When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I'm looking for any suggestions on a portable 2 post lift. So far, I've come across this Danmar unit. Anyone have any experience with it, or something similar.
I don't know how much I would trust that. Have you seen pictures of what can go wrong with "normal" lifts?
I wasn't allowed to put a "real lift" on my property so I bought a scissor type of lift. I wish it would go up 7 ft, but 4 ft is better than nothing. Great for changing wheels/brakes, getting it up to clean and detail the sides of the car so I'm not laying on the ground! Oil changes, etc... are fine. Even pull transmissions out of my race cars.
I hadn't really considered a scissor type lift. The ones I've seen seem like the lift/jack itself would block access to most of the bottom of the vehicle. What type did you have?
Last edited by Vetteman Jack; 03-17-2018 at 10:56 AM.
This is what I have. I was looking at their other one which is actually two separate sections but at the time I wanted to buy a lift they were having issues with that version.
This type of scissor is preferred...center is opened entirely, plus front and rear. This is what you want, should you ever drop the torque tube/transmission/rear combo, exhaust, etc.
This thread is representative of the best reason to visit the forum. Didn't know I even needed to know about these, and now know what I need to be on the look out for!
I just bought a Quickjack set up. Love it! Chose it over post lift due to room and garage height.
I have the Quickjack BL-5000SLX on order and can hardly wait for it to arrive. I went with the 5000 model over the 3500 model so I can use it to lift my Caddy SRX too!
I have the lift that shows on the link the OP provided. It's called a MaxJax. While it's considered "portable" it does require being bolted to a concrete floor. The floor must be at least 4" thick with no cracks in the area where the bottom plates bolt to the floor.
Each post gets 5 wedge anchors (all provided in the kit) that require drilling into the floor and the anchors are installed in the holes. Bolts then attach the posts to the floor.
Overall, it's pretty easy to set up. The instructions are clearly written and they even suggest spacing dimensions to use for installing the posts. The only other thing needed is the fluid for the unit. You can use hydraulic fluid like AW32 or auto trans fluid. The hoses come with a pair of quick disconnet fitting so the pump unit can be moved around or stored away when not in use. The pump is a 110v unit.
It easily picks up either my C4 or C5 raising the car to the top position in about 30 seconds.
I have the lift that shows on the link the OP provided. It's called a MaxJax. While it's considered "portable" it does require being bolted to a concrete floor. The floor must be at least 4" thick with no cracks in the area where the bottom plates bolt to the floor.
Each post gets 5 wedge anchors (all provided in the kit) that require drilling into the floor and the anchors are installed in the holes. Bolts then attach the posts to the floor.
Overall, it's pretty easy to set up. The instructions are clearly written and they even suggest spacing dimensions to use for installing the posts. The only other thing needed is the fluid for the unit. You can use hydraulic fluid like AW32 or auto trans fluid. The hoses come with a pair of quick disconnet fitting so the pump unit can be moved around or stored away when not in use. The pump is a 110v unit.
It easily picks up either my C4 or C5 raising the car to the top position in about 30 seconds.
I got the lift when it was on sale at Costco. $1999 delivered to my driveway.
The only extra cost was having to replace two sections of the garage floor (the light gray sections in the pic). When I drilled a test hole, I found that the pad was only 2.5" thick and the specs required a minimum of 4". I had a company come out and they cut out two 4'x4' sections of the slab, dug down 12" and poured new concrete. It was a 5000psi mix with rebar connecting the old floor to the new base.
The lift included 3-1/2" wedge anchors, but I wound up using 7" epoxy anchors with the new pour. These anchors were much stronger than the wedge anchors.
Very happy with my MaxJax, I went with a semi-permanent installation.
Originally Posted by nsogiba
I spend a lot of time over on Garage Journal board and they have a similar thread. Many of us are DIYers and love getting our hands dirty, others like the added storage room of fitting multiple vehicles in the garage during winter months.
Here is mine, a portable Max Jax 2 poster that I did a custom install on.
Here's one with the car on the ground. It's so low that you need to rest the tires on wooden blocks to be able to get the arms out from under it. Also, due to the spacing I chose for the columns, the front arm contacts the jack pads inboard of the pad on the arm, but I just pad it with a rag and it works fine.
I'm very happy with the result, it's easy to roll around on a stool underneath and work.
I started a thread a while back asking members to show off their lift setups, you might find some inspiration in there.
I have the lift that shows on the link the OP provided. It's called a MaxJax. While it's considered "portable" it does require being bolted to a concrete floor. The floor must be at least 4" thick with no cracks in the area where the bottom plates bolt to the floor.
Each post gets 5 wedge anchors (all provided in the kit) that require drilling into the floor and the anchors are installed in the holes. Bolts then attach the posts to the floor.
Overall, it's pretty easy to set up. The instructions are clearly written and they even suggest spacing dimensions to use for installing the posts. The only other thing needed is the fluid for the unit. You can use hydraulic fluid like AW32 or auto trans fluid. The hoses come with a pair of quick disconnet fitting so the pump unit can be moved around or stored away when not in use. The pump is a 110v unit.
It easily picks up either my C4 or C5 raising the car to the top position in about 30 seconds.
That is nice, goes as high as mine with nothing under the car, I like that! I see how it is "portable", It has wheels on the columns so if you unbolt it and have a friend or two around you can move it out of the way. You certainly can't use that style unbolted though which is fine. I could have bought that style for where I use mine, I have limited height issues.
The lift I use is 100% portable to those that need something like that. I can move it by myself at anytime, set it back down, and use it elsewhere. That isn't why I bought it, my town would not allow me to bolt ANY LIFT onto the concrete pad I have in front of my garage, which is full of race car stuff so no room inside it for a lift. I had to have a lift that I can prove was portable to stay out of trouble, so I bought the Bendpak scissor lift. It is fine and I have done transmissions in both of my race cars on it.
03-17-2018, 10:33 AM
