Seems like one of these would be very useful....I'm curious if one could be made to work with the hydraulic pump from a MaxJax lift? I like the idea of having my MaxJax, but can see where one flush-fit into the concrete would be a nice addition.
Scissor lift ... downside??
- Thread starter yeldogt
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JRC3
Well-known member
Just use some quick hose connects.
I have a Werther Statos SRM scissor lift.
Great looking lift. From what I found on a search, it seems to be priced at around $6800 though, is that right?
x2!
I just saw this. I was puzzled, until I did the math and figured out I was at a resstaurant yesterday when it was posted -- and I'd given my 6-year-old the phone to watch a video so he'd be more quiet. Turns out he learned to email pictures and to also post gibberish here on GJ.
junkman104
Well-known member
I have a 4 post with 2 rolling jacks and do suspension work all the time, Change engines, do timing belts brake jobs ect. Yes and replace heater cores standing up.
240sxguy
Well-known member
I just saw this. I was puzzled, until I did the math and figured out I was at a resstaurant yesterday when it was posted -- and I'd given my 6-year-old the phone to watch a video so he'd be more quiet. Turns out he learned to email pictures and to also post gibberish here on GJ.
Haha! I spent a few minutes trying to figure out what that meant without sounding like an internet noob. My 3 year old likes to play games on my phone, if you set it to airplane mode they can't dial out or get on the internet FYI. I think they can still dial 911 though.
Could you not do this with a scissor lift ? I'm also trying to understand the "standing up" part.
Also -- not including the bulk of the basic lift -- the attachments for suspension work look like they would be in the way ... and annoying to use.?
Just trying to understand.
My idea with the scissor is: drive on-top .... lift and start working.
broncorick
Well-known member
Jason280---what was the question? your avatar threw me off! 
broncorick
Well-known member
I just put in a 2 post lift after much wrangling, I like the wide open underneath, feel that the scissor lift platforms got in the way of some of the work.
Denwood
Well-known member
The only downside I can see with regard to the scissor is access to the rockers, particularly when doing wax injection into the body panels etc. One of the motivations for a lift was so I could do my own corrosion management. I got tired of always taking vehicles back for resorts, and after restoring a few, found out they routinely miss large areas.
When access to the side is required (say doing elevated paint work) I would drop the car on mid rise stands and wheel the maxjax columns back out of the way. This takes a few minutes.
When access to the side is required (say doing elevated paint work) I would drop the car on mid rise stands and wheel the maxjax columns back out of the way. This takes a few minutes.
metalhead140
Well-known member
No reason you can't raise the car with the scissors, drop it on stands, and lower the scissors if that's what you want. Access to the sill area while on the hoist is available, just depends what size/height blocks you use and where you place them.
ArkTinkerer
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2010
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I recall someone posting on another thread about making it so they could lift just one side for an adjustable work table. I would like to do that but I would also be very interested in some sort of extensions so I could use one side as a motorcycle lift from time to time. Has anyone done modifications like this?
junkman104
Well-known member
I guess you could, depends what you want to do and height clearance in your shop. I make my living at home it it works well for me. For a hobbyist a scissor lift would be good enough for basic stuff.
As for the standing up you must still be young, when you get over 50 you don't want to do a bunch of crawling around on the floor, rolling on a creeper and bending over.
I understand wanting to sand up -- I'm seeing people standing up with the scissor? How is the height clearance different with a scissor?
I get that you can move a 4 post to a different location and they can lift a car for extra storage under it. Flush scissor can't do that.
I don't understand the "good enough" .. By telling me why you like the 4 post better .. you will explain the deficiencies with the scissor.
junkman104
Well-known member
What type of work are you planning to do with it? I was responding to the other persons comments in my original post.
hilld
Well-known member
I paid slightly less than that, but that appears to be the going price. More than I wanted to spend but really the only non Chinese choice I had that would work with my size restrictions in my garage.
Exactly. This is my lift back down in the floor when I needed access to the entire underside -- I was replacing an aluminum sheet from the underside of the car.
Pretty simple.
Pretty simple.
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JRC3
Well-known member
I would think adding a T and then a separate valve and line to each side would do that. Or just a single valve between the two sides to cut the farthest from the pump from lifting. But you would need enough access in the floor if it was recessed.
Exactly. This is my lift back down in the floor when I needed access to the entire underside -- I was replacing an aluminum sheet from the underside of the car.
Pretty simple.
Is that safe? I work with Trauma patients ... that looks like a pre trauma
Is that safe? I work with Trauma patients ... that looks like a pre trauma
What seems unsafe about it? The fully extended floor jacks?
Thanks for the confirmation Looks like it's a great lift.
JRC3
Well-known member
I've done the very same thing at least 3 time with 6 ton truck stands to get the height to remove trans-axles. But when I did it I used regular floor jacks and it was a pain as I had to keep moving the front and rear of the car up in intervals to get the jack stands fully extended. In the end it was always rock solid and gave plenty of room for a floor jack, trans jack adapter, as well as the transmission itself.
Denwood
Well-known member
My general rule on jack stands etc. is to ask myself, "What happens if one fails"? When working from the floor, I generally lift with two floor jacks (one on each side), lower onto jack stands and leave the floor jacks in place..in case a jack stand fails. With the MaxJax lift, I also sourced four low rise jack stands for use with the lift.
If you subscribe to that theory of shop safety, you'll generally use a back up support. This could be as simple as throwing a few tires/rims under the vehicle. Just my 2c.
If you subscribe to that theory of shop safety, you'll generally use a back up support. This could be as simple as throwing a few tires/rims under the vehicle. Just my 2c.
Yeah. The car all the way up on those stands looks precarious. It was stable, and would probably have been fine if one stand failed. However...
1) That was the only time, in all the years I've had the lift, that I needed to use jackstands to get a job done.
2). In actuality, I raised the platform for the lift back up an inch or so under the car for most of the work I was doing there. The platform was a back up, in case one of the jackstands failed. I just needed to slide the big sheet of aluminum underneath the car. I wouldn't have put myself under the car in those circumstances. (We get earthquakes out here.)
Covering the underside of the car was a one time thing. The nice thing about my lift is that it allows me full access to everything else -- drivetrain, exhaust, engine, suspension -- and when I'm not using it, it's completely out of my way.
Last week I was working on making sure I was getting 100% travel for my throttle. It meant a few hours of adjusting the pedal cluster, a pivot linkage by the transaxle, and the throttle body itself in the engine compartment. It was a great example of the benefit of this kind of lift, in that there was nothing obstructing the door when I needed to lean into it (much easier with the car up) and then being able to raise and lower again and again to get to the linkage underneath and the throttle body from up above.
I really love having the lift.
And when I don't need it, there's all of this to bump into or trip over.
1) That was the only time, in all the years I've had the lift, that I needed to use jackstands to get a job done.
2). In actuality, I raised the platform for the lift back up an inch or so under the car for most of the work I was doing there. The platform was a back up, in case one of the jackstands failed. I just needed to slide the big sheet of aluminum underneath the car. I wouldn't have put myself under the car in those circumstances. (We get earthquakes out here.)
Covering the underside of the car was a one time thing. The nice thing about my lift is that it allows me full access to everything else -- drivetrain, exhaust, engine, suspension -- and when I'm not using it, it's completely out of my way.
Last week I was working on making sure I was getting 100% travel for my throttle. It meant a few hours of adjusting the pedal cluster, a pivot linkage by the transaxle, and the throttle body itself in the engine compartment. It was a great example of the benefit of this kind of lift, in that there was nothing obstructing the door when I needed to lean into it (much easier with the car up) and then being able to raise and lower again and again to get to the linkage underneath and the throttle body from up above.
I really love having the lift.
And when I don't need it, there's all of this to bump into or trip over.
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I've been looking at the Bendpak MD6XP, a center scissor lift. One thing I will need to eventually do is install a clutch on a RWD car.
How is access to the trans tunnel on a RWD with a scissor lift? I'm imagining I'd have a hell of a time trying to yank a transmission out with a center lift.
How is access to the trans tunnel on a RWD with a scissor lift? I'm imagining I'd have a hell of a time trying to yank a transmission out with a center lift.
Denwood
Well-known member
Jack I think demonstrates the largest advantage of the scissor lift..having it disappear into the floor. In a small shop (as mine is) the MaxJax columns are always there, unless I unbolt them and roll them aside. Most don't do that...but a in-floor lift is out of the way every time if done in-floor. Jack, your install is about as clean as they come.
I had to smile at your belly pan as it's obvious a lot of thought has gone into aero for the track.
I had to smile at your belly pan as it's obvious a lot of thought has gone into aero for the track.
JRC3
Well-known member
I can't see being able to change out a RWD transmission on one. You could raise the vehicle and use high lift jack stands and then pull the midlift forward out of the way. They are really easy to move in a few quick steps. (will post later)
My lift does this and I believe all double scissor lifts do it. You basically have a valve you shut off and only one lift operates, it does make a great height adjustable work table.
Coopduc
Well-known member
I have the same lift as Norm, and yes it can lift only one side as installed per the instructions, noods needed.
So the rotary you linked in the last link only shows a single hydraulic cylinder per side, the Werther has dual independent hydraulic circuits. There are no mechanical locks as the dual circuits meets CE safety requirements, meaning that no air has to be hooked up, just 240V (either single or 3 phase).
Yes, the lift is made in Italy and even comes in super car (aka Ferrari) red. I had thought about putting the lift in ground, but with the ramp extension that flip up it would have made that very challenging. For example on my Golf (have sold it since), I can't flip up the ramps, I have to let them drop in order for that car to fit on there, but for the A4 or SQ5, I have to flip up at least one of the ramps as the red runner is just a bit short to hit the factory lift points. I have not had the need to flip up both ramps at the same time, guess I need to find an A8 to lift.
My Rotary also has the dual cylinders and does not use mechanical locks as the cylinders are on dual circuit. The dual cylinders are shown in the thumbnails seen here:
http://rotary.blitzrotary.eu/product/58841/image/41cb967ca6eb10c6f7c62ee347cd56f6c677decc/1
The Rotary is more similar in design to the Werther Stratos S39 Lift, the S39 is posted as an in-ground lift where as Rotary GLP35 is more convertible as you can have it in-ground or surface mounted and use the ramps. Another nice thing with the S39 and the GLP35 is the pit for the lift is no more than 5" deep, where as some of the other full lift scissor lifts I've seen go much deeper.
This co. has a bunch of scissor lifts. But they are Pricey!
http://www.bowlinent.com/lifts/lifts.php
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
I had to do the same when I dropped a transmission out of a car many years ago. I was not concerned about the stands failing, but I was concerned when the whole car swayed while I was yanking on some tough bolts from underneath. Yeah, they were cheap stands !
I have no lift, but if I ever got one, I would likely get a mid rise recessed scissor lift. My biggest concern would be spacing. I work on a lot of family and friends cars, so it could something pretty small (Focus) to something pretty big (Expedition).
Is there any type of scissor lift where the platforms are adjustable left to right ?
Yes, check the CRX picture in this thread I think you can see it.
JRC3
Well-known member
I assumed he meant a true scissor lift and not one of our midlifts. But I don't want to put words in his mouth.
Wow, money does solve all problems
Something to consider if I decide to bite the bullet on the scissor lift.theoldwizard1
Well-known member
Are you referring to the swing arms ? That is not what I am thinking.
Some way to relocate the left and right lift pads further apart or closer together. Yes, it would have to be "locked down" before lifting.
I would be satisfied with lift pads set wide for truck, but with swing-in arms for lighter vehicles.
metalhead140
Well-known member
My scissor lift can pick up everything from my F250 to my MG Midget. Should easily do the trick for you! There's pics in my garage thread, or I'll try to find some later. I actually picked my specific scissor because the ramps adjust short enough to pick up my Midget, it has a shorter wheelbase than a classic mini.