Scissor Lift Specs - Additional Accommodations to Consider

[mrnvgtr]

Since I'm about to undergo construction of a new house, I've presented the builder with my desire to eventually install a scissor lift. I'd much rather have the concrete cut and any additional accommodations all sorted out ahead of time during the build, assuming I have a specific scissor lift in mind to eventually purchase. Whether that's logical is debatable, I know. I just want it done and out of the way though.

Since this is outside the builder's normal area of expertise, can someone with experience please advise me on what additional accommodations I need make for a scissor lift so I can relay that to him so he can come up with a plan? I'm particularly interested in the EverLift EE-MR30. Though the basic dimensions are published for most of the scissor lifts I've seen, I'm looking for things like power receptacle type, tunnel dimensions for hydraulic line, how many tunnels total (1 for hydraulic line, 1 for power, or all-in-one), what additional width beyond the lift dimensions are required. The info you'd want to make this a nice install and not just a scissor lift sitting on top of a garage floor. That info is more difficult to find it seems, and I'd much rather obtain it from someone here than some customer service outfit to be honest.

Thanks for your time.

 

[crille_hallden]

Have a look at my tread for some ideas to start with.
Here and now there is snow here in Sweden and my slab is underneeth so cant give you better pics in acouple of months.

I will use these lift;
http://www.verktygsboden.se/saxlyftar/saxlyft-2700-kg-1400-mm

Best regards from Sweden.

 

[Thruxton]

Just be sure the lift you choose fits your car. You should be able to get a diagram online showing extended arm and lift pad positions, which you can then compare to your car's lift points. That check eliminated a scissor lift I had been considering because it just would not fit my 928, and helped me choose one that fits exactly. If you plan to use it on different vehicles, of course, it gets more complicated.

 

[Rookie2]

I have an older scissor lift, worthless unless you like to change tires every week. Plus they are a hazard when the car is out of the garage !

 

[MFGJR]

Note that a scissor lift will move fore or aft as it's raised, so you'll want to know the extent of that movement for the lift you'll use--you need to locate the lift so that you can both position the car on it and then have the car where you want it once raised. If the lift you're using will require a cover when not in use, make sure that the builder forms a lip to hold that cover flush with the floor.

 

[MFGJR]

Also, call the manufacturer /distributor and see if there's a schematic for a recessed installation.

 

[Thruxton]

Note that a scissor lift will move fore or aft as it's raised, so you'll want to know the extent of that movement for the lift you'll use--you need to locate the lift so that you can both position the car on it and then have the car where you want it once raised. If the lift you're using will require a cover when not in use, make sure that the builder forms a lip to hold that cover flush with the floor.

On mine only one end moves, but that's a good point- I have only about a foot of clearance at each end when the car is up, not the same when it's down!

 

[Thruxton]

I have an older scissor lift, worthless unless you like to change tires every week. Plus they are a hazard when the car is out of the garage !

Easy to trip over, true! I hope to recess mine this year. But worthless? After a suspension rebuild this fall on the 928, a lot of work before that, and more this spring, it has been absolutely invaluable to me.

 

[Jack Olsen]

Since I'm about to undergo construction of a new house, I've presented the builder with my desire to eventually install a scissor lift. I'd much rather have the concrete cut and any additional accommodations all sorted out ahead of time during the build, assuming I have a specific scissor lift in mind to eventually purchase. Whether that's logical is debatable, I know. I just want it done and out of the way though.

I don't think this is a good idea. Trying to guess the specific installation needs of a lift you haven't bought yet -- when the perfect model for your needs could conceivably be introduced sometime between now and when you decide to pull the trigger -- to me, that invites more problems than it solves. I know it seems like a big deal to cut into a concrete pad and then pour a new recessed floor, but it really is pretty simple to do. Or at least, that was my experience. My first concrete work was putting in my lift.

I have an older scissor lift, worthless unless you like to change tires every week. Plus they are a hazard when the car is out of the garage !

The obstruction issue depends on the car you're working on. And putting the lift into a recessed pit eliminates its footprint completely -- which is better than you can do with any 2-post lift.

Here's a great example of how straightforward it is (not mine).

Note that a scissor lift will move fore or aft as it's raised, so you'll want to know the extent of that movement for the lift you'll use--you need to locate the lift so that you can both position the car on it and then have the car where you want it once raised.

What are you basing that on? For most scissors lifts, the 'X' is anchored on one side and on rollers on the other. It can only move the top section up, not fore, aft or any other direction.

Watch the beginning of this video, and you can see how the movement is only vertical. I'm not sure how you could make a scissors lift that would be able to move laterally, now that I think about it.

 

[BRIANBB]

Why not chosse a lift now? Its the best option. I just got mine in the ground over the holidays using the Jack Olsen school of keep it simple silly.

 

[mrnvgtr]

Just be sure the lift you choose fits your car. You should be able to get a diagram online showing extended arm and lift pad positions, which you can then compare to your car's lift points. That check eliminated a scissor lift I had been considering because it just would not fit my 928, and helped me choose one that fits exactly. If you plan to use it on different vehicles, of course, it gets more complicated.

Good tip!

I have an older scissor lift, worthless unless you like to change tires every week. Plus they are a hazard when the car is out of the garage !

Note that a scissor lift will move fore or aft as it's raised, so you'll want to know the extent of that movement for the lift you'll use--you need to locate the lift so that you can both position the car on it and then have the car where you want it once raised. If the lift you're using will require a cover when not in use, make sure that the builder forms a lip to hold that cover flush with the floor.

Not sure how it would move fore and aft if one leg is anchored in place. Please explain in case I'm missing something. I'll take your lip idea though.

Also, call the mainfacturer /distributor and see if there's a schematic for a recessed installation.

Excellent. I thought of this already but didn't know how to put it succinctly, so didn't want to play phone relay with everyone in the customer service department. I'll give this a try.

I don't think this is a good idea. Trying to guess the specific installation needs of a lift you haven't bought yet -- when the perfect model for your needs could conceivably be introduced sometime between now and when you decide to pull the trigger -- to me, that invites more problems than it solves. I know it seems like a big deal to cut into a concrete pad and then pour a new recessed floor, but it really is pretty simple to do. Or at least, that was my experience. My first concrete work was putting in my lift.

Based on your response, I think I wasn't clear enough in my original post, and also in re-reading it, I made one incorrect statement about my intentions. I'm sometimes a little verbose when I'm excited about something.

Regardless of the specific type of scissor lift I end up with, what are the "additional accommodations" I need to account for while I have expensive paid labor out working on my house? This may be out-of-pocket rather than financed with the house, and I can't trust my builder to think of all this because he's never had a customer request such accommodations for a lift before. He'll take my info and come up with a plan that won't cause any issues with the engineering folks; the end result would be similar to what you see done in this forum, but the way about it might be a little outside the box since we don't want this idea to cause any concerns with the engineers (i.e. area to be cut may end up being a separate slab of concrete).

I'll attempt a few of my own answers to my question so we have something to throw darts at.

Looks like I'll need an extra 220 volt socket installed at the wall adjacent to the lift, which is also where I'd likely hang the control panel.

I'll need some kind of tunnel between the lower floor where the lift sits and just in front of the wall where I locate the 220 volt socket and control panel. The more I think about it, the easier solution may be to just cut a vertical channel and add a flexible barrier over top of the air hose and power wire.

Wouldn't you want a thick steel sheet below the lift to keep the wheels from eroding the concrete, or is it not really that much wear?

 

[Jagmandave]

Have a look at my tread for some ideas to start with.
Here and now there is snow here in Sweden and my slab is underneeth so cant give you better pics in acouple of months.

I will use these lift;
http://www.verktygsboden.se/saxlyftar/saxlyft-2700-kg-1400-mm

Best regards from Sweden.

Crille....

Is that lift Swedish Made? I have one exactly like it but there's absolutely no info as to who made it or what country it was built in....

Here are a couple pics of mine....

View media item 35351

View media item 35350

 

[MFGJR]

What are you basing that on? For most scissors lifts, the 'X' is anchored on one side and on rollers on the other. It can only move the top section up, not fore, aft or any other direction.

Watch the beginning of this video, and you can see how the movement is only vertical. I'm not sure how you could make a scissors lift that would be able to move laterally, now that I think about it.

I should have said "many scissor lifts will move fore/aft" as it depends on the design. If one end of that "X" is anchored at the floor and the other end is fixed to the top part of the lift, then the top part will have to move laterally as the lift operates. Think about the horizontal distance between the end of the minute hand on a clock at 12:00 (lift is up) vs. 3:00 (lift is down)... Lifts like the Bendpak P-6 mid-rise (which I'm using) are constructed in this way, and per the manual this particular lift moves 14" laterally between full up and full down. I believe the Bendpak MD-6XP pictured in Jack's post with the yellow 993 works the same way. [EDIT--the MD-6XP does not move laterally, but the P-6 definitely does.]

Here's the diagram from the P-6 manual, which might help:



The lift in the video that Jack links appears to have arms that are not fixed in place relative to the upper part, but rather that slide fore/aft as the lift operates, allowing the upper part to move only vertically and not laterally. Note that the top attachment points of the both arms moves relative to the bike's wheels.

 

[JonnFX]

I have a scissors lift that raises straight up, as it looks like yours does, also.

Don't forget the air supply for the safety lock release.

I like your lift with the center area open (like mine). You are going to love it. I use mine all of the time as it is handy and versatile for all sorts of repairs. Cheers.

 

[wssix99]

If you go with a pit and are pouring a new slab, you'll want to address the reentrant corners of the pit so you don't get cracks radiating out from the corners of the pit: http://www.concreteconstruction.net...a-reentrant-corner-crack-ruin-your-image.aspx

There are many things you can do. Expansion joints across the slab (cutting the entire floor in to contiguous rectangles) will give you the most control of cracking, but you can also use angled rebar at the corners and reinforce the greater slab to limit the widths of the cracks that you will get at those locations.

 

[JDishong]

Considerations:
1) typically 3" - 4" buried PVC (inside concrete) makes a good conduit for routing lines to lift from control panel.
2) If recessed, consider drains that run out to the perimeter of your slab. Easy things to do when you are new construction.
3) Install "steel edging" around recess for protection of concrete chipping.
4) New construction allows you to use rebar around corners of your recess .. these are the locations with highest stress could eventually crack

Good luck!

 

[mrnvgtr]

Thank you for all the contributions. Between you all and some time for more research, I've got it all figured out and passed the info along to my builder.

 

[MFGJR]

I should have said "many scissor lifts will move fore/aft" as it depends on the design. If one end of that "X" is anchored at the floor and the other end is fixed to the top part of the lift, then the top part will have to move laterally as the lift operates. Think about the horizontal distance between the end of the minute hand on a clock at 12:00 (lift is up) vs. 3:00 (lift is down)...

Let me stand corrected on the above.

This was bugging me and I finally had the time to study a number of true scissor lifts. The typical design allows one leg of the "X" to move along the floor while the other leg that's fixed at the floor moves along the top of the lift--that leg's arc thus doesn't impact the lateral position of the top. That's the "scissor" in scissor lift. Beware, however, that there are lifts which we (well, I, anyway) refer to as "scissor lifts" but which don't scissor. The low-rise Bendpak P-6 that's going in my floor is one such lift, and it simply pivots up on its arms and that's where the lateral movement comes from. Hope that helps clarify things, sorry if I confused anyone.