View Full Version : Homemade car lift...
Just came across this. It's old, but interesting.
So...you think this guy will get the Darwin Award some day or is this a reasonable way to make a homemade car lift?
http://www.svtperformance.com/forums/terminator-archive-208/98085-perhaps-my-greatest-mod-pics.html
I would be scared to work under that thing....
NoRemorse
08-17-09, 12:58 PM
Well that's not a lift. Cool but it's not a lift. I have to go pick up some ramps.
You're right, it's not an actual lift. I gave it some thought until I thought about what it would be like having a mustang fall on me from 2-ish feet above me. Me vs. Car...car always wins. I don't think I believe in wood or my construction abilities enough to work under a car sitting on that.
Actually, I was looking up low profile ramps and somehow came across this.
Supersquishy
08-17-09, 01:33 PM
Man, I don't know, however wood is pretty dang strong and Im sure its strong enough in that situation, Just the thought of wood breaking scares the heck out of me thinking about what could happen.
Yeah, no kidding. I'm with you on that one.
Has anyone considered doing rather than building a garage or having a real lift installed in their garage?
Supersquishy
08-17-09, 02:24 PM
check this out, if you charged 100 bucks to rent your lift, for all day or all weekend (for the times you don't need to use it), you will get your money back if you rent it 30 times, not including...
NoRemorse
08-17-09, 02:27 PM
Ok, it comes with jack bridges; otherwise somebody was going to die for that price.
Ok, it comes with jack bridges; otherwise somebody was going to die for that price.
LOL you say that as if you're about to purchase it.
I got a baby on the way, so toys like that must wait. Hopefully not more than a few years. Not to mention, I have an uncovered drive way. No garage :(
Rocky C
08-17-09, 02:49 PM
I looked at this house a few months ago and it had a detached garage.
When I opened the door the floor was concrete and there was an opening about 4 feet wide and about 8 or 9 feet long with 5 stairs that went down.
My Realtor said its called a mechanics pit, pretty common for a house 60 years old.
Pretty cool.
Too bad the House S*cked....
Before I joined the Marines, I knew a guy who's parents had a pit in their garage. The only time I know of that it was used was when my buddy and I used it to cut the cat out of his exhaust. Pretty handy.
It's a shame finding cool things like that in houses that otherwise suck. When my wife and I were in the market, we looked at a house with an awesome oversized detached two car garage. High ceilings and everything. The house was garbage. I sure wish I had a garage like that now.
Drafter
08-17-09, 07:14 PM
While the two pieces of plywood on either side make for some stability; I would entertain the use of some effective cross bracing. While it's a decent attempt at a ramp, it is an example of what not to do. The structure will weaken through use and begin to cant forward. Yes, the car wins everytime. **** like this is why insurance is so damn expensive!
Mount a video camera on that biotch, it's perfect for youtube.
Epic fail in the making.
:thumbdown
that lateral support is the plywood... nailed to each board... spread loading the stress much better than having some angled 2 x 12 in there....
it's built well... they frame is all 2 x 12 with the top and bottom as well... the 2 x 4 is lag-bolted to the other side so it's sturdy and only to keep them from falling outboard... so it's doing it's job but when you look at a 12" wide footprint you don't need to worry too much about that.
it's gonna need to be stained or it'll only last one year....
and I sooo bookmarked the lift page..... that lift is sooo much better than the swing arm style... especially with the jack bridge... this used to cost like 7 grand a decade ago.... nice.
Drafter
08-17-09, 08:07 PM
I uderstand the concept of the plywood however that needs to be carried on through the ramp. In addition I feel the 2x4's are not enough for the cross load. I would use doubled up 2X6's installed perpendicular to how the studs are currently configured. This would then allow room for some cross bracing though the use of tension cables on either side. Adding some much needed lateral support. This isn't the corner of a house where your dealing with wind loads but the force of a vehicle slaming its weight against the ramp. Better to build some additional saftey then go for the minimum in my opinion.
NoRemorse
08-17-09, 09:16 PM
that lateral support is the plywood... nailed to each board... spread loading the stress much better than having some angled 2 x 12 in there....
it's built well... they frame is all 2 x 12 with the top and bottom as well... the 2 x 4 is lag-bolted to the other side so it's sturdy and only to keep them from falling outboard... so it's doing it's job but when you look at a 12" wide footprint you don't need to worry too much about that.
it's gonna need to be stained or it'll only last one year....
and I sooo bookmarked the lift page..... that lift is sooo much better than the swing arm style... especially with the jack bridge... this used to cost like 7 grand a decade ago.... nice.
Agreed, that makes all the difference. Don't see many shops switching over though... except for... wait for it.... wait! Yep, suspension shops went this route years ago with suspension lifts. God I love those lifts, so much space you can stand underneath a vehicle, you can even put a dropped ricer on the damn thing with minimal work.
Swing arms are garbage. Hate 'em. The locking mechanisms are garbage. Hate 'em. Watch for the post diagonally opposite the hydraulic control mechanism to start leaking first. Hate 'em.