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finallygot the bendpak -- very happy with it. Great customer support, good price on delivery and install, and now gives me an awesome five car garage :-)
80-gallon compressor and new floor coming in the next few months
there is a way to fix the herniating ramps "up" and stop the drooping when lift is up....
On my Bendpack I used the stock steel ramps and per instructions with the rod to attach them to the frame... but you need to find these washers (in the pic) in the accessory bag and install them when you install the ramps and thread the rod through the ramps.
The washers are notched to fit over the air line tube. 2 washers per ramp.
Of course you have to have enough front end clearance to leave the ramps on the lift at all times.
BTW -sorry about the pic quality but you should get the idea
I'm a little leery of having those drive up ramps being airborne when you are walking/working around the lift. Guess I had too many co-workers have their heads sliced open from F-14 aircraft panels that were open on the flight line and not padded properly for safety...
On another note (and not to hijack). What is the theory behind the 'safety locks'? I had to fix a cable that came off a pulley on my lift this week and the tech on the phone explained that when the cable goes slack the "slack ladder lock" engages instead of the regular ladder lock. These locks are above and beyond the hydraulic system. Two sets of mechanical locks ? (My operator's manual is pretty lame)
I moved my center-placed garage door opener to one side (as suggested by a forum member) and forced the two horizontal side rails that guide the door rollers up about 4" at the end so the door runs up a slight slope when opening. That gave me all the clearance required.
I just installed the Bendpak narrow extra high 7,000 pound unit. I did order the drip trays and aluminum ramps per forum recommendations. The first week needed to jack up the front end of the 61 and wished I had ordered the jack option. How happy are you with the jacks?
Salesman said it would take two guys six hours to install. It took three hillbilly's 30 man hours to install. Counts redoing the cables once.
My lift install was about 3 hours with 3 people going at it hard. The trolley jacks are inexplicably expensive....$500+ and to get two of them becomes a big addition to the expense of the lift. I do have a heavy steel 'jack tray' that I've used once to put a bottle jack in and lift up the '63s rear via the differential housing while on the lift to rotate the half-shafts for lubing.
Scary as all hell, hard to get enough working room to pump the jack handle and so I won't be doing THAT again.
The trolley jacks are frame lifts with sideways operating pump handles and give you many of the advantages of a 2-post lift (understanding that the ramps still limit undercar access).
My ceiling height is 10'4" and that is really a close fit. I think if you are under that you had better consider some options for creating more headroom somehow... However, my lift instructions say to add the heights of the two cars being stored and add 8" for the ramp height. So, figure 50" for each Corvette, 50"+50"+8"=108". I think that is WAY optimistic, and, REMEMBER that is the clearance needed from the LOWEST overhead object; open garage door, door opener, fluorescent lights, etc..
Last edited by Frankie the Fink; 10-23-2014 at 11:15 AM.
I just installed the Bendpak narrow extra high 7,000 pound unit. I did order the drip trays and aluminum ramps per forum recommendations. The first week needed to jack up the front end of the 61 and wished I had ordered the jack option. How happy are you with the jacks?
Salesman said it would take two guys six hours to install. It took three hillbilly's 30 man hours to install. Counts redoing the cables once.
Here are my home made platforms for my bottle jacks. I made 3 of them. The fourth one is actually a pan for draining engine oil. I have two of the bendpak 4 post lifts. I use sheets of plywood for drip trays. I considered buying the bendpak jack tray jp-6 that accommodates the wide track but for way less than $350 I built 3 platforms and the drip tray myself. The JP-6 is also rather high up and wouldn't work with my lowered hot rod, note one of my platforms is lower than the others.
My lift install was about 3 hours with 3 people going at it hard. The trolley jacks are inexplicably expensive....$500+ and to get two of them becomes a big addition to the expense of the lift. I do have a heavy steel 'jack tray' that I've used once to put a bottle jack in and lift up the '63s rear via the differential housing while on the lift to rotate the half-shafts for lubing.
Scary as all hell, hard to get enough working room to pump the jack handle and so I won't be doing THAT again.
The trolley jacks are frame lifts with sideways operating pump handles and give you many of the advantages of a 2-post lift (understanding that the ramps still limit undercar access).
My ceiling height is 10'4" and that is really a close fit. I think if you are under that you had better consider some options for creating more headroom somehow...
With 20 LVLs in the ceiling and 6 inch reinforced concrete pad...my only options are to sell the 48 inch high vettes and get 2 GT-40's. A mistake of rebuilding the garage I must live with.
I'm a little leery of having those drive up ramps being airborne when you are walking/working around the lift. Guess I had too many co-workers have their heads sliced open from F-14 aircraft panels that were open on the flight line and not padded properly for safety...
On another note (and not to hijack). What is the theory behind the 'safety locks'? I had to fix a cable that came off a pulley on my lift this week and the tech on the phone explained that when the cable goes slack the "slack ladder lock" engages instead of the regular ladder lock. These locks are above and beyond the hydraulic system. Two sets of mechanical locks ? (My operator's manual is pretty lame)
I learned early on to pay extra attention and stop lowering the ramps promptly or the cables will go slack. Slack cable means possibility of cable coming off pulley.
I learned early on to pay extra attention and stop lowering the ramps promptly or the cables will go slack. Slack cable means possibility of pulley coming off cable.
Yup! I got that lesson too now -- the hard way
When the ramps hit the floor or the mechanical locks GET OFF THE LOWERING HANDLE...
I just installed the Bendpak narrow extra high 7,000 pound unit. I did order the drip trays and aluminum ramps per forum recommendations. The first week needed to jack up the front end of the 61 and wished I had ordered the jack option. How happy are you with the jacks?
Salesman said it would take two guys six hours to install. It took three hillbilly's 30 man hours to install. Counts redoing the cables once.
I installed both of mine myself with no help. Took me less than a full Saturday for each.
Frankie: how high is your ceiling? Looking to put 2 vettes in a 9ft 3 inch space.
That will work. I had the exact same height. raised the door track as high as I could get them. I have an '84 and a 67 convertible. They just make it. Both cars are about 51" high. Count the height of the ramps. About 4". You have to leave enough room to raise the upper car out of its locks, so that you can then bring it down. Also line the ramps that are above the car on the floor with a/c pipe insulation, so that you don't accidently knock yourself out as you get out. Speaking from experience !!. The insulation is foam and has a slit in it. It slides on and stays on.
10-22-2014, 07:55 PM
new lift installed!
I'm green with envy. 
