Debating which car hoist to get. The Max Jax which only gives me 44 inches under it and the permanent 2 post which I still won't be able to stand under it with the car maxed out on the lift 71". The Max Jax looks like I should be able to do a lot of things needed on my C5Z. What do you guys like?
Thanks,
Sparky38

 

What are your UNDER THE CAR NEEDS.

I have limited garage ceiling height. A two post lift or a four post lift just wont work.

They have something called QUICK JACK. Its all I need to do all that I need to do under the car. Relatively inexpensive, portable, reliable, safe and stores out of the way easily.

Check it out and see what you think..

Bill

 

I have a MaxJax that works well for both my C4 and C5. My garage is 9-1/2 feet high so I didn't really want to deal with a 4-post drive-on or a larger 2-post. My MaxJax will lift 46 inches and it came with extenders for the arms that are 4". I have one of those Harbor Freight stools that allows me to sit down and roll under either car and not hit my head. I was easily able to install headers on my old '87 without any height problems.

One thing to do with a 2-post lift is to make sure that the concrete floor is solid. MaxJax says you need a minimum of 4" thickness when using their provided wedge anchors. Also no cracks within 6-8 inches of the bolt locations. Turned out my garage floor was only 2-1/2" thick and there were some cracks right where the posts would be. So I had a concrete company come in and the tore out a 4'x4' section of the floor for each post and poured new concrete (5000 psi mix) 12" deep with rebar connecting the old floor to the new pour. I wound up using 8" long epoxy anchors.

Note that the kegerator is only about 8" away from the lift. I can sit on the stool and it only takes one push to roll over to the tap!!

 

I've been looking at the Quick Jack too.
Looks like a really nice set up for the $$.
Is it easy to use on the Vette?
Any pictures of the car up with it?
Thanks

 

Quick jack has very large following. Search quick jack on You Tube and you will find it used on several different vettes C5 , C6 and C7

The quick jack web site also shows a C7 on the lift

Bill

 

If you're not planning on pulling the motor, then i think the quick jack is the way to go. I really only have space for one lift right now and I've been looking at the open center mid rise lifts. More expensive than the Max Jack but a higher weight rating so I can throw the Suburban on there with confidence.

 

Well played sir!

fwiw I bought an ezcarlift. Works pretty well for what i need. around 26" lift. Its all mechanical, no hydraulics. I roll around on a creeper. Fits all 3 cars. I'm in a rental so no new concrete or drilling etc.

 

I intend to do as much as possible. Trans, clutch, engine, suspension.

 

i have zero regrets with my quickjack. But if i could have fit it i would have gone with a max jax or traditional 2 post. my garage ceiling is only like 7'6" and i have a beam/hvac in the way.

also keep in mind the maxjax has posts that come out of the top of it as you go up.

i also fully intend on doing the clutch on the quickjack. i already did the suspension.

 

QuickJack owner here. The QJ will get you about 21-22 inches of straight lift. If you need more you can use their truck adapters or stack the rubber blocks provided to get a little more out of it. Granted, if it's low like a Vette you'll have to lift it up and prop it on some platforms, drop the lift, insert the spacers, and then you can lift it with the added height. I haven't had the need to do it yet but the spacers do come in handy on trucks.
I'm planning on building a shop with a raised ceiling specifically for lift clearance with a 2 post, but for now, the QuickJack is well worth it's price tag for my garage. Last big thing I did was my headers and full exhaust and it worked awesome. I also did my harmonic balancer swap and it helped more than you can imagine. There were times where I'd have to get under the car, turn something, then get above it and turn more stuff. Being able to raise and drop it in seconds at the push of a button made my lower back happy. Even after I get my shop built with the 2 post, I'm keeping the Quick Jack because I can move it wherever I want to work on another car if I've already got one on the lift.

If you've got nothing but a Corvette, get the 3500. If you plan on doing other work on more vehicles, spend the money and get the 5000. I got the 5K because I have a crew cab Silverado that's 5,000lbs and it makes working on it easy.

You can easily store it under the car and it stays out of the way.




They make a motorcycle plate for it, but I just occasionally use one lift to get the bike in the air a few inches so that I can change the oil. I rarely need it though. It helps a ton because to get my motorcycle lift under the bike I've got to raise one of the wheels because the frame is so low. The QuickJack is slim and slides right under my Z06

 

I did my complete clutch job on my 02 Z on just jack stands in the garage. The quick jack would have been a GODSEND to have during that process. Removed EVERYTHING but the engine.

Bill

 

I have a BendPak 4 post lift which I love. I have a slightly higher ceiling at 11' but they do have several options including 2 post lifts available. It's well made and works like a beauty. I'm sure all of the ones guys are recommending here will also work for you. I plan on adding a 2nd corvette to my garage since I have the height in the garage to store one on the lift so I definitely wanted a good 4 post version.

 

It depends. If you have the ceiling height and the budget, 2 post or 4 post depends on your preference. I have a 19'-11" ceiling height, and have a BendPak 4 post. I love it. I've performed transmission swaps, and lots of underbody work on my '69, plus I use it for my '04 CE and my other vehicles for fluid changes. I also got the rolling jack, was working great until it blew the hydraulic hose recently, but that's an easy fix.