Maxjax Installs: Post Here

[wachuko]

...What is the best way to determine column width?...

I drilled holes for two settings...

For the 1983 911, because of where the lifting points are, I have to use the 116" setting...

For the 2002 911 (which I no longer have, but a friend bought it, so I still get to work on it ), I use the 128" setting... helps with getting in and out of the car. Same setting for a Boxster, Pontiac TransAm, 1990-1998 Porsche 911
Distance:

In the single bay I have mine at 115" (measured from the outside of the base).

For the second bay, I just rotate the middle tower (only one additional hole needed, so six in total instead of 5).

I have them at 128" (again, measured from the outside of the base) and it works great... easy access to the lifting points, easy to open the doors, still within the 130" limit in the install manual for trucks (even though I am using it for smaller cars), and I can slide the arms in and out without having a second person moving the car around. For the smaller car (FIAT), in the second bay, I also have a set of holes at 116" (measured from the outside of the base).

 

[plain garage]

The Bosche drill just came in and the MJ is at local depot now I'm planning to use a 7/8 bit all the way through, no pilot bits. When starting the hole, do I set the hammer to drill only or hammer-drill mode? I'm concerned it might walk around if I start off with a big bit in hammer mode.

PS. I still need to figure out how to post pics inline, they're showing up as tiny attachments.

 

[wachuko]

Hammer-drill mode or course....

 

[Vegaman_Dan]

Hammer drill mode. I would recommend placing the column in place and using its foot plate to drill the start of each hole. Your bit won't walk at all that way. Get each one started a half inch or so, move the column out of the way and complete your holes. It will take about 2-3 min per hole depending on your drill. Keep a shop vac handy to clean the holes out of all debris and dust before you drop those anchors in.

A sledge hammer will be your friend when you go to pound the anchors in.

 

[plain garage]

Just got the MJ, and I set out for a dry run in the garage. It came with round jack pads, not the square ones I've seen online. While inspecting the parts, I noticed the 3/8 NPTF to 1/4 NPTM reducers had reddish gunk in it, as if ATF had been used and left to dry. Are the components wet tested at the factory? I also came across an issue with the lift arm tooth lock gear, the lock bar is 3/4 inch too tall even when the rod is bottomed out on the steel base plate. Has any one run into these problems? I still haven't drilled the concrete yet, but I'm anxious to hook up the hydraulics.

 

[Bill-banger]

After reading through a LOT of the 47 pages of posts on this topic, I have ordered my Max Jax lift and am rounding up all the items necessary to do the installation. It is mentioned several times to use "epoxy anchors" instead of the wej-its. Does this mean different anchors instead of the wej-its? All I can find when googling this is epoxy to set the wej-its with. I admit I didn't read all 47 pages so forgive me if I missed something.

I plan to mainly lift my Porsche Cayman and my wife's BMW 535i (2008 model). Would 128" spacing be the best for these two vehicles? I'd rather not install two different sets of mounting anchors if I can help it, but if one spacing won't work for both cars I will do it.

Thanks to all who have gone before and given me so much good information on this subject, can't wait for my lift to arrive!

 

[Rick-b1]

I believe it is designed this way for ease of adjustment or positioning to match lift points of car. Once you engage the lift a few inches they will lock in place. I am certainly no expert, but just received my MJ on Friday and have not got that far on assembly due to some other issues I had encountered. Regardless, to answer your question when the lift is at bottom pins are raised to prevent them from locking the lift bars in place

 

[Johns12]

Just got the MJ, and I set out for a dry run in the garage. It came with round jack pads, not the square ones I've seen online. While inspecting the parts, I noticed the 3/8 NPTF to 1/4 NPTM reducers had reddish gunk in it, as if ATF had been used and left to dry. Are the components wet tested at the factory? I also came across an issue with the lift arm tooth lock gear, the lock bar is 3/4 inch too tall even when the rod is bottomed out on the steel base plate. Has any one run into these problems? I still haven't drilled the concrete yet, but I'm anxious to hook up the hydraulics.

My MaxJax has the same issue. The locking pin is too long and will not engage the teeth of the arms. I am thinking of cutting an inch of the pin.

 

[plain garage]

After reading through a LOT of the 47 pages of posts on this topic, I have ordered my Max Jax lift and am rounding up all the items necessary to do the installation. It is mentioned several times to use "epoxy anchors" instead of the wej-its. Does this mean different anchors instead of the wej-its? All I can find when googling this is epoxy to set the wej-its with. I admit I didn't read all 47 pages so forgive me if I missed something.

I plan to mainly lift my Porsche Cayman and my wife's BMW 535i (2008 model). Would 128" spacing be the best for these two vehicles? I'd rather not install two different sets of mounting anchors if I can help it, but if one spacing won't work for both cars I will do it.

Thanks to all who have gone before and given me so much good information on this subject, can't wait for my lift to arrive!

From my understanding, epoxy anchors should only be used if you have 6" of concrete, regular anchors are fine for 4" slabs.

I have an E39 5 series, spacing the columns at 128" puts each lift arm half way extended at 33".

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My MaxJax has the same issue. The locking pin is too long and will not engage the teeth of the arms. I am thinking of cutting an inch of the pin.

I think what Rick said above is right, the pins are designed to only engage when the arms rise off the ground. I have yet to hook up the hydraulics, but this one was due to my user error.

 

[rbrtmchl]

After reading through a LOT of the 47 pages of posts on this topic, I have ordered my Max Jax lift and am rounding up all the items necessary to do the installation. It is mentioned several times to use "epoxy anchors" instead of the wej-its. Does this mean different anchors instead of the wej-its? All I can find when googling this is epoxy to set the wej-its with.

The epoxy anchors are a different design. I ordered mine from GES, p/n PSS-58 I believe. They will supply you the anchors and the epoxy as a small kit. Using epoxy anchors gives you stronger pull out strength, although the standard wedge anchors are well above the required strength per bolt.

 

[rbrtmchl]

I also came across an issue with the lift arm tooth lock gear, the lock bar is 3/4 inch too tall even when the rod is bottomed out on the steel base plate. Has any one run into these problems?

I believe it is designed this way for ease of adjustment or positioning to match lift points of car. Once you engage the lift a few inches they will lock in place. I am certainly no expert, but just received my MJ on Friday and have not got that far on assembly due to some other issues I had encountered. Regardless, to answer your question when the lift is at bottom pins are raised to prevent them from locking the lift bars in place

My MaxJax has the same issue. The locking pin is too long and will not engage the teeth of the arms. I am thinking of cutting an inch of the pin.

I think what Rick said above is right, the pins are designed to only engage when the arms rise off the ground. I have yet to hook up the hydraulics, but this one was due to my user error.

The replies from Rick-b1 and plain garage answer this one correctly. It does seem when you first assemble the MaxJax that the pins and the teeth engagement don't work correctly, but once you use it and lift the arms, you will see that the locking pin engages the arms. This allows you to freely swing the arms at ground level, and then locks them in place when the vehicle is lifted.

 

[dmeadow]

The epoxy anchors are a different design. I ordered mine from GES, p/n PSS-58 I believe. They will supply you the anchors and the epoxy as a small kit. Using epoxy anchors gives you stronger pull out strength, although the standard wedge anchors are well above the required strength per bolt.

Using epoxy anchors have nothing really to do with the thickness of the slab. They are suggested (and I recommend them, having done two installs) because they are more user friendly and less susceptible to failure. The wej-it anchors sometimes don't "catch" and will pull out of the slab, particularly if you aren't very careful drilling the hole. It may be that this is more of a problem with thinner slabs than thicker slabs, but I don't really know.

Two things to keep in mind if you go the epoxy route: The epoxy that comes with the kit is VERY quick setting, so prepare accordingly. Also, there is no way you can use a standard caulk gun to apply the epoxy-- you can get an epoxy gun from Home Depot for about $20.

 

[rbrtmchl]

Using epoxy anchors have nothing really to do with the thickness of the slab. They are suggested (and I recommend them, having done two installs) because they are more user friendly and less susceptible to failure. The wej-it anchors sometimes don't "catch" and will pull out of the slab, particularly if you aren't very careful drilling the hole. It may be that this is more of a problem with thinner slabs than thicker slabs, but I don't really know.

Two things to keep in mind if you go the epoxy route: The epoxy that comes with the kit is VERY quick setting, so prepare accordingly. Also, there is no way you can use a standard caulk gun to apply the epoxy-- you can get an epoxy gun from Home Depot for about $20.

I agree with most of this. The only thing that I have read about (but I have no direct experience here) is that with a 4" slab thickness the drilled hole will go all the way through the slab, and there could be issues with the epoxy flowing out the backside of the hole. Maybe this is where the original comment on slab thickness from plain garage came from. I have read about ways to deal with this epoxy outflow in other threads. I also chose to go with the epoxy anchors for all the reasons that you state.

 

[NewShockerGuy]

Great. I plan to tackle a clutch job for starters, sounds like it will have no problem holding the car in the air for a few days/week. Thanks for the tip on the quality QD.



To be honest, the 2 position locking limit is a big drawback, why can't Max Jax have an auto lock feature every few inches just like all the other lifts? What size drill did you use for the extra holes? Does it affect the strength of the columns at all?



I'm excited about getting the lift, it will ship in a couple of weeks. What is the best way to determine column width? Should the lift arms be at 90 degree angle to each other, etc?

I think the auto lock would increase the price quite a bit. I can't say I dislike or loathe having to stop, put the bars in and then lower the car on them...but an auto lock feature would definitely make things nicer...lol

As far as the two other holes I can't see how they would affect the structure of the posts honestly. Short of being something wrong with the metal used to make the posts then it might be an issue.. IE: a fracture in the metal at the point right above or below the place where it's drilled but then again I would think looking at the posts before hand to ensure they look sound is best. I could have added another hole honestly and thought about it. but for me this worked out the best as far as one below the factory low setting, and then one in between the two factory settings.. I find myself using the lowest setting to change tires (on cars) and the middle setting. I don't like using the top most position mainly because my lift raises the one side a few inches higher so it reaches the top before the other side and I have to kinda keep going with the pump to get the other side up... I know this is discussed here but it's one of those things that I guess I just live with?

For the hole I simply used two Uni bits. And just started stepping the hole larger until I got it the right size diameter as the stock holes. I painted it black with the can of spray paint that was included with the lift and you can't even tell, looks completely factory. Just make sure you de-bur the inside if need be so the nylon blocks don't get all messed up with the metal scraping it that might be left over from the unibits.. though I have found I have a much cleaner hole using these compared to normal drill bits depending on the application. I think I have pictures of all 4 positions... let me see if I can find them....

So first picture is of the lowest setting I drilled.
Second picture is factory maxjax hole.
Third picture is my hole drilled between factory points.
Forth is highest factory hole.

I got the idea from someone on here as well... I think I actually asked him what he did for the lowest setting so that mine was the same..obviously one can change it to their needs... or depending on your vehicle. The lowest setting doesn't work well for my ford ranger but for cars it's great.

-Nigel

 

[Bill-banger]

From my understanding, epoxy anchors should only be used if you have 6" of concrete, regular anchors are fine for 4" slabs.

I have an E39 5 series, spacing the columns at 128" puts each lift arm half way extended at 33".

That should be about right for my E60 5 series as well. In looking at the Danmar specs, they say 125" is the maximum, but I've seen 128" listed here several times, have they changed their specs or is 128" just an OK spacing to use?

My other car, '06 Cayman S, should work OK with the 125" also I would think.

 

[skamp]

I also drilled 2 additional sets of holes. One below and one between just like Nigel. I cannot see how this impacts the strength in anyway. It is thick steel. Having the extra two settings makes the lift much better.

Steve

 

[gml1998]

Costco has this on sale for 1999.00 till March 31st. Menards can order and price match,so they tell me.I have 1500.00 in Menards rebates I have been saving for a rainy day. Should I go for it??

 

[Bill-banger]

A Max Jax for $500? I say that's a no brainer. I looked at every place I could find that was selling it and Costo and Garage Automotive Equipment had the best price plus free shipping. For $500 you can always sell it if you don't like it and get more than your money back, but I bet you'll keep it.

 

[petee_c]

From my understanding, epoxy anchors should only be used if you have 6" of concrete, regular anchors are fine for 4" slabs.

I have an E39 5 series, spacing the columns at 128" puts each lift arm half way extended at 33".

That should be about right for my E60 5 series as well. In looking at the Danmar specs, they say 125" is the maximum, but I've seen 128" listed here several times, have they changed their specs or is 128" just an OK spacing to use?

My other car, '06 Cayman S, should work OK with the 125" also I would think.

Maybe the max is in there because of the length of the stock hoses?

With a wide lift setting and a long vehicle, the pump might get in the way? I don't know for sure. I'm at around 130" I think, but I added hose to both sides so the pump is by the back wall.

Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk

 

[wachuko]

Costco has this on sale for 1999.00 till March 31st. Menards can order and price match,so they tell me.I have 1500.00 in Menards rebates I have been saving for a rainy day. Should I go for it??

I am with Bill-banger, that is a no brainer... Go for it!!

 

[wachuko]

I also drilled 2 additional sets of holes. One below and one between just like Nigel. I cannot see how this impacts the strength in anyway. It is thick steel. Having the extra two settings makes the lift much better.

Steve

I need to do the same... I have been putting that off for a long time.

 

[skamp]

I need to do the same... I have been putting that off for a long time.

It is not too bad. I used the **** Harbor Freight set of step bits for $8.00 and lots of ATF for cutting oil. Took about 2 hours.

Steve

 

[Vegaman_Dan]

The former rep Gabe for MaxJax / GES has said that drilling additional holes for more adjustability wasn't an issue- just don't go crazy with holes too close together that might otherwise compromise the steel.

I haven't done it to mine yet, but we'll see. Easy enough to add holes, much harder to remove them!

 

[gml1998]

A Max Jax for $500? I say that's a no brainer. I looked at every place I could find that was selling it and Costo and Garage Automotive Equipment had the best price plus free shipping. For $500 you can always sell it if you don't like it and get more than your money back, but I bet you'll keep it.

Well I ordered today from Menards they price matched Costcos price of 1999.00,but wouldn't give me the 11% rebate.lol. So I ended up at 628.00 out of pocket after taxes.
it will be here April 6th.

 

[Chetter]

I have my lift for 2 years now and it is so nice and it does geta lot of use. I have even had my wife's 2012 Ford Taurus on it when I wanted to spray the car with Fluid film, no issues worked great. As for leaving a car on it for any length of time, I have left my Camaro on it for the winter sitting on the lowest setting. I too use the magnetic levels on each post to keep an eye things and so far so good.

 

[playano23]

Can one use the acrylic anchor epoxy (concrete glue) with the Wej-it PD58? Or will it mess with the "wedge clip"? Does it have to be a specific type of anchor to use with the epoxy?

 

[playano23]

Sorry for the newbie post, I went back several pages and found my answer. 48 pages is a lot to go through!! Thanks to all that have contributed to this thread. A lot of learning going on from my end.

 

[chicknfeet]

just need to thank everyone for the great Maxjax info... finally got mine installed today. I went ahead and paid my lift guy to install i figured $400. was well worth my frustrations.

 

[JTSmithson]

That looks like a garage I could have absolutely ZERO fun in..../endsarcasm

 

[alberto]

Well, let's talk about the elephant in the room. What do you think of those T-Rex's? Are they as much fun as they would seem? Do you have any issues with other vehicles seeing you (one of my main concerns, other than price).

 

[chicknfeet]

Well, let's talk about the elephant in the room. What do you think of those T-Rex's? Are they as much fun as they would seem? Do you have any issues with other vehicles seeing you (one of my main concerns, other than price).

The T-Rex's are lots of fun yet a little expensive I have two because one is technically my ladys the truth is each one of the cars have been well thought out purchases and payments to justify them. the T-Rex is fun with performance but its a great cruiser as well. the Ariel is all out performance but doesn't have so much of the cruising effect. the GTR... well its speak for itself and is truly a great car. honest none of the vehicle have caused me too much maintenance issues, just like anything else if you beat them up it just cost you more to own.

 

[Todd.Brock]

I like your license plate on the GTR. I imagine you are getting a ticket just based on the car, but that sure can't help!

 

[jorgezee1]

Here is mine.




Still working on cleaning up the garage.

 

[chicknfeet]

I like your license plate on the GTR. I imagine you are getting a ticket just based on the car, but that sure can't help!

jorgezee1 may I ask what your spacing is from the outside of the plates?

 

[jorgezee1]

jorgezee1 may I ask what your spacing is from the outside of the plates?

From end to end I believe 120" but I will have to verify it when I get home. I measured my truck which was the widest out of my vehicles and measured the camaro and made it work so that I can lift a car but still have room to store the camaro in case I need to leave a car on the lift overnight.

 

[jorgezee1]

Here are a few more pics. not much room to work if the other car is in. but it works. Excuse the hello kitty, that's my girls contribution to the garage.

 

[chicknfeet]

Here are a few more pics. not much room to work if the other car is in. but it works. Excuse the hello kitty, that's my girls contribution to the garage.

looks good you got everything you need... I mounted mine 112" from outer and it works well for the T-Rex Atom and the Mini coopers but i havent check the GTR yet.

 

[Bill-banger]

My MaxJax will finally be here on Monday or Tuesday, depending on whether you believe Con-way freight. It's already had one cross-country trip from CA to GA and back, now they tell me it's sitting in Blythe, CA and will be here Monday. Garage Equipment says Tuesday. Either way, hopefully this time they will find me!

I've tried to find the dimensions of the base plate, but can't seem to locate them, they possibly are in the 48 pages of this thread but I've not located them. Does anyone have them handy?

Also, I plan mainly to lift my 06 Cayman and my 08 535i, will 125" width work for both? I also have a 2010 Ford Edge that I will lift occasionally, but it should be similar to the BMW. I only want to put in one set of anchors if possible, and I plan to leave the outside post up most of the time and only remove the one between the cars in my garage when I'm not using the lift.

 

[Bill-banger]

Sorry, didn't go far enough with my search, I found them.

 

[plain garage]

My MaxJax will finally be here on Monday or Tuesday, depending on whether you believe Con-way freight. It's already had one cross-country trip from CA to GA and back, now they tell me it's sitting in Blythe, CA and will be here Monday. Garage Equipment says Tuesday. Either way, hopefully this time they will find me!

I've tried to find the dimensions of the base plate, but can't seem to locate them, they possibly are in the 48 pages of this thread but I've not located them. Does anyone have them handy?

Also, I plan mainly to lift my 06 Cayman and my 08 535i, will 125" width work for both? I also have a 2010 Ford Edge that I will lift occasionally, but it should be similar to the BMW. I only want to put in one set of anchors if possible, and I plan to leave the outside post up most of the time and only remove the one between the cars in my garage when I'm not using the lift.

Looks like you found it, but its 13" by 14.25" ish since I had just been measuring it myself last week. What is the distance between the jacking points of the cayman (front to back as well as side to side)?