Maxjax Installs: Post Here

[DogP]

Glenn: I think it's just where the arms can reach... at 140 inches, it seems like the arms may not be able to reach the lift points on most vehicles. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think it's a strength issue.

If you did want to move it in, you could probably move one side in a little by using the two front holes as two of the back holes, and only need to drill 3 new holes and anchors (rather than having to do 5, as well as all the hole alignment measurements again). That'd move it in 6 inches or so.

Did you check the spacing with your vehicles? Do you need 140 inches... or will it actually work for your vehicles?

Pat

 

[Joe From NY]

Re: MaxJax Hose question.

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

...
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.

So you have one column working with the two original hoses connected together, and the other column using the new hose? I was thinking of including one old hose on each side, to equalize the both sides in case the new lengths of hose have a greater or lesser degree of expansion under pressure than the original. Does anyone think this is necessary?

 

[Joe From NY]

Re: MaxJax Hose question.

...

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.
...

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 am going to the local hydraulic store Wednesday afternoon and my question is: does everyone agree that we can run two different length hoses with the Maxjax. The way i have my setup planned out leaves me with 24 feet of hose on one side and about 38 feet on the other. Does anyone see a reason that this will not work?

 

[demoderbydave]

I plan to do this this weekend as well. Everyone says it will work (except Dannmar, again probably for liability reasons) I bought a 96" 4000 psi hydraulic hose and and plan to use that for the short side and connect the two hoses that came with it for the long side and try it.

I could not find any 3/8" NPT male to male connectors anywhere so I picked up a standard galvanize steel one at Lowes. I THINK THIS SHOULD BE MORE THAN SUFFICIENT Anyone have any thoughts on that?

 

[drmoonshine]

I plan to do this this weekend as well. Everyone says it will work (except Danmarr, again probably for liability reasons) I bought a 96" 4000 psi hydraulic hose and and plan to use that for the short side and connect the two hoses that came with it for the long side and try it.

I could not find any 3/8" NPT male to male connectors anywhere so I picked up a standard galvanize steel one at Lowes. I THINK THIS SHOULD BE MORE THAN SUFFICIENT Anyone have any thoughts on that?

I would be more worried about breaking the warranty if Dannmar would be against it.

 

[Joe From NY]

I plan to do this this weekend as well. Everyone says it will work (except Danmarr, again probably for liability reasons) I bought a 96" 4000 psi hydraulic hose and and plan to use that for the short side and connect the two hoses that came with it for the long side and try it.

I could not find any 3/8" NPT male to male connectors anywhere so I picked up a standard galvanize steel one at Lowes. I THINK THIS SHOULD BE MORE THAN SUFFICIENT Anyone have any thoughts on that?

Just make sure you prime the new line before use. What i did was swap the lower allen head plug from the flow divider with one of the top quick connects. Then i put one female quick connector on my new hose and put the other end into a soup can. Hook it up to the lower port and hit the button and shortly hydraulic fluid will shoot from the end of the new hose. Then thread on your other female Q/C fitting on the hose end. This will make it much easier to bleed the cylinder upon first use. You have to use the lower flow divider outlet or the divider makes terrible noise when only one side is flowing fluid. it stays trying to equalize the flow and pressure.

 

[Joe From NY]

I would be more worried about breaking the warranty if Dannmar would be against it.

Not an issue, you would just put it back to stock before any claim...

 

[demoderbydave]

But that would be dishonest........ No one would do that now would they?????

 

[ponchopower]

Re: MaxJax Hose question.

So you have one column working with the two original hoses connected together, and the other column using the new hose? I was thinking of including one old hose on each side, to equalize the both sides in case the new lengths of hose have a greater or lesser degree of expansion under pressure than the original. Does anyone think this is necessary?

No, I have one original hose on each side, and one of the sides has a swivel fitting attaching a second hose to it. Pretty much like you describe that you thought about. The lift works fine, though as mentioned the one side does lift an inch or two before the other but it's not a problem.

 

[ponchopower]

Re: MaxJax Hose question.

i am going to the local hydraulic store Wednesday afternoon and my question is: does everyone agree that we can run two different length hoses with the Maxjax. The way i have my setup planned out leaves me with 24 feet of hose on one side and about 38 feet on the other. Does anyone see a reason that this will not work?

The only thing you mention here that worries me is the length. 24 feet and 38 feet is a LOT of hose. You may have some issues there for a couple reasons. First is just plain bleeding. That's a ton of line to have to bleed. Second is priming. The reservoir may struggle to handle the volume you're talking about. The third is volumetric expansion. The longer the hose segments, the more any line expansion - slight as it may be - will affect ram performance. Not saying it won't work, but remember that you have more line in one hose than I have total - even after I added my 12' extension.

 

[ponchopower]

I plan to do this this weekend as well. Everyone says it will work (except Danmarr, again probably for liability reasons) I bought a 96" 4000 psi hydraulic hose and and plan to use that for the short side and connect the two hoses that came with it for the long side and try it.

I could not find any 3/8" NPT male to male connectors anywhere so I picked up a standard galvanize steel one at Lowes. I THINK THIS SHOULD BE MORE THAN SUFFICIENT Anyone have any thoughts on that?

I would not use a standard galvanized steel fitting on even a low pressure hydraulic system personally. It's low pressure from a hydraulic ram perspective in comparison. It's WAY high pressure compared to normal use for galvanized pipe.

 

[demoderbydave]

Good point about the fitting...I am going to see about a fitting at Tractor supply today. They should have something. Hopefully!

 

[drmoonshine]

Not an issue, you would just put it back to stock before any claim...

Well then I guess your fine then.

 

[Joe From NY]

Well, i tested my lift with the longer hoses and all is well. i am using about 38 feet on one side and 24 feet on the shorter side. The hoses bled easily after i primed them and it lifted my jeep fine today. It is nice not having to trip all over the hoses all around the car in the driveway, and my welding cart can roll around where i need it now. I will get photos up of my 7 foot high hose bracket arrangements tomorrow in the daylight.

 

[Junkman]

Whenever you modify any machinery from as designed and delivered, you also negate any liability insurance coverage that the manufacturer has for the product that would cover you in the event of an accident. Even if you put it back to original, once modified, all warranty coverage becomes null and void. When you post what you are doing on a public website, you are in effect creating the largest witness pool that is possible. Even if you delete a post, it is still archived and can be found easily.

 

[Joe From NY]

Whenever you modify any machinery from as designed and delivered, you also negate any liability insurance coverage that the manufacturer has for the product that would cover you in the event of an accident. Even if you put it back to original, once modified, all warranty coverage becomes null and void. When you post what you are doing on a public website, you are in effect creating the largest witness pool that is possible. Even if you delete a post, it is still archived and can be found easily.

i guess i better take those 30 inch tires and thick steel bumpers off my jeep, and put the old handlebars back on my motorcycle. And i will remove the extra RAM i installed in my laptop, and the DVD drive i put in my desktop, remove the scopes from my rifles, put the wood grips back on my pistol, and take out the DVD-Navigation unit I put in my Eldo.

 

[dmeray1]

Oh, and your lift is outside?

 

[Joe From NY]

Did i forget to mention i like to rip the tags off my mattress also.

 

[Joe From NY]

Oh, and your lift is outside?

Indeed it is...

 

[rickycobra]

Did i forget to mention i like to rip the tags off my mattress also.

Nice. Have you noticed any change in how the lift works for it being outside in New York?

 

[demoderbydave]

I made my "permanent" install over the weekend as well. They just opened a Tractor Supply near my house and they sell both hoses and fittings. Their hoses are not a shiny finish like the chinese hoses that came with my lift but have a more rigid corse fabric type jacket on them...similar to the hoses on fork lifts or on a tractor. They are rated at 4000psi which is more than what Danmarr requires. I had no trouble bleeding the system...I just had to do it a few times to get all the air out. I plan to add another 96" to the long side to finish my install the way I want it. As far as modifying the products original design...I did not...I just extended the hoses...And fluid doesnt know how long the hose is, it just flows...like a cars brake system. The lines to all 4 brakes are different lenghts and all get the same amount of fluid . I am sure some one more educated than me (probably anyone who reads this) can come up with theories of flow rates vs line lenghts vs PSI (ect) to prove me wrong but It works and that is all that matters to me. If this was an elevator or airplane or something more life threating I would be more concerned. YES I KNOW THAT A CAR THAT FALLS ON YOU CAN KILL YOU.... But First, I am not standing under it as it is raising or lowering, second, hydraulic pressure does not hold the vehicle while I am working on it...the safety bars and lift itself do that. And mainly...if I notice it DOING ANYTHING NOT KOSHER I certainly will not continue lifting it or stand under it either...I know the world seems to be lacking in Common Sense but I certainly am not doing anything INTENTIONALLY TO KILL myself! Again like the jeep guy said You better not put a lift kit in or tub a car or modify anything !!

Total cost...96" hoses 23.00 each and 3/8 to 3/8 swivel couplers 7.00 each.
To avoid tripping over the hoses...PRICELESS!!

 

[m.james]

I made my "permanent" install over the weekend as well. They just opened a Tractor Supply near my house and they sell both hoses and fittings. Their hoses are not a shiny finish like the chinese hoses that came with my lift but have a more rigid corse fabric type jacket on them...similar to the hoses on fork lifts or on a tractor. They are rated at 4000psi which is more than what Danmarr requires. I had no trouble bleeding the system...I just had to do it a few times to get all the air out. I plan to add another 96" to the long side to finish my install the way I want it. As far as modifying the products original design...I did not...I just extended the hoses...And fluid doesnt know how long the hose is, it just flows...like a cars brake system. The lines to all 4 brakes are different lenghts and all get the same amount of fluid . I am sure some one more educated than me (probably anyone who reads this) can come up with theories of flow rates vs line lenghts vs PSI (ect) to prove me wrong but It works and that is all that matters to me. If this was an elevator or airplane or something more life threating I would be more concerned. YES I KNOW THAT A CAR THAT FALLS ON YOU CAN KILL YOU.... But First, I am not standing under it as it is raising or lowering, second, hydraulic pressure does not hold the vehicle while I am working on it...the safety bars and lift itself do that. And mainly...if I notice it DOING ANYTHING NOT KOSHER I certainly will not continue lifting it or stand under it either...I know the world seems to be lacking in Common Sense but I certainly am not doing anything INTENTIONALLY TO KILL myself! Again like the jeep guy said You better not put a lift kit in or tub a car or modify anything !!

Total cost...96" hoses 23.00 each and 3/8 to 3/8 swivel couplers 7.00 each.
To avoid tripping over the hoses...PRICELESS!!

Congrats on the Lift install. Just because there is very little risk of getting hurt doesn't me you shouldn't be attentive.

 

[Joe From NY]

Yeah, i didn't have a TSC store near me so i got sodomized at the local hydraulic hose shop. I would have saved a bunch of cash had I ordered the hoses from Northern, and sourced the fittings online. All the stuff I bought is excellent quality and is made in USA (Ohio). For three Eaton Aeroquip hoses (13 ft, 12 ft, & 18 ft) with the ends crimped on, i paid $240- total. Then i got four FD-45 female disconnect fittings @ $29- each, and two FD-45 male ends @ $13- each. Total cost over $400-. But it sure is nice to have the hoses up off the floor. I was afraid of welding splatter burning through them, or them getting cut under my boots, and then having my jeep stuck up on the lift.

As noted in a prior post, i am leaving the unit on the cart rather than mounting on the wall. It is out of the way where it is. The bungee cord on the cart is real useful for holding the lowering valve lever open so I dont have to stay bending down when lowering the lift. I was thinking of relocating the power button from the front of the pump motor, to the front wall inside of the garage door so i can get a clearer view of the car going up.

I put a couple of disconnects right at the garage door, in case i wanted to leave the hoses connected to the lift, but run to the store, I could close the door this way. But i will usually just leave the hoses connected together and coiled up in the garage at night. I have yet to make a bracket to coil them up on when not in use.

I used a temporary bracket i made out of wood (scrap metal conduit through the top holes in the columns works to stabilize the piece of wood) to hold the hose up at the columns, until i figure out a more elegant solution. (But, since i am a procrastinator, i will probably never get around to doing that.) I made brackets to hold the hoses at the top of the garage doors and the top of wood blocks from scrap bed frame angle iron i welded together.

 

[demoderbydave]

And I had planned on applying for a patent for the bungie cord idea....I did that too! I do like the way you mention buying american made hoses to attach to a chinese made lift! But seriously what you did is very similar to what i did and I too find it works great.

But it is kind of funny what we complain about...we don't want to trip over hoses....remember when we did not have the lift and used jacks and stands and had to lay on our back...BOY ARE WE SPOILED!!!

 

[Joe From NY]

...

But it is kind of funny what we complain about...we don't want to trip over hoses....remember when we did not have the lift and used jacks and stands and had to lay on our back...BOY ARE WE SPOILED!!!

Man, you are right. The more you have, the more you want. Years back when i was a kid, i was glad when i got a girlfriend with big ***. Then after a while, i kept thinking, "It sure would be nice if she had *********** too"... Just a short while before, i would have been happy with just the big ***.

 

[Joe From NY]

I made my "permanent" install over the weekend as well. They just opened a Tractor Supply near my house and they sell both hoses and fittings. .......
To avoid tripping over the hoses...PRICELESS!!

Do you have any photos of your setup?

 

[Joe From NY]

Nice. Have you noticed any change in how the lift work for it beginning outside in New York?

I don't quite get the wording of the question, but i do notice once the weather got colder, it does come down much slower with no load on it. I am using ATF and i guess it thickens up a bit in the colder weather. Also my 4000 lbs Chrysler 300C seems to come down faster than my 3000 lbs Jeep Wrangler.

 

[540i6]

I'm in the middle of my permanent install. Today I bought longer replacement Parker hoses and will be selling my original MaxJax hoses, if you need them, PM me. I'm thinking $100 + shipping, which is $4 per foot as opposed to $5+ plus tax for the hoses you get in a store.

 

[demoderbydave]

I will take some pix soon!

 

[Joe From NY]

here are 10 foot lengths from Northern Hydraulics for $25-

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200383958_200383958

 

[540i6]

I guess I better adjust my pricing then
Anyway, if anyone's interested, make an offer.

 

[Jack T.]

This thread has been extremely helpful to me as I had just taken delivery of my Max Jax and was getting ready to install it. The numerous posts about setting the anchors were invaluable and left me feeling confident that they are installed properly and won't come out anytime soon. I can't imagine how much force it would take to pull them out. Either the concrete or the bolts themselves would fail before the anchors.

I rented a Bosch rotary hammer drill for the first ten holes I drilled, then borrowed a Hilti for the five for an alternate column location. Both gave similar results, with it being all I could do to get the anchors to draw up to about 1/8" below the surface. The concrete was right at 4" on one side, deeper than the drilled hole on the other. I was surprised at how much force it took to drive the anchors in. I ended up completely destroying the installation bolt between bending it and stripping the threads after eight holes, so I had to order more from McMaster Carr. When I install the columns, all of the bolts tighten up with as much force as I can generate using either a 1/2" breaker bar or a box end wrench.

I set the columns at 104" for the car in the pictures so I could reach the lower A-arm mounting points in the front. At that I have to swing the front arm in, fully extend it, then roll the car back. For our other cars with lift points at the rockers I have the columns at 124".

What's the best solution anyone has come up with to plug the anchors when the columns are moved? I was thinking of getting carriage bolts small enough to drop in without threading. Worst case is a magnet might be needed to pull them out easily.

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to share their experiences. It was great to have the guidance.

 

[Junkman]

................
What's the best solution anyone has come up with to plug the anchors when the columns are moved? I was thinking of getting carriage bolts small enough to drop in without threading. Worst case is a magnet might be needed to pull them out easily.

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to share their experiences. It was great to have the guidance.

Use a bolt of the same thread as the anchor, cut off the head, and then cut a slot in where you cut off the head. Use it like a headless screw in the anchor hole. If you set it a 1/4" lower than the surface, the most you will have to do is blow out the dirt before removing it. Problem solved...

 

[Joe From NY]

I guess I better adjust my pricing then
...

I was going to add a caveat that the Northern ones were made in china, unknown quality, but then again, I realized, so were the OEM ones that came with the lift...

when i took my hose and fittings to the local hydraulic store to math up, after looking at them the guy said, "Wow, look at these quick-connect fittings, not a marking or number anywhere on them, that's weird, and those vague markings on the hose are not industry-standard."

 

[540i6]

I was going to add a caveat that the Northern ones were made in china, unknown quality, but then again, I realized, so were the OEM ones that came with the lift...

The MaxJax hoses are also rated at 5700PSI and a whole 2'6" longer at 12'6" total

 

[540i6]

What's the best solution anyone has come up with to plug the anchors when the columns are moved?

I got a set of hex set screws like these:

 

[Joe From NY]

The MaxJax hoses are also rated at 5700PSI and a whole 2'6" longer at 12'6" total

Yeah, i guess for $12- you could add one of these to the end for the extra 3 feet length:

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200383956_200383956

It is strange, the lifts that shipped out earlier had lower pressure rated hoses, but much better quality made in USA Parker brand.

As time went on, cheaper no-name hoses with higher pressure were supplied with the Maxjax.

The website states the operating pressure of the MaxJax lift at maximum load is 1800 PSI, so why did they switch to a higher PSI rated hose during the course of production? I don't know...

http://www.maxjaxusa.com/faqs/product.html

 

[rickycobra]

I would guess they switched for a buffer of safety and cost saving measure.

 

[Joe From NY]

I would guess they switched for a buffer of safety and cost saving measure.

Is the no-name, unbranded hose from unknown manufacturer, with no stated conformance to any SAE standard really safer?

 

[demoderbydave]

Unfortunately in this day and age almost everyone is out sourcing manufacturing to you know where....even when you buy something as supposedly "all american" as some Snap on tools or a new Harley ! When I was looking to buy the Maxjax i tried to find out where it was made...all it said was Designed in America...when BendPak had it before selling it to Dannmar. But when it showed up it said made in...you know where.. As far as buying hoses from Northern or as I did from Tractor Supply I would not worry about it. Probably the ones that say they are made here were probably made ...you know where and were put in a box by (maybe) an american... all I know is the chinese hoses work fine on a chinese made lift!