Mr onetwo
Well-known member
What are you talking about?They are still available....same price.http://fasteners.stanleysupplyonlin...nchors-power-sert-anchors-carbon-steel/ps2-58
Maxjax Installs: Post Here
- Thread starter G-force
- Start date
kevinstephen
Banned
- Joined
- Jun 25, 2017
- Messages
- 1
heart attack
Member
Thanks man. I looked all over and couldn't find them. Found a couple threads that said they were discontinued. Ordering now
Dannmar Support
Member
We've always had the epoxy anchors. www.maxjaxusa.com
escapesno
Member
I got the MX-6 back in March. My concrete was 4 inches thick and I went with the epoxy anchors since the others didn't work to my satisfaction. Lifted my Dodge Ram 1500 since I wanted to load the lift and my concrete failed. The concrete looked solid and felt solid when I put in the anchors but I guess you never know. Wish I would have took a picture but I got the truck on the floor as soon as could. Fast forward to this weekend and I finally got new concrete in the garage. I went with the Mohawk method with a reinforced 4x13 by 1 ft thick pad since the cost between this and 2 4x4 pads was only a couple hundred bucks. Now the waiting for the concrete to cure.
I want to thank all of the contributers to this thread and all of the other threads that talk about the MaxJax There has been a lot of good information and experiences posted over the years and I think I have read them all.
I want to thank all of the contributers to this thread and all of the other threads that talk about the MaxJax There has been a lot of good information and experiences posted over the years and I think I have read them all.
Sorry to hear about the trouble. Hopefully you didn't get hurt and your truck was ok.
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Colin Len
Well-known member
Wow, how scary was the failure? Did the concrete just begin to show cracks? Or did it the posts actually start to tilt or separate from the concrete?
This makes me glad I did not opt for the maxjax and instead settle for a quickjack. Someday I'll be in a situation where I can get something more like a "real" lift.
This makes me glad I did not opt for the maxjax and instead settle for a quickjack. Someday I'll be in a situation where I can get something more like a "real" lift.
escapesno
Member
Nothing hurt, truck was only a foot of the ground when the concrete started giving way. I have a few pictures to post this evening about the concrete and the new pad installation.
escapesno
Member
Not scary just bummed me out. Yes the top of the lift tilted in a couple of inches but no damage.
The Maxjax is a real lift, it just doesn't go as high as a some other lifts. Also I couldn't get a taller lift in my garage. If I had 14ft ceilings and 3 to 4 times the space I would have got a larger lift but for a home garage with 9ft ceilings it will work fine. I looked at the quick jack but spending that kind of money foe so little height just didn't do it for me.
I will try to post some concrete picks tonight.
Colin Len
Well-known member
Well that's good it wasn't too sketchy. BTW, when I said a "real" lift I was referring to my compromise (quick jack) not being a real lift. I realize the Maxjax is plenty "real" - that's why I wanted it. I just didn't want to go to the cost and hassle of pouring footings, plus the ceiling is really low, plus the garage is really small so a maxjax is still bulkier than would be ideal. I'll need a larger garage before upgrading to a "real" lift.
Sorry for your troubles and am glad you have a nice thick fool proof pad going forwards. I think we would all really like to see pictures to think about the failure mode. Thanks in advance for posting them.
Quick question, was the front of your baseplate a bit off the ground due to leveling and using shims? I am sure this substantially increases the load on the concrete and anchors.
So I have had my MaxJax for over a year now and absolutely love it. I routinely check the torque of the anchors and grease up the slides. Yesterday I noticed that my car was going up crooked. I have not had any leaks but the left side is about an inch or so higher on a consistent basis. I have bled both cylinders twice and no air bubbles. Any other suggestions? Here are some pics comparing the difference in height. 
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Attachments
escapesno
Member
Sorry for the delay in posting these I had to reduce the resolution so I could attach them. In the pic of the anchors you can see (barely) the cracks spidering out. The rest shows the concrete work. I had the concrete installed level where the lift will sit so hopefully I wont have to do any shimming.
Sorry for the delay in posting these I had to reduce the resolution so I could attach them. In the pic of the anchors you can see (barely) the cracks spidering out. The rest shows the concrete work. I had the concrete installed level where the lift will sit so hopefully I wont have to do any shimming.
great work on the new pad. you shouldn't have any problems going forward.
ochristofferson
Member
You might want to try this:
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=432576&postcount=67
"In my case the lift was not lifting even on both columns... even after several tries to bleed the system...
Jeff made himself available Friday and all day Saturday via phone. Way to go! After several bleeds and one column still lifting higher than the other Jeff suggested that I swap hoses to see if the problem was the flow divider... Sure enough, once the hoses were switch, the other side start to lift higher. So a new Flow Divider is on its way."
shortykorte
Well-known member
Good to hear this tip. I'm still having issues with one side lifting a little better than the other. I'll switch hoses and see what happens.
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Sorry if you already answered this- how far apart are the posts to the inside of the base plates? I haven't tried mine with a wrx sized car yet but I know I will need to. Thanks.
Im finally up and running, here is my first lift attempt. want brave enough to get under it yet.
Perfect. I'm at 124.5 with extra anchors set at 127.5.
escapesno
Member
Does anyone have a distance to set the lift for a 2000 dodge ram?
124.5 inches has worked on my 13 Ram crew and 16 Ram quad cab with no margin for error due to the arm length. Any closer and I'd never get in or out and any further I don't think the arms would hit the lift points.
I did my first dry fit last night. Man.. I was not expecting things to be so picky. If only the arms were longer...
Ive got an Elise, MR2, and 370z so I just test the Elise and 370. i *THINK* i can lift both if I pull in between JUST right and pull up JUST right then I can *JUST* reach the lifting points for both cars!?!? Geez. And if I were any larger, I wouldn't be able to crawl out of the 370. Are you lifting your Lotus?
It also looks like you are using floor jack points, at least the one on the front looks like that. Im trying to use designated 2 post lit points... it's hard. Ill be back at it again tonight.
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plain garage
Well-known member
- Joined
- Mar 9, 2014
- Messages
- 198
I can pick up an adjustable flow restrictor to throw on the "fast" side, but that's also the side that won't come the **** down like it should so it might help the uneven lifting but probably not the real issue which is VERY uneven lowering. Dannmar hasn't gotten back to me yet, left a message and just emailed Gabe.
I swapped the hoses, behavior was the same, which I why I'm thinking it's the cylinder.
Dissatisfied with the ******** Chinese hardware that comes with this kit (seriously, the hex on the QD isn't even true, fits a 15/16" wrench one way, but not another) I decided to upgrade. This morning I picked up some nice Faster FF quick releases and had some 4' hydraulic hoses made with one 1/4" NPTM and and one 3/8" NPTM end to eliminate the stack of fittings at the base of the piston. I took a pic of the fittings, the hoses are just hoses.
One thing I noticed this morning when removing the fittings on the cylinder; I went to rotate the piston relative to the cylinder body and the goddamn seal plate wasn't even tight, you could unthread it with the piston. Whatever 12 year old Chinese kid put this stuff together needs an actual adult checking behind him. I'll use a drift to tighten that up as much as I can, but damn guys, get your **** together.
I've constantly had spillage issues with the factory quick disconnects, it's time for an upgrade. Does anyone know if this set of Parker flat face 3/8" couplers do the trick?
http://ph.parker.com/us/en/quick-co...4568-psi-iso-16028-fem-fec-series/fem-372-6fp
http://ph.parker.com/us/en/quick-co...-4568-psi-iso-16028-fem-series/fem-371-6fp-nl
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slik560
Well-known member
This is all great information, but the quality issues would steer me to another manufacturer....if there is one that is not in China. 
grtpumpkin
Active member
This is all great information, but the quality issues would steer me to another manufacturer....if there is one that is not in China.
I wouldn't let the quality issues steer you away. I've had mine since June of this year with no issues. However I leave mine set up all the time. I find I use it more than anticipated. It's by far my favorite tool in my garage. The few times I've disconnected a line to move the control, it only loses about 1 small drop of oil. So far the lift has been very durable and rock solid lifting my cars. Once in a while I get uneven lifting, about an inch, not sure why, but Ill go all the way up with it then bring it down to the safety lock stop, taking all the pressure off the hydraulics. Sometimes this fixes the slight uneven lifting on the next lift cycle, but not always. I've experienced no leaks at any of the connections. I find this to be the perfect lift for my needs, low ceiling height of 9 feet. So it's a bit pricey, but once you start using it you forget about the higher cost. At least I did. My floor jacks are collecting some serious dust now.
slik560
Well-known member
Thanks for the info. The Max Jax is the one best suited to my current garage - limited space & low ceiling [8'].
grtpumpkin
Active member
Just an observation I noticed tonight on the uneven lifting. I had some slight uneven lifting over the weekend that I couldn't correct. Bleeding revealed no air in the cylinders. Put another vehicle on the lift 2 days ago and the uneven lift was still evident. I lifted only to the first lock position, as I didn't need the car very high, and lowered it to have all the weight on the first lock position & to relieve all the pressure on the hydraulic system. I actually held the lever down for about 20 seconds after all the weight was on the locks. The car sat on the lift like this for 2 days. Fast forward to tonight when I needed the car at full lift. Before I lifted tonight I held the lowering lever down for a few seconds, then released the lever. I then pushed the button to lift the car and it raised all the way perfectly level. As it went up by each lock position the locking mechanisms were perfectly in sync. There was no hint of a double click like it normally had during most lifts. My thoughts on this is that by holding the lever down after the weight is off the system, while the vehicle is not fully lowered, is that it gives the system time to equalize. I will keep this in mind for future lifts.
Rich.
Rich.
slik560
Well-known member
We should assemble all of this into a new manual: The Real-World Guide to MaxJax
I installed mine over Thanksgiving, and have used it a couple of times for small projects since then. My observations:
- There are a couple of minor errors in the manual that would be easy to fix. They should fix them.
- I had very uneven lifting on the first couple of attempts (4-6"). Another couple of bleeds, particularly going all the way to the lift maxes out and things seem fine now. I will say I cavatated the pump when first installed due to a lack of fluid. As others have said it takes a couple of quarts more than the manual lists
- No leaks so far, but I added more teflon tape to what was included on the fittings
- I should have put the posts further apart. I have a narrow 2 car so was trying to minimize width. I have it set so the arms are barely extended to reach the jack points on my E46 M3, and E36. With the car on the lift getting into the doors is not practical. Not an issue parking as I can park closer to the garage door, which allows the doors to open further. That is a mistake I may fix by drilling another set of holes further out. I am at 131" out-to-out, which seems like way too much for a BMW sedan when reading the instructions. At the recommended 110-120, I'd never get the doors open, and I'm not even sure the pickup points would work.
- One of my arms will not slide out in and in with beating on it. It appears to be some weld slag just inside from the end. Assuming the arms slide all the way out out of the carrier this should be a 1 minute fix with the die-grinder. Just haven't got to it yet
All in all, don't know how I lived without one
A couple of questions:
The hoses are annoying with the pump located in front of the engine bay. Has anyone located the pump to one side and drove over the hoses each time they pulled in?
For those who ran the hoses over-head, did you get new hoses? The hoses don't appear long enough to go up and over.
- There are a couple of minor errors in the manual that would be easy to fix. They should fix them.
- I had very uneven lifting on the first couple of attempts (4-6"). Another couple of bleeds, particularly going all the way to the lift maxes out and things seem fine now. I will say I cavatated the pump when first installed due to a lack of fluid. As others have said it takes a couple of quarts more than the manual lists
- No leaks so far, but I added more teflon tape to what was included on the fittings
- I should have put the posts further apart. I have a narrow 2 car so was trying to minimize width. I have it set so the arms are barely extended to reach the jack points on my E46 M3, and E36. With the car on the lift getting into the doors is not practical. Not an issue parking as I can park closer to the garage door, which allows the doors to open further. That is a mistake I may fix by drilling another set of holes further out. I am at 131" out-to-out, which seems like way too much for a BMW sedan when reading the instructions. At the recommended 110-120, I'd never get the doors open, and I'm not even sure the pickup points would work.
- One of my arms will not slide out in and in with beating on it. It appears to be some weld slag just inside from the end. Assuming the arms slide all the way out out of the carrier this should be a 1 minute fix with the die-grinder. Just haven't got to it yet
All in all, don't know how I lived without one
A couple of questions:
The hoses are annoying with the pump located in front of the engine bay. Has anyone located the pump to one side and drove over the hoses each time they pulled in?
For those who ran the hoses over-head, did you get new hoses? The hoses don't appear long enough to go up and over.
Good eye spotting the exige in the background. I hadnt tried to lift it yet. As you know it is a pain to lift because you cant do it without removing the rear panel. You prob also know they make a lift point kit to make it possible to do a two post lift without taking off the diffusere. Anyways hdant tried it yet, thinking about getting the lift point kit. I also have an older oil pumper 911. I hadn't actually lifted it yet, but I have tested the ability of the arms to access reasonable lifting points. I think I have a +/- 1 inch window where it works.
So far I think my spacing of 127" is perfect for me. Id like to say I got there with care, but I think I just got lucky. Will prob try to lift the lotus over holidays.
shortykorte
Well-known member
I installed mine over Thanksgiving, and have used it a couple of times for small projects since then. My observations:
- There are a couple of minor errors in the manual that would be easy to fix. They should fix them.
- I had very uneven lifting on the first couple of attempts (4-6"). Another couple of bleeds, particularly going all the way to the lift maxes out and things seem fine now. I will say I cavatated the pump when first installed due to a lack of fluid. As others have said it takes a couple of quarts more than the manual lists
- No leaks so far, but I added more teflon tape to what was included on the fittings
- I should have put the posts further apart. I have a narrow 2 car so was trying to minimize width. I have it set so the arms are barely extended to reach the jack points on my E46 M3, and E36. With the car on the lift getting into the doors is not practical. Not an issue parking as I can park closer to the garage door, which allows the doors to open further. That is a mistake I may fix by drilling another set of holes further out. I am at 131" out-to-out, which seems like way too much for a BMW sedan when reading the instructions. At the recommended 110-120, I'd never get the doors open, and I'm not even sure the pickup points would work.
- One of my arms will not slide out in and in with beating on it. It appears to be some weld slag just inside from the end. Assuming the arms slide all the way out out of the carrier this should be a 1 minute fix with the die-grinder. Just haven't got to it yet
All in all, don't know how I lived without one
A couple of questions:
The hoses are annoying with the pump located in front of the engine bay. Has anyone located the pump to one side and drove over the hoses each time they pulled in?
For those who ran the hoses over-head, did you get new hoses? The hoses don't appear long enough to go up and over.
On the weld slag, I had the same issue. Don’t procrastinate like I did because it gets very frustrating.
I think I’ve ran over the hose once without a problem. Those going overhead do get new hose. A lot switch out hose since what is delivered is really stiff and they need a longer hose to go overhead. I’ll be changing mine out soon for these reason.
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Did you get the Exige off the ground? With my dry fit test, and arms fully extended, I think I ended up at 121" Anything more and I wouldnt be able to lift Elise. Ive got the MWR lift kit, but not installed. Im still dealing with anchor issues that failed to set properly. With 4" of concrete, I have yet to see any solution that is certified safe. Ive even emailed Hilti engineers. They have nothing for me. Dannmar wants me to use their huge epoxy anchors meant for much thicker slabs. Im afraid of where all the epoxy goes since Ive drilled through the slab, and, then have to push a 6+ inch anchor down the hole where most of the knurled parts have nothing to grab on to. And it taking all the epoxy down the hole with it! Really surprised I dont have any option other than to pour new concrete and try again.
Mr onetwo
Well-known member
AG1LE
Member
Installed my MaxJax almost 2 years ago today, and this thread was a wealth of information.
About 1.5 years ago I took it down (including disconnecting hydraulic lines) and set it aside in my garage, and this weekend set it up again for the second time. I was pleasantly surprised when it worked 100% perfectly on the first try.
I have the 6" extensions. I think I'm correct in assuming that it is not safe to combine the 3" and 6" extensions for a total of 9". Can someone please confirm?
About 1.5 years ago I took it down (including disconnecting hydraulic lines) and set it aside in my garage, and this weekend set it up again for the second time. I was pleasantly surprised when it worked 100% perfectly on the first try.
I have the 6" extensions. I think I'm correct in assuming that it is not safe to combine the 3" and 6" extensions for a total of 9". Can someone please confirm?
AG1LE
Member
Quick Question
Do any of you disconnect the hydraulic lines while the lift is up (with bars in place, and the mechanism resting on the bars), especially if you are going to have the car lifted for an extended period of time? It would be a lot more convenient than having to work around the lines the whole time.
Do any of you disconnect the hydraulic lines while the lift is up (with bars in place, and the mechanism resting on the bars), especially if you are going to have the car lifted for an extended period of time? It would be a lot more convenient than having to work around the lines the whole time.
Mr onetwo
Well-known member
Do it all the time...even on a 2004 Dodge 2500 quad cab...totally safe.
Mr onetwo
Well-known member
AG1LE
Member
Re: Quick Question
Excellent, thank you!
Now I need to get taller stands so that I can fit the full 9" extensions under the car.
Excellent, thank you!
Now I need to get taller stands so that I can fit the full 9" extensions under the car.