Car scissor lifts
Discussion
Thinking about buying one of these or similar.
http://www.automotechservices.co.uk/products/as-76...
How easy are they to work under and does the lack of access to the centre of the car cause any real problems. As my garage has a fairly low ceiling I'm only going to be able to lift the car by about 1 metre. At this height is it difficult to work under the car as your're neither lying or standing?
I run a Porsche 911 air cooled so not much in the way of mechanics under the centre of the car but what about a conventional rear wheeled car? Would you be able to remove a gearbox for instance.
Would have to sink into the floor of my garage as it needs to be able to take 2 cars. Has anyone done this or come up with another method to maintain a 2 car garage.
I have considered on of these but can't really justify the cost.
http://www.automotechservices.co.uk/products/as-75...
Any advice would be welcomed.
Richard
http://www.automotechservices.co.uk/products/as-76...
How easy are they to work under and does the lack of access to the centre of the car cause any real problems. As my garage has a fairly low ceiling I'm only going to be able to lift the car by about 1 metre. At this height is it difficult to work under the car as your're neither lying or standing?
I run a Porsche 911 air cooled so not much in the way of mechanics under the centre of the car but what about a conventional rear wheeled car? Would you be able to remove a gearbox for instance.
Would have to sink into the floor of my garage as it needs to be able to take 2 cars. Has anyone done this or come up with another method to maintain a 2 car garage.
I have considered on of these but can't really justify the cost.
http://www.automotechservices.co.uk/products/as-75...
Any advice would be welcomed.
Richard
I've been looking at these too but have dismissed the first type due to concerns of the mechanism getting in the way when trying to access the centre of the car.
In my search I also considered the latter type and that's the type I intend to go for as it doesn't have a connecting bar so they can be spaced at a distance to suit your car exactly :-)
If you already own a compressor a 1/2 way house solution may be one of these which is mid priced between the 2
http://www.automotechservices.co.uk/products/as-75...
In my search I also considered the latter type and that's the type I intend to go for as it doesn't have a connecting bar so they can be spaced at a distance to suit your car exactly :-)
If you already own a compressor a 1/2 way house solution may be one of these which is mid priced between the 2
http://www.automotechservices.co.uk/products/as-75...
I did send Automotech a query asking if the 7530 could be separated for recessing in the floor but didn't get a response. I don't have a compressor so these types will incur a further expense.
I'm looking at a 2nd hand unit but it is a 3 phase motor, so I'm trying to find out if I can replace the motor with a single phase unit. Has anyone bought a 3ph unit and used a capacitor start pack to covert to single phase?
I'm looking at a 2nd hand unit but it is a 3 phase motor, so I'm trying to find out if I can replace the motor with a single phase unit. Has anyone bought a 3ph unit and used a capacitor start pack to covert to single phase?
I think digital is the way to go for 3ph conversion. Drives direct seem to have a lot of info http://www.drivesdirect.co.uk/about.htm
I have had mine for a few years... best thing I EVER bought for the garage. I have the same problem with ceiling height, but I don't find it that much of a problem. What you actually find is there are very few jobs that actually need to get underneath fully. For that I use a stool with wheels on and sit there. One such job was an MX5 clutch, but it was far better than doing it on the floor with a Jack!
My mate has they type in your first link... he hates it, and its unstable. and the beams block underside access. its also great for working on bikes!
note the blocks under the sills for better access for the accident repair
My mate has they type in your first link... he hates it, and its unstable. and the beams block underside access. its also great for working on bikes!
note the blocks under the sills for better access for the accident repair
On the subject of using the garage for two cars... this is what I did, I made a centre section out of wood, and was able to park two cars in there side by side as the ramp is very low when it was down.
to be honest, I have now got rid of the wood and just drive over the ramps and have a little bit of wood to ease the car over the bar at one end... you can see it on the first picture above with the Harley. the only reason for the wood centre was the Elise was very low and only "JUST" went over.
with regard to the compressor... the air requirement is minimal, and is only require to operate the air safety locks. In fact, a £12 electric air pump would be fine! you only need 20PSI to operate the air locks.
to be honest, I have now got rid of the wood and just drive over the ramps and have a little bit of wood to ease the car over the bar at one end... you can see it on the first picture above with the Harley. the only reason for the wood centre was the Elise was very low and only "JUST" went over.
with regard to the compressor... the air requirement is minimal, and is only require to operate the air safety locks. In fact, a £12 electric air pump would be fine! you only need 20PSI to operate the air locks.
Edited by buzzer on Friday 19th December 19:11
Hi Buzzer, thanks for your response. Which manufacturer supplied your lift? Does it need an air supply for the locks?
I'm hoping to recess it in the floor if I buy one. Well not recess it, but I intend to raise the floor around it to provide a degree of insulation to the garage. Did you do any reinforcing to the concrete floor to take the lift with a car on it?
Richard
I'm hoping to recess it in the floor if I buy one. Well not recess it, but I intend to raise the floor around it to provide a degree of insulation to the garage. Did you do any reinforcing to the concrete floor to take the lift with a car on it?
Richard
RichD1 said:
Hi Buzzer, thanks for your response. Which manufacturer supplied your lift? Does it need an air supply for the locks?
I'm hoping to recess it in the floor if I buy one. Well not recess it, but I intend to raise the floor around it to provide a degree of insulation to the garage. Did you do any reinforcing to the concrete floor to take the lift with a car on it?
Richard
Hi Richard,I'm hoping to recess it in the floor if I buy one. Well not recess it, but I intend to raise the floor around it to provide a degree of insulation to the garage. Did you do any reinforcing to the concrete floor to take the lift with a car on it?
Richard
I used Automotech Services Limited, and they were very good. I have answered the air question above, cheap and easy solution to it.
I didn't do anything with the floor, so long as its reasonable its not a problem as the weight is spread over a large area. In fact, my mate uses his on the tarmac drive as they are portable, mine came with a kit of wheels!
where you based?
Edited by buzzer on Friday 19th December 19:39
buzzer said:
I imagine it is easy to pick up points A and B, but as C sits slightly inward, and D much more so, is it possible to support the rear end so I could remove both rear wheels?
Also how have you got the front end raised? There appears to be a block under point A, but I cannot see anything else. Also, to the left, it appears the rear ramp is down - are all four wheels off the ramp in your photo?
Its a very relevant question! its important to use points B and C, and NOT A and B! if you do the car is very unstable on the hoist due to the rear engine cantilevering the car off. The results are shown below!
Not sure on a MK1, but the jacking point C on a MK2 is under the under tray. At first I used to get just the rear wheels on the hoist, take it up a foot, and remove the under tray... but that was a pain. So I cut two 60mm holes in the under tray so I could use 2 round nylon blocks directly on the jacking point C without taking the tray off. that way it was perfectly stable. I used a couple of wooden blocks under point A. I used a couple of 60mm rubber grommets in the holes. below is a cutter I used to make the holes, but you could drill a circle of holes and file it round as its very thin.
Not sure on a MK1, but the jacking point C on a MK2 is under the under tray. At first I used to get just the rear wheels on the hoist, take it up a foot, and remove the under tray... but that was a pain. So I cut two 60mm holes in the under tray so I could use 2 round nylon blocks directly on the jacking point C without taking the tray off. that way it was perfectly stable. I used a couple of wooden blocks under point A. I used a couple of 60mm rubber grommets in the holes. below is a cutter I used to make the holes, but you could drill a circle of holes and file it round as its very thin.
Thanks for the reply, buzzer. Yes, you do have to remove the under-tray to access points C&D. I have seen my own car with all four wheels off the ground with just the two point As. I took it in for new tyres all round and they jacked one side first, did both front and back, and then did the other side. When I looked at them, I realised the pillocks had put them the wrong way round, so the outer edge of the tyre was on the inside.
They began talking about how to do it on the floor, as both lifts had semi-dismantled cars on them. I told them they had two options, lift one end, put it on axle stands and remove both wheels so they can swap them over (and that they'd have to remove the under-tray to access the rear jacking points), or refit the old tyres and start again.
One of them said they could get two trolley jacks and do both sides together, meaning it would be balancing like a set of old scales. I told them I wasn't happy with that but they kept reassuring me, saying they would have a couple of lads each end supporting it. Reluctantly I let them go ahead, but told them first I want to see their public liability insurance certificate, and I was going to video it on my phone.
Fortunately it all went to plan and the car survived. I have seen the picture of the S2 falling off the ramp too, so I am a bit twitchy about how it is lifted.
They began talking about how to do it on the floor, as both lifts had semi-dismantled cars on them. I told them they had two options, lift one end, put it on axle stands and remove both wheels so they can swap them over (and that they'd have to remove the under-tray to access the rear jacking points), or refit the old tyres and start again.
One of them said they could get two trolley jacks and do both sides together, meaning it would be balancing like a set of old scales. I told them I wasn't happy with that but they kept reassuring me, saying they would have a couple of lads each end supporting it. Reluctantly I let them go ahead, but told them first I want to see their public liability insurance certificate, and I was going to video it on my phone.
Fortunately it all went to plan and the car survived. I have seen the picture of the S2 falling off the ramp too, so I am a bit twitchy about how it is lifted.
I had one similar to this for 3 years in a commercial workshop. Brill bit of kit. Not as good in the main as a 2 post, but very flexible.
It's true that working in the centre of the car for exhausts can be troublesome. What I did was to use the extension blocks to lift it another 8 inches or so above the lift table, and while not great, was adequate.
Did loads of things with mine. Clutch and cam belts were common.
Worth getting a mechanics stool to.
This is the one I had ebay item 231436150216 The guys that sold it are great, and the lift was excellent. Still regret selling to be honest, but I had nowhere to keep it
It's true that working in the centre of the car for exhausts can be troublesome. What I did was to use the extension blocks to lift it another 8 inches or so above the lift table, and while not great, was adequate.
Did loads of things with mine. Clutch and cam belts were common.
Worth getting a mechanics stool to.
This is the one I had ebay item 231436150216 The guys that sold it are great, and the lift was excellent. Still regret selling to be honest, but I had nowhere to keep it
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