Chuck 98 RT/10
Enthusiast
Got pics? Every lift I've seen requires bolting into the floor.
Neat Lift! Anyone have any experience?
- Thread starter got one
- Start date
Got pics? Every lift I've seen requires bolting into the floor.
dave6666
Enthusiast
Yeah... I'm all ears on this one. Because if it can be fully moved , then it would seem like it's not set then. And to be set , you shouldn't be able to move it.
It just ain't working for me. Splain it please!
So anyway, the Bendpak lift does not have the connecting members so access down the center is unobstructed. And as I do mechanical design work, yes, I did consider the fact the the car is "thrown" forward or rearward when being lifted. Placement matters.
On the issue of the floor lifting mechanism limiting access from the side when the car is elevated, that is a valid point. There are however many operations that wouldn't matter on, like oil changes, tire and brake work etc. I can use my wheel stands to set the car down on to retract the lift back into the floor if side access is desired.
The short version of my Pro-Con list on the flush mount scissor lift is:
Pros...
-> Retractable. Never need to be "put up."
-> Can park right on top of it.
-> Can lift the car just as high as a 4 post can in my 8 ft tall garage.
-> Convenient for most routine maintenance work.
Cons...
-> Will have a PITA factor for side access, that can be addressed though.
-> More difficult installation, but I do all my own concrete work.
Kevan
Enthusiast
As requested:
Link:
Auto Lift Accessories from Backyard Buddy
(Scroll down to "Lift Casters")
Video:
http://www.backyardbuddy.com/videos/bbuddywide.wmv
(VERY tiny. Save As and view it offline)
Casters are demonstrated at 8:40
dave6666
Enthusiast
I just had a brilliant idea.
My biggest complaint about any lift would be having to park on it every time I pulled into the garage. Hitting the ramps, scraping the front, falling out of the higher vehicle, etc. So why not set the 4-post lift down into a 4" deep pit in the concrete? That would make the ramps flush with the rest of the garage floor grade. The only thing left to deal with is the fact you have 4 posts in your garage.
QUESTION...
On a ramp type lift that picks the car up using the wheels, how do you use it to pull the wheels to do like brake work and stuff?
hou99gts
Enthusiast
My 4 post lift came with a jack tray so you can lift the car off the runners. There are also optional jacks you can purchase that work with the lift framework, but they are more expensive.
I just bought a Greg Smith Direct Lift 8S a few weeks ago and assembled/installed it myself. Driving on and off of it is easy. It takes up exactly 1/2 of a 2 car garage door opening. Height wise it comes in just under 7' tall, so you can roll it out of the garage if you want to with the caster kit. There is no scraping going on and off the ramps. The lift is 17.5' long with the ramps attached, 14.5' long without the ramps attached. My garage is only 9'4" tall, so I got the garage door raised and a jackshaft opener installed. One Viper goes on, you lift it up, and I drive the other Viper under the top one. And the price was right...
p.s - you get out of the vehicle before you raise it up Dave, that way you don't fall out of it....
eucharistos
Enthusiast
What others have said:
Most lift mfgs make jack trays, then stands
Floor jack on the ramp, then stands
Raise car on lift, put stands in place then lower onto stands
dave6666
Enthusiast
My 4 post lift came with a jack tray so you can lift the car off the runners. There are also optional jacks you can purchase that work with the lift framework, but they are more expensive.
I just bought a Greg Smith Direct Lift 8S a few weeks ago and assembled/installed it myself. Driving on and off of it is easy. It takes up exactly 1/2 of a 2 car garage door opening. Height wise it comes in just under 7' tall, so you can roll it out of the garage if you want to with the caster kit. There is no scraping going on and off the ramps. The lift is 17.5' long with the ramps attached, 14.5' long without the ramps attached. My garage is only 9'4" tall, so I got the garage door raised and a jackshaft opener installed. One Viper goes on, you lift it up, and I drive the other Viper under the top one. And the price was right...
p.s - you get out of the vehicle before you raise it up Dave, that way you don't fall out of it....
Interesting on the accessories, like the jack trays and stuff.
My garage height is about a foot shorter than yours though, and that can make a difference. I have seen shorter models so it's really just a matter of getting one that fits.
And yeah, I'm not talking about running up the lift and then trying to bail out the door. Just stepping in and out when it's 4" up in the air is different than when the car is setting on the floor. You know, 4" matters!
Have you guys looked into KwikLift? KwikLift portable, drive-on, low-level car, truck and forklift lifts
dave6666
Enthusiast
Not bad... But for $600 more you get the hydraulically operated scissor lift like the Bendpak.
I have a 'Forward Lift' that I bought from Carquest here..It was $1795.00 delivered. Uses 110V. 6000lb cap. It rolls around any place you need it with the lever of the pump stand. I've had my Tahoe on it no problems. It has a good latch system. I changed my Viper pipes on it. Put my 52 Pickup on it with the included extension. Only problem is that it sits 4" above ground so I uses 2X8s alongside the lift to get the clearance for the Viper valance. My ceiling is only 9' so it works great for me.
Forward Lift - Mid Rise Automotive and Truck Lifts
Forward Lift - Mid Rise Automotive and Truck Lifts
hou99gts
Enthusiast
You can still use the lift I have in your garage with your garage height, you just wouldn't be able to lift the car as high.
The 4" actually helps taller folk get in and out of the car, I wish I could take the lift everywhere with me...
Jim Wilson
Enthusiast
Go the flush mount route.......This is a BendPak. Just mark around the footprint of the lift, call a concrete sawing contractor, bust up the concrete with a sledge hammer so it's in managable pieces, excavate some of the AB (that's aggregate base not our friend Adam!), level the excavation with some concrete and drop her in!
TexasPettey
Enthusiast
I'll post some pics of it when I get back from travel this weekend. I'm a bit embarrassed to post pics of my garage after seeing all the nice, organized setups here.
On the how it works without bolting, the bases on the posts are very wide. You can bolt them down, but there's really no reason to do it. You could probably bolt them down for a belt & suspenders safety approach, with the option to unbolt them from the anchors and move the lift if needed.
On the 4 wheel service, as pointed out, there are jack trays that slide on the ramps. I built a rig for lifting on the jack trays using an RV scissor jack, because I am too cheap for a hydraulic slider jack. One nice thing about this is that you can move the jack points around. I can also put jack stands under the car on the ramps if needed. So, if the area I would work on isn't convenient with the lift points, I can move the point I have the jack positioned.
On the ramps for parking, my garage is just under 20' deep. With the ramps on my lift, I have no problem with the front fascia scraping. My car is VERY low. The ramps are ~3' long. The center beam across the middle is lower than the ramps, so there's no scraping where a ramp up a driveway or equivalent would hit.
I do have an issue with the transmission plate attach bolts scraping. Because my driveway slopes from house to street at a pretty good angle, the car bottoms out at that point when going up the ramps. I put a 2x6 on each of the ramps at the point where the front wheels need a bit of a boost, and there's no problem.
I do love the lift. Sometimes I go out at night, raise the car up, and sit in a chair under it with a beer just because I can. When it leaks PS fluid in my beer, I get pissed.
On the how it works without bolting, the bases on the posts are very wide. You can bolt them down, but there's really no reason to do it. You could probably bolt them down for a belt & suspenders safety approach, with the option to unbolt them from the anchors and move the lift if needed.
On the 4 wheel service, as pointed out, there are jack trays that slide on the ramps. I built a rig for lifting on the jack trays using an RV scissor jack, because I am too cheap for a hydraulic slider jack. One nice thing about this is that you can move the jack points around. I can also put jack stands under the car on the ramps if needed. So, if the area I would work on isn't convenient with the lift points, I can move the point I have the jack positioned.
On the ramps for parking, my garage is just under 20' deep. With the ramps on my lift, I have no problem with the front fascia scraping. My car is VERY low. The ramps are ~3' long. The center beam across the middle is lower than the ramps, so there's no scraping where a ramp up a driveway or equivalent would hit.
I do have an issue with the transmission plate attach bolts scraping. Because my driveway slopes from house to street at a pretty good angle, the car bottoms out at that point when going up the ramps. I put a 2x6 on each of the ramps at the point where the front wheels need a bit of a boost, and there's no problem.
I do love the lift. Sometimes I go out at night, raise the car up, and sit in a chair under it with a beer just because I can. When it leaks PS fluid in my beer, I get pissed.
TexasPettey
Enthusiast
Dave, you can go to Derek Weaver in Dallas to talk with them and check out their setups. They are in your backyard. I was going to buy from them, but I bought my setup from a friend in Austin.
Derek Weaver Company
They have the installation instructions for their lifts online, so you can get the directions on the 4 posts without bolting to the floor. Also, you'll see that the 4 post can be set closer to the edge of the slab than a 2 post, because the weight is distributed better for less total PSI.
dave6666
Enthusiast
Go the flush mount route.......This is a BendPak. Just mark around the footprint of the lift, call a concrete sawing contractor, bust up the concrete with a sledge hammer so it's in managable pieces, excavate some of the AB (that's aggregate base not our friend Adam!), level the excavation with some concrete and drop her in!
That is sweet! And as I can do all my own concrete work, the job is like double bueno!
All I need to do is dispatch the Lone Star Long Neck mobile forklift squad to move my inventory to the side...
dave6666
Enthusiast
I'm having nightmares of running into one of those posts. I can't keep it off the lane divider bumps either so far...
FATHERFORD
Enthusiast
Go the flush mount route.......This is a BendPak. Just mark around the footprint of the lift, call a concrete sawing contractor, bust up the concrete with a sledge hammer so it's in managable pieces, excavate some of the AB (that's aggregate base not our friend Adam!), level the excavation with some concrete and drop her in!
Brilliant!
Ron
Enthusiast
Jim,
What model BendPak Scissor lift is that? I don't see it on their web site. Great installation!
Thanks
What model BendPak Scissor lift is that? I don't see it on their web site. Great installation!
Thanks
Jim Wilson
Enthusiast
Thanks Ron! It's an SP-7, similiar to the SP-7x but WAY shorter. I just took the ramps off. They don't make the SP-7 model anymore. This video shows the difference between the two....
[media]http://www.asedeals.com/video_bendpak_scissor_lift.avi[/media]
dave6666
Enthusiast
You know, I think most any scissor type lift could be flush mounted. I mean, it appears the only difference between the Bendpak 6-P and the 6-PF are the ramps in the front. Get the lift you want and sink it into the floor by 4" or whatever the height is and presto, you have a flush lift. I've even thought about doing that with a 4-post lift, but the "pit" would be like most of my garage. Or at least half of it. And I still don't like the idea of having to dodge those darn posts...
R
RTED
Guest
I used my 4-post for 2-years as free standing on the floor (not bolted down). I finally decided to bolt it to the floor using the proper cement anchors, two per post was all that was needed. You can purchase heavy duty expanding cement anchors at Home Depot or Lowes. The difference in the lifts stability while working on my car when evelated is subtantial! If you are using the lift to simply raise the car for another vehicle to be parked beneath, the need to bolt the posts to the floor are probably not necessary. However, if you plan to work on your car while elevated, BOLT THE POSTS TO THE FLOOR for safety purposes!!
Ron
Enthusiast
Thanks for the video link Jim. The Bendpak SP-7 looks alot like my Nussbaum Jumbo NT.
Wish my garage looked more like yours though.....
You must be registered for see images attach
Wish my garage looked more like yours though.....
I guess I have my own $.02 to insert....first, on the scissor lift, why go to all the expense of cutting the floor etc, as well as running out the hydraulic lines underground (??) just buy some 2 X 12 boards and make ramps to put on the ground on either side of the scissor lift !! Second : I see several people have said Backyard Buddy, the problem I saw with the BB lift is it has a moving collar that can easily snag a person's clothing or anything leaning against the posts, plus the lift has a tendency to lean in over time because the pads are not big enough on the ground to lay flat and the cables are actually inside of the "plane" of the pull on the posts PLUS I like a four poster that has ALL the moving parts AND locking mechanisms inside the post, also the inside the post has the cable inside the post and pulls down directly inside the post....the moving collar type like BB has scratches from the collar rubbing as it goes up and down and doesn't look nice for long ! The BB also seems to be a little higher and if you live in Ohio, you get to pay Gov. Strickland some money for him to spend on his "buddies"....my $.02....regards !!!
I have another posting....about the scissor lifts...why would anyone spend almost as much money as a 4 post lift and have VERY limited uses ?? Doesn't the scissor lift put stress and damage on the bolts on the bottom that holds the Viper facia ?? Some cars have the body pinch welds here and NOT to support the car's weight without bending or breaking ?? I would appreciate someone setting me straight if I am wrong, but when the car is on the scissor lift, you can't get to a lot of the car you may want to reach....mosts scissor lifts I see used are in quick tire places to remove the wheels quickly and get the customer on their way !! ?? thanks
dave6666
Enthusiast
The "expense of cutting the floor etc" has to be put in perspective. When you own your own equipment to do that kind of work and also do the work too, well, then to me, busting up the garage floor is just another Tuesday.
As far as stress on the outer edges of the car, that's where the jacking points are. You use those points for the lifting. Is your comment a Gen 3 concern?
Also, the only thing there for the scissor type lift to block access to is the exhaust pipe that runs down the side.
As far as stress on the outer edges of the car, that's where the jacking points are. You use those points for the lifting. Is your comment a Gen 3 concern?
Also, the only thing there for the scissor type lift to block access to is the exhaust pipe that runs down the side.
Ron
Enthusiast
Dave is right, the scissor lift pickup up points on the GENII are on the factory lift points. there is no contact anywhere near the front fascia. On my minivan / 300 / LHS / Trans Am / whatever, it picks up on the pinch welds in the same spot the spare tire jack would, only over a larger area via high density foam blocks. The only vehicles that I'm aware of that scissors have problems with are Ford Explorers and Wrangers / CJs Jeeps as their frame rails are set too close to reach the scissor pads. Shops that use scissors exclusively buy an optional bridge like device to set on both pads and pick up the narrower lift points, but I have no need.
Dave is also right about the the Viper exhaust. No issue at all except accessing the lower sill screws. When I replaced my system with full ceramic coated one, I just took the sills off before I drove the car up on the lift. Full access after that.
The advantage of counter sinking the lift in the floor is more aesthetic than anything and as you can see not a big issue in my garage. If I built a new garage I'd pour the floor that way just for the clean look.
Some scissors have an equalizer bar tying the two pads together so if one hydraulic cylinder leaks down the low side pad can't drop below 4" in relation to the other. Others use a mechanical safety usually with an air release. Mine uses dual cylinders in a master / slave relationship. The fluid above the piston on the master cylinder is forced to the opposite pad's slave cylinder bottom and visa versa. In this fashion either master can hold up both pads within 4" if the other were to leakdown or otherwise fail. I've released the pressure on one side to verify this and it does work. Similar principle as commercial airliner hydraulics. I share all this because not having an obstacle between the pads to get in the way of a trans removal was important for me. That plus a narrow bay, marginal floor (scissor floor loading per square inch is less than the car on tires) and a desire for wheels free made the scissor the only choice for me.
Dave is also right about the the Viper exhaust. No issue at all except accessing the lower sill screws. When I replaced my system with full ceramic coated one, I just took the sills off before I drove the car up on the lift. Full access after that.
The advantage of counter sinking the lift in the floor is more aesthetic than anything and as you can see not a big issue in my garage. If I built a new garage I'd pour the floor that way just for the clean look.
Some scissors have an equalizer bar tying the two pads together so if one hydraulic cylinder leaks down the low side pad can't drop below 4" in relation to the other. Others use a mechanical safety usually with an air release. Mine uses dual cylinders in a master / slave relationship. The fluid above the piston on the master cylinder is forced to the opposite pad's slave cylinder bottom and visa versa. In this fashion either master can hold up both pads within 4" if the other were to leakdown or otherwise fail. I've released the pressure on one side to verify this and it does work. Similar principle as commercial airliner hydraulics. I share all this because not having an obstacle between the pads to get in the way of a trans removal was important for me. That plus a narrow bay, marginal floor (scissor floor loading per square inch is less than the car on tires) and a desire for wheels free made the scissor the only choice for me.
Chuck 98 RT/10
Enthusiast
Read the whole thread.
Bought the 4 post greg smith. Changed rear diff in a few hours. Rolls on casters. Jack tray. Also works as an elevator to access debris in the attic....load up the christmas decor, raise her up and load away.
Chuck, stop by a take a look. It was $2k including delivery!
Chuck, stop by a take a look. It was $2k including delivery!
