DIY car lift project....well we will see.

[beeRS]

I like the pneumatic lifting idea, but I’d just have to have some kind of fail safe locking pin in place. Or axel stands.

Can I share a similar idea. I used four motorcycle screw jacks. 460mm lift. I still used axel stands for extra safety. The screw jacks work fine, but it’s a faff. You have to lift each corner bit by bit.

 

[W.olly]

I like the pneumatic lifting idea, but I’d just have to have some kind of fail safe locking pin in place. Or axel stands.

View attachment 438217
Can I share a similar idea. I used four motorcycle screw jacks. 460mm lift. I still used axel stands for extra safety. The screw jacks work fine, but it’s a faff. You have to lift each corner bit by bit.

It will have pins as in original post. More strength aswell than axle stands.

 

[eddie49]

Here is another scary-looking mobile single-point lift:

afas car lift mobile car ramp | eBay

Works exactly as it should can lift 2.5 ton. Ivbhad a bmw x6 on it half way up. Lifts 6ft so can work under any car. Bought this and another 1 about a year back had my use out of it done many clutches and service works on cars.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[W.olly]

Here is another scary-looking mobile single-point lift:

afas car lift mobile car ramp | eBay

Works exactly as it should can lift 2.5 ton. Ivbhad a bmw x6 on it half way up. Lifts 6ft so can work under any car. Bought this and another 1 about a year back had my use out of it done many clutches and service works on cars.

www.ebay.co.uk

I do t even like single you see n commercial Garages. Two are a bit better. All four cornrs supported are a lot better.

 

[Onoff]

As far as I got, copying someone else's design by measuring photographs!

Did have some help from a lad on a foreign MG forum who'd done the same and completed it. Indistinguishable from the original.

 

[dave h 2]

Can't help but think a rotisserie would have been more useful. As it stands you still have to get underneath to weld / de rust etc and your chosen height is at the 'awkward' point of needing to sit down and still reach up which is hard work on the back and neck

 

[JOEPRO]

to throw something in here

if i want to further throw in the high lift but using your air bags easy enough

Thanks for sharing that top one. I am going to use that idea! I need to be able to raise completed car restorations to be able to torque the suspension arm bolts. Couldn't figure out a good way to do that without a 4 post lift but that would work great and also within the confines of my Clarke and single garage for other maintenance work.

I shall make on in a few weeks time will order up the steel next week.

Re scissor lifts they are not as restrictive as you may think. This one is portable but bolted to my garage floor. Lots of room under the car and safe as houses. Access is fine for my needs.

 

[JohnH]

Rent a mini digger and dig a hole in the middle of the shop.
Kim could do it for you....
Make a strong cover for when the car is not present.

Thats what I did when I built the garage. 3 x 2 manhole covers.

Works a treat. No storage problems.

 

[dave h 2]

My old mans pit was miserably cold in winter .

 

[winchman]

Are we not missing the obvious? Just dig a hole under the car

mechmate Garage Inspection Pits Mech Mate | Mech Mate Garage Inspectio

A Mech-Mate inspection pit makes access to the underside of your car easy, allowing you to work in safe, well-lit comfort with all your tools to hand. Where traditional brick-built pits had a habit of getting damp and crumbly, the new generation of pits are fully insulated from the earth.

www.mech-mate.co.uk

 

[gaz1]

Thanks for sharing that top one. I am going to use that idea! I need to be able to raise completed car restorations to be able to torque the suspension arm bolts. Couldn't figure out a good way to do that without a 4 post lift but that would work great and also within the confines of my Clarke and single garage for other maintenance work.

I shall make on in a few weeks time will order up the steel next week.

i understand you need the access for what your doing but im not so sure its a good fit for an all round car lift
wheels off for repair is one issue straight away getting that lift point

also take a look

Temporary car lift needed

42ft? That I doubt. :scared: I'll wager there is a missing decimal floating around somewhere....:D

www.mig-welding.co.uk

a hammer 4 post lift

hammer car lift - Google Search

 

[Keithmac]

I like the pneumatic lifting idea, but I’d just have to have some kind of fail safe locking pin in place. Or axel stands.

View attachment 438217
Can I share a similar idea. I used four motorcycle screw jacks. 460mm lift. I still used axel stands for extra safety. The screw jacks work fine, but it’s a faff. You have to lift each corner bit by bit.

If you look at how those Jack's are made the entire load is supported by a 5mm roll pin..

I've had one of these fail (roll pin snapped), luckily I'm always weary when jacking / lifting and was no where near it.

Even leaning under to put an axle stand in make sure if one of them collapses you won't be in harms way..

 

[knighty]

are you having a solid plate for the floor of it? - maybe add some rubber mat to the bottom, to even out any tiny imperfections?

and some angle iron/box section/whatever welded to the top to act as wheel chocks either side of the tyre?

EDIT: just realised it you lift car to 500mm, the bottom of the wheels you want to put these under won't be that high / it'll be too low to fit them under?

I'd be a bit worried about the lack over overlap between the tubes when you're at max lift... with 500mm max tube length there's not much you can do

might be easier when you're lifting if the bottom platform moves too.... if you lined up the holes for the pins you could have then so a pin goes through the top tube and sits on top of the bottom tube and a lower pin slides through both? - that was you don't need to do lifts as big or go all the way up each time....

you can't really reinforce the top plate/add much triangulation to it because it'll interfere with the tubes below it.... you could stick them out the top and ad some at that side instead? - maybe join it in with the reinforcement/chocks I suggested above?

EDIT2: added bonus of chocks - you'll have to leave it neutral/handbrake off when you're lifting, otherwise as you lift one end the car will try to drag the other end's wheels/lifts towards you?

 

[Keithmac]

This is what I did with mine, they now have a 10mm spindle as a backup and I just use the for positioning engines / gearboxes now..

 

[jsf55]

Set mine up on a trolley for removing my rear axle, didn't know about the single pin although saying that the shaft was like a banana !

 

[Erie Fred]

My old mans pit was miserably cold in winter .

What exactly were you doing down there ?

 

[ukracer]

I like the pneumatic lifting idea, but I’d just have to have some kind of fail safe locking pin in place. Or axel stands.

View attachment 438217
Can I share a similar idea. I used four motorcycle screw jacks. 460mm lift. I still used axel stands for extra safety. The screw jacks work fine, but it’s a faff. You have to lift each corner bit by bit.

We used airbags (low pressure ones) to lift HGV,s and Coaches.
But we always Chocked and Blocked anything we lifted whatever we used.

I have a suspicion trains are built on stands so I would imagine some decent axle stands PLUS the airbags would be safe enough.
Once you have used a two poster most things will seem a lot safer to be honest.

 

[W.olly]

Little more progress.

as you cn see theer is tube protruding from te top, these will take bars from the jack beam which will also lock the opposite stand together.

 

[Bobtail4x4]

so you are not dead yet??

 

[W.olly]

so you are not dead yet??

You wish haha