Car lifts for DIY

RobCallow · Post by **RobCallow** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 12:13 am

Spotted these what do you think?

http://hamercarlift.com/

I think that they could come in very handy indeed.

duncan · Post by **duncan** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 7:56 am

That on looks like a PITA to put together each time, I would prefer something like:

http://www.garageequipment.co.uk/acatal ... rvice.html

Fast Eddy · Post by **Fast Eddy** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 10:02 am

Funny you should mention this sort of thing.

I have commisioned a guy to make me something like this, but better.

http://www.levo-artis.com/index.html

It will work off a single trolly jack with a beam to lift the back once the car is on.

Eddy

rayman gtir · Post by **rayman gtir** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 11:04 am

Fast Eddy wrote:Funny you should mention this sort of thing.

I have commisioned a guy to make me something like this, but better.

http://www.levo-artis.com/index.html

It will work off a single trolly jack with a beam to lift the back once the car is on.

Eddy

eddy that is a brilliant design, so simple. wouldnt mind having a go at one myself at some point.

Fast Eddy · Post by **Fast Eddy** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 11:14 am

I have just spoken to the owner and he can do me a deal on 5 units.
They are on a 2-3 week lead time at the moment.
Group buy through me?
Eddy

ScoobieWRX · Post by **ScoobieWRX** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 1:00 pm

Personally i think the one issue with any of these DIY home lifts is the lack of height they offer for comfortably working under a car. I've worked under plenty of proper workshop car lifts and there is no substitute for being able to stand upright to do a proper job.

Therefore just like a lot of garages in the old days used to have and still do, i think it's worth investing in having a proper pit dug out and lined. You cement in two long lengths of angle iron rails running parallel to eachother for one or two proper ramp jacks to slide on and bingo!!

No chance of any ramps suddenly failing on you and dropping a car on your head or toppling to one side through instability :lol:

My local Subaru stealer still has one of these as well as the usual 4 ramp lifts and it's in use all the time. There's nothing you can't do in a pit and it saves all the messing about lowering and raising a car when you have to be working both underneath and over the engine bay.

A pit doesn't take up any space, it's safe to walk on when covered up and not in use, you can have all the lighting and powerpoints you like permanently wired in there, plus it's got to be cheaper in the long run as it requires almost zero maintenance (quick sweep out and a bit of grease on the jack rails) than buying one of these spangly fangly DIY lifts that on the face of it look very expensive!!

Sorry to ramble on here but i firmly believe that sometimes the old ways are the best ways. :thumb:

Fast Eddy · Post by **Fast Eddy** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 3:19 pm

Yes Francis, pits are old school and still used. They have their advantage and drawback too of course.
I get on better doing exhaust work at this lower height as you have seen lol as i can support pipes/boxes on jacks/stands while i tack them up and i can use trolley jacks/stands to lift/line up weighty complete systems/sections when fitting. I did 323ian's and mirage's GTR exhaust like this and Ian took his exhaust off another time to do some other work on a garage ramp and struggled.
This Levo system can facilitate most jobs and is the one i am looking at for my fitting bay, that i think i mentioned in our phone chat the other day.
With the excellent value cross bridge accesory it can allow loads of work to be done.
They do seem quite a bit of money for some alu plate, but the plate is expensive and they have been properly designed, developed, tested to 3x weight and certified so represent excellent value in my opinion for what they can do.
The owner is sending me the certification documentation.
I will be definitely getting something like this:)
As\Duncan says the hamer is very slow to set up/use and i have heard that it is not that stable. I would not like to go under one.
Eddy

ScoobieWRX · Post by **ScoobieWRX** » Sat Mar 21, 2009 5:38 pm

Unfortunately some of us happen to suffer bigtime with Arthritis and get fed up of working on cold concrete garage floors. Fine in the summer but we don't get much of that these days so if there was no proper lift then a pit would be my preference. My joints just aren't as good as they once were, and i'm not talking spliffs!!

Most of my tinkering life i've been on my back crawling around under cars but there comes a point when i just don't want to do it any more and comfort overides everything else. I'll take the pit instead and i fail to see any disadvantages of working in one but i've no doubt there are many on BP that would love your very nice looking bit of kit

warboys · Post by **warboys** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 3:22 pm

I only have a small car and thought I might buy one of these:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0332994690

rayman gtir · Post by **rayman gtir** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 4:43 pm

warboys wrote:I only have a small car and thought I might buy one of these:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0332994690

this looks like a craking idea, as i only have a little one (car that is) :oops: would be ideal for my clio track car. will keep an eye on this.