Lift - 4 Post or other - Megathread

[Mullet]

FYI the Backyard Buddy does not have to be bolted down. Heck, they say you can move the rack around with a car on it with the casters.

 

[soroush]

I have a bendpak 9000lb capacity HD model its the narrow one so the gt barely fits, but it does fit you just have to be very carfull driving up on it. it also does not have to be bolted down, and if fact comes with its own casters as jason pointed out, and you can move the lift with the car on it very usefull and handy, I have a double car garage and when I want to work on the car I just move the lift to the middle of the garage to have access to both sides of the car.


cost about 2800 thats including shipping to a near dock and I borrowed a friends trailer to pick it up, took us about 6 hours to put is together me and three friends.

 

[Shadowman]

Very interesting. Thanks for pointing that out.

When I started looking at the rolling jacks, I noticed slight differences in mounting methodology, but didn't realize those changes would reduce the ease of movement or that those changes increased the physical dimensions.

Is the stated 'stock' clearance on FGT's of 5" accurate?

The OEM configured GT's that I had in my facility at the time would not roll over the new sliding bridge jacks; they were simply too tall.

I found that the only way around this is to place planks on the ramps and rails so as to effectively raise raise the gal.

You may have different results

Takes care

Shadowman

 

[KMCBOSS]

My GT rolls over my brige jacks with no problem (on the direct lift) and I have two jacks per lift.

 

[roketman]

I did not have my lift bolted down for the 1st year. It seemed kinda OK ,but I felt a bit ,well ,nervous Nelly about it . I had it bolted down and serviced this past weekend . It feels much more stable and secure . Plus if you ever want to move it , unbolt it !!! Also bought a 2nd lift as well ,that I will bolt down as well!!! It makes me sleep better !!

 

[Sinovac]

Here is is a problem

The BenPak sliding formerly known as rolling bridge jacks are no longer available.

The new style use Teflon blocks that somewhat poorly can be forced down the track however the greater issue is that the height of the jack was increased by over 1 1/2" which means that if your gal is lower than 4" she will not be able to go on the lift. FYI no Ford GT can be placed on a lift with the new style sliding bridge jacks.

This is not speculation as I went through the process

Now having shared this I have a couple lifts one with a pair of true rolling bridge jacks and yes the combination works very well.

Takes care

Shadowman

The rolling jacks for the Rotary lift are quite low and accommodate the GT. They are expensive though.

 

[Sinovac]

Sinovac, whne you bolted yours to the floor, how thick was your floor pour? How long were the bolts? Hammerdrill to make the holes and expanding bolts? Thanks for the info. Frank

Frank,

My slab is 6" but a 4" slab is ok for a 4 post lift. I went with a 6" slab so I could add a 2 post lift in the future (2 post lifts need 6"). I used 4" Red Head anchors (expanding anchors). The bolts don't need to be too long as all they really do is prevent lateral movement. Use a hammer drill with the proper size masonry bit. It won't matter if you drill completely through the slab, just make sure your anchors are not longer than the thickness of your slab so they will bite into the concrete. Drill the holes deeper than you need them so you don't have to pry out an anchor from a hole that is too shallow.

Paul

 

[Sinovac]

I did not have my lift bolted down for the 1st year. It seemed kinda OK ,but I felt a bit ,well ,nervous Nelly about it . I had it bolted down and serviced this past weekend . It feels much more stable and secure . Plus if you ever want to move it , unbolt it !!! Also bought a 2nd lift as well ,that I will bolt down as well!!! It makes me sleep better !!

I'm with you. I don't care what anyone says, lifts should be bolted down. I've never seen an unbolted lift in a commercial setting.

 

[BlackICE]

If you concrete slab is too thin or in poor condition you can augment it. My slab was very poor, cracked in many locations. The instructions for the lift said that the bolt holes should not be near any cracks. My remedy was to cut out 4 pads 3'x3'x12" where the four posts were being placed. Then I added 2 layers of 1/2" rebar and also epoxied some rebar into the existing slab to tie it together. Then filled the pads with about 2 cu yards of 5000 psi concrete and then epoxied 10" of 5/8" diameter grade 8 threaded rod to which the lift is attached. I believe the lift posts will fail long before the thread rod or slab will. I live about 1.5 miles for the San Andreas fault line, so I can expect a 7+ Richter scale quake sometime in future. I want to have a better chance if a quake occurs and I have a car stored on the lift. If and when I store a car on the lift I will have to figure a way to tie it down to the ramps, or it is likely to drop a wheel or two! :ack

As a side note, I did try to do some of this work myself. I rented a 14" concrete saw and cutout the 4 pads. Then I proceed to jackhammer the pads out. After getting through about 50% of one pad. I estimated I should get some pros to do rest of it. I did the rebar work and had others pour and install the lift. I epoxied the thread rods in place though.

 

[MAD IN NC]

Whew Boy! Thats a project Black Ice!

Mine is "unbolted" and will probably stay that way till the next and final move..... Thank God I don't have a fault nearby or within 300+ miles...

 

[HIRISC]

Mine (by actual measurement 'cause I wanted to know) measured 4-1/2" beneath the rear defuser(?) as I recall. (One place or another anyway.)

The OEM configured GT's that I had in my facility at the time would not roll over the new sliding bridge jacks; they were simply too tall.

I found that the only way around this is to place planks on the ramps and rails so as to effectively raise raise the gal.

You may have different results

Takes care

Shadowman

Thanks guys..

I'm probably going to keep my scissor and use that lift if/when I need to get the wheels off. If I run across the 'old' style rolling jack, I might pick one up.

Anyone else using other (pillow lifts, etc.) solutions with these 4 posters?

 

[BlackICE]

Whew Boy! Thats a project Black Ice!

Mine is "unbolted" and will probably stay that way till the next and final move..... Thank God I don't have a fault nearby or within 300+ miles...

I also had to modify my garage door to lift closer to the ceiling. Now at 6' tall I can standup under my GT. If a taller car was on top it will be a little more of a struggle.

 

[fjpikul]

Yes, you guys in warmer climates probably have thinner, weaker concrete. Here in the cold Midwest, everything is at least 6 inches thick and has a frost wall. Did you guys use four bolts per post? Glad you reminded me-we have the New Madrid fault not too far away.

 

[BlackICE]

Yes, you guys in warmer climates probably have thinner, weaker concrete. Here in the cold Midwest, everything is at least 6 inches thick and has a frost wall. Did you guys use four bolts per post? Glad you reminded me-we have the New Madrid fault not too far away.

Yep, 4 per column.

 

[MAD IN NC]

Yes, you guys in warmer climates probably have thinner, weaker concrete. Here in the cold Midwest, everything is at least 6 inches thick and has a frost wall. Did you guys use four bolts per post? Glad you reminded me-we have the New Madrid fault not too far away.

naaaah.... nobody I knew poured 6" and I did a few 100k yards myself when young and stupid (pre education wake up)

Check it out Bro. Footings in DuPage and Cook county are 36" to 42" deep. Slabs pours are still 4"

 

[fjpikul]

Large garage pads in St. Clair county are 6 inch. Other slabs are 4 inch.
When I was building, I wanted to put in a pit but the builder thought I was crazy and said it was too expensive because of the reinforcing.

 

[HIRISC]

FWIW, I live in Minneapolis and my garage floor is 4".

I don't think I've seen a std. pour @ 6".

Doesn't matter for a four post anyway - 4", 3000lb psi is fine.

:cheers

 

[Empty Pockets]

If and when I store a car on the lift I will have to figure a way to tie it down to the ramps, or it is likely to drop a wheel or two! :ack

QUOTE]


That's what I do anytime I stack a car. (I "cross tie" the frame to the opposite runners on the hoist on each end of the car as well as secure wheel chalks to all four tires. In a quake, the car MAY hop up and down a little bit, but, it won't hop left and right and come off the runners!)

Also, anytime I've stacked a car on the hoist I always had the 2 posts nearest the wall secured at the "top & bottom" to the 6x6 vertical posts IN that wall via triangulated metal braces. That's done because the hoist isn't anchored to the concrete ('cause I want to be able to move it w/o having to unbolt it). (Those 6x6's in the wall are all anchored in concrete BTW.)

 

[donnymac]

I like Donny's avatar [course, I'm from Texas too].:thumbsup



Suuuuure it is.:frown



Donny, don't be givin way all them secrets.:eek



That's cause Mike has been chasin that pig.:biggrin

Hey Spirit,

Was in your neck of the woods this weekend. Delivered a Christmas tree to LBJ. Tried to cram it in the GT but no luck. 3/4 ton beat me to death.

Where do you hang your hat?

I was doing good reading all this good lift info till I saw UFOs signiture. :thumbsup

Donny

 

[TifosiTed]

Rotary two post, with three stage arms.

Fantastic!:banana