Garage Lifts

ryancassidy · #71

Ahh that's a good point. Yeah I think the mirror might be your best bet then between cars. Keep it simple right? I'm sure we could invent crazy complicated solutions, but as long as the mirror isn't in the way or its easy to put up and take down, I think that might be your easiest route. I can see having on in my garage now that you got me thinking about it.

Tom · #72

I discovered a brand new use for the 4-post lift. A few plastic drop cloths, and it becomes a paint booth in under 10 minutes!

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Norville · #73

Tom wrote: Sat Jan 28, 2023 7:58 pm I discovered a brand new use for the 4-post lift. A few plastic drop cloths, and it becomes a paint booth in under 10 minutes!

Multi function space!

Jfort · #74

I knew it would be BendPak but couldn't decide on 2 post or 4. Only going to do this once in my life > both. Not easy to see here but I ran electric and air from the overhead between the lifts for projects and separate electric lines for both lifts. The 4 post plugs in and can be unplugged to move. I have a 100' extension cord so I can move it to the other side of the building if I want. Only the HD and the 997 on the other side are mine. I have some good tenants. (Sorry about the MGA. Helping a friend.)

blueline · #75

Wow! Maybe add these photos and more to the Carpokes 'Garage Thread'. It would benefit from a revival bump and yours would be a great addition.

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Tom · #76

Had a weird experience yesterday where the air locks on my BendPak HD-9 would not release, so the 944 spent the night up in the air. Turns out the pneumatic air locks had gotten very sticky and were not fully extending. See video below. Although I don't think it's a maintenance item, I put lithium grease on the plungers and pivot point for the air locks, and all is well again. Just a PSA in case anyone else runs across the same issue.

dr bob · #77

Just need bigger pee new mats running through those hoses...

This kind of episode is a handy reminder to clean and inspect all the moving bits, pivots, pins, linkages, etc. Also look for leaks WYAIT. Failure of those things can get expensive or worse, especially if you happen to be underneath. Can't be too safe.

aussieporsche · #78

Maybe it's obvious but I thought I would mention it anyway. The higher you raise the car, the more important proper adjustment is. I typically only had an issue at the very top and found since it did not need to be that high when any of my cars were underneath I just raise it to the 2nd to top notch. The second and more important point, is to not have the weight of the car on the cables. Once you have the vehicle at the desired height, lower the car onto the locking level and keep releasing the pressure off the cables to allow them to go slack. That way they are not continually under tension and don't stretch as much. This is especially important when storing for months at a time.

notny41 · #79

Clearly, I took the wrong career path...

Tom · #80

Well, fast forward a few years and it seems hanging the regulator off the reel was a bad idea -- the fitting on the reel snapped in two. After mulling options for fixing it, I concluded that getting a new reel was the practical thing to do. I ended up making a new regulator mount out of 1/8" plate steel, again using the factory brackets on the lift as the anchor points. After powder coating the new bracket red, I realized I had no nut to hold the regulator in the bracket, so ended up 3D-printing one and it worked remarkably well. At that point, all I had to do was order every NPT fitting and hose McMaster sells and try endless configuration until I found one that looked tidy and supplied air to the reel, lift safety locks, and rolling bridge jack. And, yes, I polished the pipes.

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