Garage lift?

[doodguy]

Random crazy question, but does anyone know of an affordable lift for a tinkerers garage?

This needs to be garage friendly for a normal 2 car garage, and low enough the mustang can roll over with ease.

Anything like this exist?

Sponsored

 

[whirledpeaz]

http://www.affordableautolifts.com/

 

[CliffClavin]

Are you planning on using the lift for storage as well? Ceiling height will be an issue in some garages as will garage door orientation. How tall are your ceilings? If it is strictly for maintenance, you could get a mid rise lift for probably a couple thousand. If you have the room, a 2 or 4 post lift from BendPak or similar are pretty cheap these days.

 

[BlackGT]

take a look at MaxJaxusa.com they have a two post (semi portable) mid lift that is great for basements or normal size garages. I almost bought one but used the money somewhere else. sad thing is, I can't even remember where that money was spent....

 

[dgc333]

When I built my garage I purposely made the ceiling high enough so I could stand comfortably under a car on a lift.

I hemmed and hawed for quite awhile over whether to get a 4 post or 2 post lift. My wife made the decision for me buy purchasing a 4 post unit at the local World of Wheels show from a local lift supplier.

She got me the lift, jack tray, drip trays, rolling trolley jack (allows you to lift the front axle or rear of the rails) and the caster wheels that allow you to move it around. It was delivered setup for $2300.

You may find one for a couple of hundred less on line but the cost of shipping and setup (or hassle of setup if you do it yourself) will exceed the cost from a local supplier. I looked around quite a bit and the home garge grade units are all pretty much the same with only the color decals differentiating them.

I have had it for about 5 years now and it is the best tool I have invested in. You can't imagine how pleasant working on cars can be when you don't have to lay on your back.

 

[suckerv]

These are way more affordable than I ever imagined. I guess it just goes to show that you'll never know if you don't research it. Thanks for the suggestions! I'm glad OP started this thread; I never would have!

 

[Norm Peterson]

If you get any lift that is bolted to the floor, your concrete absolutely must meet (and preferably exceed) the lift mfr's minimum specs on concrete strength and thickness. Make sure you can anchor it away from any seams or cracks (as such defects will reduce the capacity of any nearby bolts). Make sure that the installer pays attention to this - the guy running the concrete drill isn't going to be an engineer. Concrete failures tend to be sudden, while a steel anchor bolt will stretch a little and pass some of its load over to one or more adjacent bolts.


Norm

 

[Anthony 05 GT]

This is the lift I have http://www.gregsmithequipment.com/Atlas-PV-10P

I am loving life since getting it. I have 12' ceiling. That is a 10,000 lb capacity lift, but they have smaller models and they also have a Florida store. Great quality.

 

[mjribeiro]

I have a Bendpak 2 post, delivered $2300 - I think it was asedeals.com. Best tool in the garage.

 

[2Cool]

http://www.quickjack.com/products/b...ck-support-system---5,000-pound-capacity.html

For quick and easy.

Also check out http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/ for all kinds of toy ideas.

 

[doodguy]

http://www.quickjack.com/products/b...ck-support-system---5,000-pound-capacity.html

For quick and easy.

Also check out http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/ for all kinds of toy ideas.

Ordered!

Thank you!!!

 

[50hhh]

Better have 8 inch concrete most garages are 4 inch and won't hold much..

 

[doodguy]

Better have 8 inch concrete most garages are 4 inch and won't hold much..

? You don't think the garage will hold the weight of the car? From the looks of the quickjack, the weight will be more dispersed than when the car is on its wheels.

Maybe I'm wrong?

 

[Anthony 05 GT]

I know my concrete is 7'' in the lift post area because I prepped the site and my 10,000 lb lift requires only 4'' of concrete at 3000 psi strength. Ask the manufacturer about the requirements.

On second thought, read this http://www.quickjack.com/frequently-asked-questions/

 

[Norm Peterson]

? You don't think the garage will hold the weight of the car? From the looks of the quickjack, the weight will be more dispersed than when the car is on its wheels.

Maybe I'm wrong?

It's not just about the weight. It is also about the fact that because the weight is applied at some distance away from the posts, it is trying to
bend the posts. This puts a bending moment at the base plate (even though there is a top bar tying the two posts together, which certainly improves the situation). A poorly spotted vehicle will try to tip the posts over (think front to back here), and the top bar does not help cover for this situation.

Bending moments at the base plate (both side to side and front to back, combined) will try to pry one or more of the anchor bolts out of the concrete, leveraging about the opposite side of the floor plate (much like the way you use a claw hammer to pull a nail out of a block of wood). This in turn pulls UP on the concrete around these bolts. A big, wide base plate is a good thing here, and getting the CG of the vehicle being lifted as close as possible to being directly between the two posts is very important.

I think we can safely assume that the lift mfr has spaced his anchor bolt holes appropriately - for sale to and use by others I can't imagine a review by a registered professional engineer not being required.

I did see that lift's specs page . . . I'd probably feel comfortable enough with 4" of 3000 psi concrete for lifting a Mustang, maybe not so much for lifting something out near the claimed 10,000 lb capacity (I'd sure be checking that top bar for bends, buckles, cracks, etc., first - I've seen them visibly bent in a dealership's shop and removed from service, just sitting there unusable until the shop was re-arranged and a few new lifts purchased). But I'd feel even better with another inch and another thousand psi . . .

I'm trying to educate here, not scare folks away.


Norm

Sponsored