Lifts

[yves]

again!

[yves]

But Now it is not clean every day....

[ejboyd5]

Yves:  How did you deal with the standing water?  Picture reminds me of an occurrence several years ago when a local builder was pouring a concrete foundation for a house and made the mistake of pouring the basement floor before the weight of the house was erected on the foundation. Along came a heavy rain that raised the ground water level and popped the foundation out of the ground like a cork. Total demolition of the foundation required to return the project to the beginning. This time the basement floor was not added until the house was completed.

[Bonnyboy]

Gotta love the pits....

As a young "know it all" who just bought a first house with a garage, I put a pit in with much effort$ and was the envy of the neighbourhood.  People came from over for "social" oil changes and we had fun and drank way too much.   I remember pushing a Porsche 914 down the alley 2 blocks because we were too drunk to drive it home after a simple oil change with too much Portuguese Brandy.    I think we still crashed the 914 into a tree...at walking speed....it was slightly downhill and we were both outside of the car pushing....But I digress.   

Back to the pit.   problem was that it was a very skinny one car garage.  I built the pit too wide and couldn't get a floor jack under the car without the jack falling in to the pit.   Had to take my car to a neighbour's driveway to change the tires   -  so I just filled it in with timbers and called it a day.  We moved to where I eventually got a garage and then I got a mid-rise hoist.   

The mid-rise hoist is the new party trick as friends want to come into the garage and see it lift a car.     For me the mid rise is the perfect compromise as I don't have the height for a 2 or 4 post and it stores under the pagoda so not taking up space if I need to spin my other car around I can move the hoist easily.  Space is tight as I just have a "one" car garage.       A good mid-rise is not cheap though - Bendpak or the like  so if anyone wants one stay away from the Harbour Freight quality

[Garry]

I would have loved a pit but after getting approval to build the garage over a main trunk sewer, that option was taken off the table.


I think they are  great way to work.

[Jordan]

I think they are  great way to work.

+1

Yves, that pit looks amazing and what an effort.  I would not do most of what I do without the lift and being able to stand up when working.  Makes everything so much easier.  In the last week, being able to just drive onto the lift, I've dropped the oil pan out of our Stude pickup and changed the gaskets (there are 4 and it is a dirty dirty job) and the oil and replaced the starter, changed the oil in the 230SL and today changed the oil in the Alfa.  I'm thankful to my wife for having 12-ft ceilings built in her former horse barn.

[Jack Jones]

I have a 2 post hoist that can be used in asymmetrical (doors open to clear the post) or symmetrical mode and have used it to store 2 cars in one bay when not servicing a vehicle. My floor was newly poured in anticipation of installing the lift with 15cm (6 inches) thick high strength concrete. Being a 2HP electric hydraulic lift, it requires a 230 VAC 1 Phase 25 amp circuit. I agree with Colin that if you only have one  lift, it should be a 2 post since I perform all of my own mechanical work. A four post is a great option for minor service and easy vehicle storage.
One thing I have to stress is do not buy the cheapest lift available. Contrary to what many people believe, you will never get out of the way of a falling vehicle. In Canada and the US, vehicle lifts used in a professional shop must be ALI Certified (American Lift Institution) that insure lifts that are covered by this certification are tested to 3 times their rated capacity and have all the latest safety locks in place. I made sure the hoist I purchased was new and ALI certified since buying an old lift from a repair shop was not an option since this to me is false economy. It is your life, do not penny pinch on safety.   

[Dave H]

I bought the full height scissor lift to get full access all around the car in a small space, works great for me and easy to set up. I’m 6,3”and the underside of the car is still an inch above my head at full height . No posts in the way, perfect 😊

[Dave H]

I would of set it into the floor but it’s a concrete beam floor, it’s no problem though, it’s only 100mm thick, at full height I’m 6,3” and I’ve got an inch clearance beneath.

[yves]

To EDJBOYD :   about water found after digging , i have made  a small pit just close to the main pit hole and put a water pump during the concrete phase . (Concrete was made with  hydrophobic powder during mixing ) i have fitted a big PVC hose going from the bottom of the pump pit to one end of the working pit. So i can pump the water around the garage pit if needed .

[yves]

schema...

[ejboyd5]

Solution called a "sump" with an electric pump install to relieve rising water level before it can rise to the floor of the pit.  I once had a similar installation to protect the basement of a house built in a location where it was only 11 feet to ground water.  All worked perfectly for 30+ years until we were struck by a hurricane with torrential rain. Electricity failed, water table rose and basement flooded. I doubt that even if there had been a stand-by generator to supply electricity that the pump would have been able to cope with the demand. This all occurred 25 years ago and to the best of my knowledge the water table has never again risen to a point where the sump pump activated.

[Harry]

On the 2 post lift, where are the lift points on the 230SL?  I expect the front are under the "frame" attachment to the underpan/unibody, and the rear are where?

Harry

[thelews]

at the trailing arm mounts.

[Harry]

Excellent.  Thanks!