swivel coupler. Otherwise, it's a PITA to spin the entire length of the line to tighten it. You're better off finding a local hydraulic shop for the swivel coupler, because the cheapo ones often leak at the swivel.

 

[Joe From NY]

Do you bring those in every night when your working on your car or leave them outside?

They have been bolted to the driveway since i installed them the first week of august. I disconnect the hoses and move the power unit inside at night. If rain is coming, i remove the arms and cover the columns with one and a half garbage bags taped together to make it about 6 feet tall. i bungee the bags around the columns and it has held up great for the past 3 months. It is a hassle to unbolt it only to use it again in a coupke of days. I will unbolt them and roll them inside the garage probably by December because by then it will be too cold to work outside for me.
My question before was what to do about the holes and anchors over the winter. I dont know how frost will affect the holes in the concrete. i dont want the freeze/thaw cycle to crack the concrete. I am thinking of putting a nut and bolt through a washer big enough to just fit in the 7/8" hole and leave the threads sticking up. I will use silicone to seal the bolt to the washer and the washer into the hole. I can then grab the bolt by the threads in the spring and pull them out of the holes. This may help keep water out of the anchors over the winter.

 

[Joe From NY]

Re: Maxjax Installs: hose question

... I am not sure about what type of hose that comes with the lift...it is probably stamped on the hose. Any sugesttions? I have not experianced any leakage issues as of yet with my lift.
I saw your other photos...Do you have any of what you did with the hoses?

Here are photos of somebody's hoses from their answer to me in this prior thread:

And here is my cheapo looking hose that came with mine in April of 2010 (It looks like they switched to some generic made in china no-name hose supplier):

 

[Joe From NY]

Does anyone have an online source for compatable fittings that will work with the quick connect hardware that came with the unit?

 

[540i6]

I was looking for a hydraulics store in my neighborhood and found this one: http://www.hoseandfittingsetc.com/. By the look of their front page they might have something that will fit.

BTW, love the wall mount idea, that's what I will do for my setup.

 

[ponchopower]

I was looking for a hydraulics store in my neighborhood and found this one: http://www.hoseandfittingsetc.com/. By the look of their front page they might have something that will fit.

That store is a Parker shop, so they'll have what you need and the quality will be excellent. I got all my parts at a similar store. They won't be cheap - it's not cut rate junk - but it'll be worth it. Like I said, the differences in quality between the hydrualic couplers I got from the store and what I got from Dannmar were very obvious. Plus, like I said - no matter what I did every coupler I got from with the lift leaked fluid. After simply changing the couplers, not a single drop has leaked. I'm not beating up the MaxJax either. It's just very obvious, but the Parker stuff is definitely more expensive.

 

[ponchopower]

Does anyone have an online source for compatable fittings that will work with the quick connect hardware that came with the unit?

You might want to get those directly from Dannmar, as they are of unknown manufacturer and the specs may be a bit wonky compared to what I'd consider "better quality". Or, just replace them and buy extra so you know you've got a consistent and quality fitting.

The thread size for attaching them is simply 3/8" NPT.

 

[DogP]

I don't remember anything like this included with my set. I just put the pegs in and that's it. Can you attach a picture of them?

Attached is a pic of 3 of the E clips, and the fourth one, which I installed. Before I install the rest, i just want to make sure I should, since installing/removing those E clips is sorta a pain.

Thanks,
Pat

 

[540i6]

Attached is a pic of 3 of the E clips, and the fourth one, which I installed. Before I install the rest, i just want to make sure I should, since installing/removing those E clips is sorta a pain.

Just went through my MaxJax stuff and found four of the same E clips laying on the shelf... I checked the manual and apart from them mentioned in the parts list, didn't see anything about installing them. I would imagine they could be used if you plan on keeping the lift assembled for extended periods of time as a precautionary measure (in case someone tries to remove them??).

 

[Joe From NY]

Attached is a pic of 3 of the E clips, and the fourth one, which I installed. Before I install the rest, i just want to make sure I should, since installing/removing those E clips is sorta a pain.

Thanks,
Pat

That large pin is such a ***** to get in, i am not worrying that it might pop out. Often i have to use a mini sledge just to pound it in.

 

[drmoonshine]

Just went through my MaxJax stuff and found four of these laying on the shelf... I checked the manual and apart from them mentioned in the parts list, didn't see anything about installing them. I would imagine they could be used if you plan on keeping the lift assembled for extended periods of time as a precautionary measure (in case someone tries to remove them??).

There is not picture so no can confirm it but, yea thats probably what they are for.

 

[540i6]

There is not picture so no can confirm it but, yea thats probably what they are for.

I was referring to this post by DogP, sorry about the confusion.

 

[DogP]

540i6/Joe From NY: Thanks for the confirmation... yeah, it doesn't seem like they're going anywhere, and the instructions don't specify installing the E clips... so I think I'll leave them out.

Pat

 

[Joe From NY]

mine are so hard to get in, they would probably stay in if you turned the lift upside down

 

[drmoonshine]

I was referring to this post by DogP, sorry about the confusion.

Oh no it my bad. I'm glad you were able to be helped by someone who had realized this.

 

[GlennR]

Hi from Australia.

I purchased a MaxJax a couple of months ago. I have just had a new garage built, and today it was ready enough for me to install it.

All was going well until......

I remeasured the placement of the plates, and unfortunately it seems I have measured incorrectly.

Mine are 140 inches apart (measurement taken from the outer point on the plate), and I have read in the manual that the maximum seems to be 130 inches.

Has anyone else made this mistake, or could give me some advice on what to do next.....

Do I need to move one plate in so the maximum width is 130 inches?

Will this compromise the strength of the concrete?

Thanks for your advice.
Glenn