Scissor lift ... downside??

[STANIMAL]

I assume the scissor lifts have standard installation dimensions for being able to lift a wide variety of cars ? What happens if the vehicle is too wide or too narrow ?

 

[metalhead140]

Too wide is a non-issue with mine at 1975mm (~78") width to the outside of the ramps, and most are similar. Mine has 915mm (36") between the ramps which is easily narrow enough to pick up any unibody vehicle. With vehicles with a narrow separate chassis (like my f250), cross beams are used between the ramps to pick up the chassis rails. I'll attach some pictures from my garage thread.

My MG Midget. I doubt many here have a car this small.



My f250. Note that I can't lift the f250 full height due to the ceiling. Excuse the dark photo.



Here you can hopefully see the cross beams between the ramps for picking up vehicles with a narrow chassis. Please excuse the terrible photo.

 

[eastbaysubaru]

What lift is that metalhead? Looks really nice. I haven't seen any scissor lifts with the crossbars that you have. Very nice to have that capability.

-Brian

 

[JRC3]

Metalhead, ever consider building a wood deck between you lift platforms and the concrete edges so you don't have step up or down? It would cover your lines too.

 

[metalhead140]

What lift is that metalhead? Looks really nice. I haven't seen any scissor lifts with the crossbars that you have. Very nice to have that capability.

-Brian

I bought it from an Australian hoist supplier, but the same lift is available on alibaba and the like. I think the cross arms are available separately, I actually didn't realise I was getting them included and had planned to make my own. I bought it from Advanced Autoquip: http://www.aaq.net.au/shop/detail/autolift-al-3000bg/

Metalhead, ever consider building a wood deck between you lift platforms and the concrete edges so you don't have step up or down? It would cover your lines too.

Yes, I plan to fill the area around/between the hoist ramps. Those pictures were taken just after I got it installed and working, about 6 months ago. It's been in use pretty much ever since, but I hope to build it out in the next couple of months. I have now got a hefty piece of channel steel protecting the lines between the ramps from damage.

 

[STANIMAL]

Metalhead , thanks for the pics . I didnt realize there is a crossbar for those lifts . I would love to have a scissor lift that can lift each side separately . Might be an option if I ever buy a building .

 

[pumalex]

one thing is for sure, 911 and scissor lift sure do great mix, worked flawlessly for mine

 

[icsamerica]

I had a HF scissor lift. I sold it on. For what I do in the garage is was not much of a help. The piston rams and support bracing make engine swaps difficult. For me the engine crane legs would hit the lift. Also very difficult to do transmission and exhaust work. They are good for wheel well work like brakes and good for doing body work at eye level or any other work at the extreme front or back. When I wasn't using the lift it was always in the way too. So for me it's back to doing work the old fashioned way with jack stands until I get my next home with a taller garage full size lift.

 

[UroWerks]

I would say that scissor lift is the way to go if you have a small space.either a ever eternal scissor or atlas scissor.Can anyone tell me if they are the same lift or not?Im looking at an atlas to put into my garage shortly.

Down side?well if you have a car with a frame a scissor is not the best choice.other than that I think it's the way to go

 

[funks]

Anybody know of a good transmission jack that works well with scissor lifts? My atlas kwikbay only goes up 4 inches, looking for a transmission jack that would be a good fit..

 

[steve-cook]

 

[G20-Budo]

Good info here on lifts (scissor and others). I would also agree, that in a smaller home garage, I feel a mid rise scissor lift installed flush on the floor would be a nice thing to have. I have a three FWD cars, and I would be able to 90% of the work I perform on them with a scissor lift (a buddy of mine used to have one). I have limited ceiling height (only around 8').

Thanks to all that have posted with their pictures, links to other good info, and their inputs.

 

[Off-Street Parking]

My MG Midget. I doubt many here have a car this small.

... Or arms long enough to work on it while lifted that high!

(I'm sure there is a visual size/perspective trick here... How high up is that?)

 

[Off-Street Parking]

I've got two Snap-on mid-rise scissor lifts and love them. My main purpose for purchasing was air-cooled Volkswagen work, this type of lift will work fine for your 911 also. I have done the clutch in my superduty as well as my sons four wheel drive chevy also. This style of lift can be used for a number of repairs that you think may not be possible.

Do you have a shop/garage thread, or any pictures of how the VWs sit on those lifts?

 

[TAMPAGT07]

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.

Deja Vu...... I just realized some joker pervert has hacked into my GJ account and been posting under my username since 2008....

 

[txvwnut]

Do you have a shop/garage thread, or any pictures of how the VWs sit on those lifts?

Ive got a few pics but none that actually show the car setup on the lift. I'll get a few pics taken and post a thread.

 

[Off-Street Parking]

Ive got a few pics but none that actually show the car setup on the lift. I'll get a few pics taken and post a thread.

Awesome, thanks.

 

[c39er]

... Or arms long enough to work on it while lifted that high!

(I'm sure there is a visual size/perspective trick here... How high up is that?)

A midget under a midget!

 

[omowright]

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!

Here, I find already, the answer to my recent thread "single-post lift". Really, has anyone had the experience of a failing jackstand? My answer though, is in the swaying of the vehicle when rocking or turning forces are applied whilst working on it. theoldwizard1, thanks a lot ...

 

[txvwnut]

Here's some pics of how I lift veedubs on SO mid-rise scissors. Whether it's a beetle or a bus I generally setup on the rear torsion housing, if it's a beetle I use my frame contact pads in the front and on busses I use the front jack points.

 

[txvwnut]

And here's pic of a bus on my other lift.

 

[Off-Street Parking]

Here's some pics of how I lift veedubs on SO mid-rise scissors. Whether it's a beetle or a bus I generally setup on the rear torsion housing, if it's a beetle I use my frame contact pads in the front and on busses I use the front jack points.

Thanks!

So on a Beetle, it looks like the lift platform isn't quite long enough to reach the frame head?

 

[txvwnut]

Thanks!

So on a Beetle, it looks like the lift platform isn't quite long enough to reach the frame head?

It really just depends on where you locate the car to the lift. With my particular lifts the width will interfere with turning the front tires left and right if I position the car where the pan head will sit on the platform of the lift. Sometimes I will run the front arms out to pick up the "Napoleon hat" area of the pan but with the blue car on the lift I was doing pan replacement so I needed access to the bolts, so that's why I used rubber contact pads under the tunnel.

Also if you noticed the stands under the bus and was wondering why. I'm installing an external cooler under it and need access to the spot the lift is covering so I just set it on the stands to gain the needed access.

 

[G20-Budo]

txvwnut - That SO scissor lift looks like it works very well for your uses.. Thanks for the pics!

 

[txvwnut]

Yeah I used to own a Gray products lift like what Discount tire used to use. I got rid of it years before I bought these two as it didn't really give me the lift height for pulling engines plus it only lifted by contacting the floor pan, and when you have a customers car that someone installed fiber glass pans in, well I think you can guess the rest.

When my buddy who was a SO dealer told me about this lift I jumped right on the deal he offered me as in knew it would do everything I would need it to do.

 

[SiGmA_X]

Does anyone have a good undercar picture of access with an Atlas full rise scissor? I'm curious if I could pull an RWD transmission, or do exhaust fab. For fab, perhaps with some extra blocks to get height between the underside of the car and the lift?

 

[RAYJAY]

here is there quick lift mid rise

 

[jdieter]

I've had a flush install scissor lift for 5 years and have had a shitpot full of cars on it. So far a 58 chevy and a ford ranger wouldn't work. The chevy is an x-frame and I used two 4x6's to catch the frame. I could have lifted the ranger if I had slotted rubber pads to fit around pinch welds and used blocking under the pads so the lift platforms would clear the underbody.
One of these days I'm gonna fab a couple I-beams with wide plates for feet to rest on the platforms and sliding pads on the top of the I-beams to catch oddball frames. I wouldn't have a garage without this lift after using it for everything from a way to off load my pickup to an adjustable height worktable to an easy way to clean my riding mower deck to a way to work on jukeboxes without working hunchbacked. Right now it's serving as a work platform with several full sheets of plywood and laminate stored under the work area for a good sized bar I'm building.

 

[jdieter]

Reviving and old post, just tried to get an 08 Honda CRV AWD on my lift, it's not a unibody has a frame with swing arm suspension on the real axle. Once I caught the front and rear with the extensions slid out I was pinching each end of the lift with the F&R tires. Didn't like the noises coming from the car as I got it slightly off the floor and went to a floor jack and stands. Curious what other cars folks have not been able to use their scissor lift on? I really need to get on the I-beam idea noted above.

 

[txvwnut]

The only one that has been tricky for me was the Scion XA we used to own(wifes car). It was short but I still managed to get it positioned to lift it.

 

[redmondjp]

Reviving and old post, just tried to get an 08 Honda CRV AWD on my lift, it's not a unibody has a frame with swing arm suspension on the real axle. Once I caught the front and rear with the extensions slid out I was pinching each end of the lift with the F&R tires. Didn't like the noises coming from the car as I got it slightly off the floor and went to a floor jack and stands. Curious what other cars folks have not been able to use their scissor lift on? I really need to get on the I-beam idea noted above.

Sorry but it is actually a unibody. It is not body-on-frame construction, in which you can leave the frame and suspension sitting on the floor and lift the entire body off. The front and rear suspension is attached to reinforced portions of the body and/or subframe.

It is perfectly normal for a unibody car to flex a bit when it is raised from the pinchweld lifting points and I wouldn't worry a bit about any noises you are hearing (if you live in the rust belt and have severe undercarriage rust, that is another story altogether). Every car repair shop, including Honda dealers, lifts your car in this manner without any issues.

In some cases, depending upon the vehicle, you can use inboard lift points, such as the outboard ends of the front subframe, instead.

 

[SiGmA_X]

Googling made me think a CRV should be a pretty easy pickup. How wide are your lift pads? With the popular Chinese scissor at ~74" total width and ~70" extended length, a 71" wide vehicle should be easy to grab at the factory points.

 

[jdieter]

On the Honda I was lifting at the points where the rear swing arms attached to the sub-frame and at the front sub-frame area where the aft area of the lower front suspension attached to the sub frame. I'll lookup the factory lift points if I have this car in again. I can see where this car would be easy to position/lift with a 2 post lift, IMHO not so with a scissor lift.

 

[jimgood]

It seems like a scissor lift would be the best of both worlds if you could combine it, when needed, with the ability to lift the vehicle by the wheels with removable platforms. I was searching for this but only found ones that lift exclusively by the wheels. Though they would need to be heavy, it seems there should be a way to put a track, similar to those on a 4-post, over the scissor lift, drive onto it and let the scissor lift the track. That way, when you need to do alignments, access rocker panels or whatever, you'd have the means to do it.

 

[SiGmA_X]

It seems like a scissor lift would be the best of both worlds if you could combine it, when needed, with the ability to lift the vehicle by the wheels with removable platforms. I was searching for this but only found ones that lift exclusively by the wheels. Though they would need to be heavy, it seems there should be a way to put a track, similar to those on a 4-post, over the scissor lift, drive onto it and let the scissor lift the track. That way, when you need to do alignments, access rocker panels or whatever, you'd have the means to do it.

I would use alignment stands with the type of scissor we are discussing here. Like you do for alignments with 2posts. Easy and compactish.

On the Honda I was lifting at the points where the rear swing arms attached to the sub-frame and at the front sub-frame area where the aft area of the lower front suspension attached to the sub frame. I'll lookup the factory lift points if I have this car in again. I can see where this car would be easy to position/lift with a 2 post lift, IMHO not so with a scissor lift.

The lift points should be along the rocker panels. Not the suspension mount points.

 

[sberry]

Nice thread. I was thinking of something like this, portable for body work.

 

[cspcrx]

My 86 crx has a wheel base of 86.6 in and I lift it without any trouble. But it lifts on the pinch welds towards the outside of the car. I do have to use middle height pads because the torsion bar tubes will rest on lift otherwise. I have only lifted 3 vehicles on my MD-6xp so far ( 86 CRX SI, 09 Tacoma Double Cab PreRunner Sport and 12 S4 ). No issues with any of these.

 

[sberry]

I was thinking that some mid rise scheme could be moved in to fabrication area if there really was extensive metal work but a place it could shine for me would be body work. Its really hard for me to get excited about it though. I thought maybe looking at lifts would be inspiring but then realize the paint materials is worth more than the car we want to paint,,, ha.

 

[SiGmA_X]

My friends light duty body shop (small paint correction usually - but I have seen some full repaints there too) and detail shop has a couple of the low rise lifts. They're excellent for body work.

 

[hnsy]

I'm loving my scissor lifts. Just finished everything a month or two ago. Haven't had any issues with them yet (knock on wood)!

This is awesome!