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Here is my my problem I face that I need to resolve if I ever want a lift in the garage:
1. Do not have height clearance for a 4 or 2 post lift
2. Concrete has post-tension cables that have not been detected and marked
a. Most lifts I have seen require bolting the platforms to the concrete floor
b. is the detection service cost prohibitive for a small job like this?
3. Want at least 4 foot of lift, if not really do not understand the advantage of a lift vs jack & stands
4. Flush that requires concrete to be cut or above service installation
a. I park the car in the same location the lift would be installed
5. Air supply, all require. Will a small pancake compressor work?
6. Footprint available is 17' L x 9.5' W
7. Want a quality manufacturer that will be around in 10 years
If your'e not concerned about gaining access to the center underside of the vehicle (transmission and drive shaft) then a Bendpak-6000XL scissor lift would be great for wheels/Tires, Suspension, brake, under engine and rear differential access.....Heights to around 40" and Capacities to 6,000 lbs.Priced at around $1,600.00 to $1,800.00.
I sit mine between two QuickLift metal ramps....works very well for the above mentions tasks.......No cavity in the concrete flooring.......
I thought about those but didn’t need that much height and did not want them in one spot. I bought the quickjack instead. I can move them anywhere in the garage.
Here is my my problem I face that I need to resolve if I ever want a lift in the garage:
2. Concrete has post-tension cables that have not been detected and marked
a. Most lifts I have seen require bolting the platforms to the concrete floor
b. is the detection service cost prohibitive for a small job like this?
Is your concrete floor on grade? And by "on-grade" I mean is the concrete resting on the ground. I realize that things are different in CA, but are you sure the concrete is post-tensioned? Slabs on grade are usually not post-tensioned.
Originally Posted by SoCalErv
4. Flush that requires concrete to be cut or above service installation
Flush ????????
Originally Posted by SoCalErv
5. Air supply, all require. Will a small pancake compressor work?
I have a small contractor's compressor that I use for small jobs like filling tires and blowing off parts. Unless you are planning to run a paint booth or a sand blaster the small compressor should be fine.
I have a Bend Pack scissor lift (mine has full lift)
Bend Pack has various lift heights, but you can build a safety switch for your roof if you want to be safe.
This brand has been present for a while and has good quality.
Does not require deep anchoring but should at least be bolted to the floor so they don’t move around, especially if not flush mounted.
A small compressor is fine to handle the safety locks, not much air consumption.
I would strongly recommend flush installation for ease of access, avoiding accidents and also to avoid having to remove the ramps every time you are working on a lifted car, these are in the way and are somewhat heavy and make for a larger footprint.
Is your concrete floor on grade? And by "on-grade" I mean is the concrete resting on the ground. I realize that things are different in CA, but are you sure the concrete is post-tensioned? Slabs on grade are usually not post-tensioned.
Flush ????????
I have a small contractor's compressor that I use for small jobs like filling tires and blowing off parts. Unless you are planning to run a paint booth or a sand blaster the small compressor should be fine.
My floor definitely has post-tension. The entire house slab is on-grade with post-tension. I live in Southern California.
I thought about those but didn’t need that much height and did not want them in one spot. I bought the quickjack instead. I can move them anywhere in the garage.
I need to be able to drive and park on the ramps, no room to move them and store them. Manuals I have read online states that driving on the Quick Jack will cause damage to the hydraulic hoses
this might be a little extreme but if you're handy.......
depending on the span and which way the trusses in your garage are oriented you
might be able to create a "tray" in the ceiling to gain a couple extra feet of clearance.
You don't give a ceiling height but if you have room, I'd get regular four post lift. Just run it up as high as you need. Do your tinkering off a roll around chair underneath. I know a guy that had a lift in his basement that did this. Worked great. You still have full underneath access.
You don't give a ceiling height but if you have room, I'd get regular four post lift. Just run it up as high as you need. Do your tinkering off a roll around chair underneath. I know a guy that had a lift in his basement that did this. Worked great. You still have full underneath access.
Column height on this one is 86 inches.
AND you don't need to bolt a 4 post to the floor. In fact the make roller kits for the 4 posts so you can roll the entire lift outside for things like power washing the underside of the car. I had my 4 post in my garage and later outside on a parking pad and never had it bolted down.
If you mean your floor have rebar reinforcing it it, then cutting the rebar is normal during anchor installation. This is done quite often with a diamond tipped bit. If you actually have "Post Tensioning" cables, you definitely do not want to cut them and should rent a metal detector to find them before drilling. Metal detectors for this purpose are probably available at a construction equipment rental store where they rent rotary hammers for installing the anchors. I have never seen "Post Tensioning" in a residential slab on grade, but then I have never lived in California.
You don't give a ceiling height but if you have room, I'd get regular four post lift. Just run it up as high as you need. Do your tinkering off a roll around chair underneath. I know a guy that had a lift in his basement that did this. Worked great. You still have full underneath access.
Column height on this one is 86 inches.
That's the lift I have -- sold under a dozen names. The OP said earlier his ceiling is 8' with beams running below that so I'm thinking the 4 post is out as an option - but I've used my lift just as you described at times....some jobs are just easier tolling around on a stool under the car.
If you mean your floor have rebar reinforcing it it, then cutting the rebar is normal during anchor installation. This is done quite often with a diamond tipped bit. If you actually have "Post Tensioning" cables, you definitely do not want to cut them and should rent a metal detector to find them before drilling. Metal detectors for this purpose are probably available at a construction equipment rental store where they rent rotary hammers for installing the anchors. I have never seen "Post Tensioning" in a residential slab on grade, but then I have never lived in California.
Ron
When we are coring, or cutting into, a PT slab, we have it 'scanned' to find out where the cables are. Not sure a metal detector would do that well, other than to just give you a range of where the cables could be. Have not seen PT in a residential SOG either, but then I am not in CA either.
Another thing to watch for, if you have no idea what is in a slab, is electrical conduit. Not common in residential, but you never know what has been run through a slab. We were on a job that everyone said was clear, and the only thing that prevented the deaths of three workers was the fact that they were using an electric saw cutter. Fortunately, when the saw cut into a conduit with 480v power, that power went through the saw and tripped the breaker. Had it been a gas powered saw, there very well could be three less people here today.....
Last edited by Dad's '66 427; 06-26-2019 at 04:13 PM.
06-23-2019, 09:51 AM
Mid-Lift Questions
