got my Kwik Lift

[ENTDOC]

My Kwik Lift was dropped off at my house last week as they went by to the Charlotte Good Guys show. I put it together in about 25 minutes and it works very nicely. I know lifts are a frequent topic around here and in a case where ceiling height limits your choices , this seems to be a good one. I leave my car parked on it with no trouble.

[bobcowan]

Yeah, I love mine. Makes suspension work and frequent inspections real easy. Love mine. Easy to move when you want to do more intesive work, like an engine removal.

[RICK LAKE]

ENTDOC Be careful with that lift if you every wash the car and then pull it on the lift. It's like being on ice. Have a guy here in E.B. has one and washed the viper, started to rain, pulled car in garage easy and car slide off rack when rear end slide out. Bill was $ 480.00 to get a sling truck to come in and pick the car up and put back on lift. Put some anti skid pads down on both rails so the car tires have something to grip to. Paint wet sucks, We have this problem in our shop with the alignment rack when it gets wet. Company doesn't want to spend the money for 12"#12" anti skid pads for the rack. We are respondable for the first 1,000.00 dollars of damage done to any vehicle. Guy refused to pay and was fired. We have to sign this form to work there. I refuse to do alignments or work on this rack when the cars are either wet or snow is around. There have been 3 accidents and 6 near misses. Rick L. Grangers or maybe a Lowes or Homedepot sell anti skid stickem back panels for this. They work good and hold up if you don't have idoits spinning tires on them. Rick L.

[Ron61]

Just do what I did. I went to the hardware store and got some of that grainy stuff they use on boats that you stick down and put a strip on each ramp. Never had a tire slide since then. I just got some that was about the width of the center strip of the ramps and stuck it part way down each center strip.

Ron

[RodgerH]

I wanted a four post lift but I was limited by the 8' ceiling in my garage, so I went with a Kwik Lift. Not as convenient as standing under a full lift, but it sure beats getting out the jacks and stands every time I want to get under the car. I also leave my car parked on it with no problems.

Great guys to deal with...they even gave me a sale price even though I had fooled around and not placed the order until after the sale ended.

The anti-slip strips are a good idea. McMaster-Carr has rolls in various widths and lengths. Go to http://www.mcmaster.com/ and type in "Anti slip floor tape". My only problem with ordering from McMaster-Carr is that I keep finding additional things to add to the order. They have things you have never even thought of!

Rodger

[FUNFER2]

The jack under the black brace/cross member looks to be extended, how do you get the ramp level ?
Please tell me how this system works for you, pros & cons ?
Who has the best price ?
Thanks,

[madmaxx]

Got a smoking deal on a used 4 post lift. Now I converted my garage door so it is only 4" from the ceiling. This required I change from tension springs on the door to torsion springs and then used a liftmaster 3800 for the opener since it mounts to the torsion shaft. I can park my Lexus under and cobra on top or vice versa, may be a little tight but functional. ceiling height is 112". If anyone needs additional info let me know, total cost with I doing all the work $125 to convert to torsion spring and $300 for the opener.

[FUNFER2]

madmaxx- Are you only offering your work for locals in your area ?
I have 108" ceiling.

[Ron61]

Originally Posted by FUNFER2

The jack under the black brace/cross member looks to be extended, how do you get the ramp level ?
Please tell me how this system works for you, pros & cons ?
Who has the best price ?
Thanks,

You need a jack with a 21" lift. Once you get it up there the legs that are folded under the front of the rails then swing down and you let the jack back down. I put some padding on my jack so it doesn't slip and also I jack it just far enough to put a thicker saddle on for an extra 2" of lift which makes it easier it unpin the front legs and then pin them once they are down and in position.

Ron

[madmaxx]

Funfer2,

108" and you will be short, with the cobra on top I have 2" from the ceiling to roll bar and 3" from the roof of the lexus to the bottom of the lift. You have to raise the lift 1" to release the lock. As you can see I literally have inches to spare. I could easily go into the ceiling above my garage since it is just attic but this works for me for now, I am sure I will get bored and the sheet rock will come down, LOL. If you cannot at least cut out part of your ceiling for the windshield and roll bar / roof of the car then it will just be to close.

Now if you just want a lift to work on your car it is great and does not take up any room. two of the post are up against a wall and the other two sit where they do not interfere with anything.

I tried to attach a picture but once again it is to big.

[FUNFER2]

I think I'll have to get the "Kwik Lift". A friend had a crew cut out his gable end attic and install new ceiling joists and drywall. It really opened up the garages ceiling to accommodate a full size lift. I think the cost was 10k but, he has a very nice shop now.

Thanks,

[Godzila]

KWIKLIFT FOR SALE

Never used (Bought a 4 poster) but have installed the anti slip tape on center rail
Yellow Powder coated with caster set and jack tray

Located in Ohio, $1,550 Hundreds less than new, can arrange local pick up, or can advise shipping

if interested send an email to
pasngas@bright.net
Thanks
Kumpie

[madmaxx]

The Kwik lift takes up the same space as 4 post, only with a 4 post you can raise the ramps all the way up and park under like there is nothing there, the runways go up to 70" high on the smallest one some go to 84". and are set in from the post so when you get out of your car they are over the roof of your car so your head does not hit them, or option two drive on the runways every day. I have to admit I do not know how I went this long without a 4 post.

[madmaxx]

American automotive has there 4 post lifts on sale for $1500 plus shipping (350 est). comes with 3 drip trays, jacking tray and casters so you can roll it around. In all honesty if I had to do it over I would have bought a new american automotive instead of buying used where I had to go disassemble and reassemble. My is us made but I saw some chinese and the differece was negligible. at 7K lbs you are only 1700lbs per post, that is nothing for even the weakest of steels. weld is 70,000lb/in2 so even .25 square inches of weld is 17,500 lbs as you can see no car or truck is going to get anywhere near the mechacial limits of the material.

[Ron61]

Posting these pictures for Madmaxx:





Ron

[FUNFER2]

With only a 9' ceiling, would the "American automotive" have enough room ?

Do you have the 4 post or the storage and which model # for the $1,500 ?

Do you have any pics with the lift down ?



I'll see if I can find their site.

Thanks guys,

[madmaxx]

Thanks Ron61!!!!!

American Automotive Equipment, it is their ss-8000, which stands for 8,000 lb. click for the special pricing and enter your email and it will come back 1499.00 instead of 2100. Here is the kicker I supposedly got a LiftUSA which retails for $2600, but it amazes me how they are both made in Dallas Texas. In other words I may very well have the ss8,000 also. I'll have to take one of it down, the runways are 4" high and the ramps are 24" long. I would opt for the aluminuim ramp option, the steel ones are not heavy but not light. Please note they sell a wider and higher one for only a couple hundred more so look at all the dimensions. I will also take pictures of my torsion spring and my new opener is arriving early next week. Regardless of any lift if I had a torsion spring garage door and needed a new opener I would go with the liftmaster 3800. You get them off ebay (brand new) including shipping for $300. You go to your local guy he will want $399 plus tax blah blah blah.

[madmaxx]

I have 112.5" at 108 inches you are real close to the squezze point. The good news is the lifts goes up very slow so there is no way for it to get away from you, they come down as fast as you want depending on how far you push the lever in. There is no doubt you could have the lift, the question is can you park two cars in the garage. The first mechanical stop coincedenattly is at the same spot as the mechanical one shown here, then it goes up about 3 feet and they are every 6 or 7 inches for a total of 10.

[madmaxx]

Please do not let my pictures be decieving, I park a GMC on the open side in the pictures, in other words I am parking 3 cars in a two car garage which is 20feet by 20 feet.

[bobcowan]

Originally Posted by FUNFER2

The jack under the black brace/cross member looks to be extended, how do you get the ramp level ?
Please tell me how this system works for you, pros & cons ?
Who has the best price ?
Thanks,

I really like mine. It's extremly easy to do suspension and under car work. Since I track my car regularly, I'm constantly changing alignment settings, bleeding brakes, etc. Sure beats jacks stands and crawling around on the floor. Makes inspection real easy, too. Get out the creeper and a flashlight and roll under there.

Sometime, a lift of any kind gets in the way. I don't have the right equipment to pull the engine while on a lift. It takes me about 15 minutes to disassemble and remove the lift. About 20 minutes to get it back in.

Towards the back, you can see the legs that fold down to hold up the back.