Lifts in Dallas - MaxJack

Texas-Saluki · #1 (**permalink**) 09-10-2009, 07:43 AM

All,

I am looking to get a lift... as working under the car on stands...sucks

Since many of you have been at my house have seen I have a well organized 20 lbs in a 10 lb garage I am looking at the portable lift so I can move it to the side of the garage when not in use.

http://www.maxjaxusa.com/

I have a few questions for the group

does anyone have one of these lifts and have any feedback?
since we all have post tension slabs, drilling holes in the floor is more problematic. Does anyone have any leads for someone that can locate the rebar in the floor.

Thanks

Stoney FFR · #2 (**permalink**) 09-10-2009, 08:43 AM

No experience with this lift, but just a comment that you might want to think about. It looks like the max lift height is about 4 feet. Getting your car 4 feet off of the ground isn't going to be very helpful while working under the car, unless you're a very short person. I think you would be better off just getting or building a set of ramps that get it high enough to slide underneath and work while laying on your back. I've seen plans for a set of wooden ramps posted online that I have considered building.

Joe - -

PARKERPOWER · #3 (**permalink**) 09-10-2009, 09:45 AM

Ditto on what Joe said, plus the only thing keeping the car from coming down on top of you is those concrete anchors.

Richard

Texas-Saluki · #4 (**permalink**) 09-10-2009, 09:51 AM

yea but sitting is a lot better than on your back...

am9648 · #5 (**permalink**) 09-10-2009, 10:16 AM

Take a look at these ramps. Yes still on you back but no where near the cost of the lift.

www.raceramps.com

model: RR-XT-2

Z-linkCobra · #6 (**permalink**) 09-10-2009, 02:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Texas-Saluki

yea but sitting is a lot better than on your back...

If you have any room outside next to the garage you could pour 4 small pads of concrete and put a 4 post lift outside. I have seen many a 4 post lift outside in a permanent mounting. Put the power on a breaker that you can shut off inside so the kids cant mess with it. Thats what I would take a look at. Might have to ok that with the neighbors and more importantly the wife.

Stoney FFR · #7 (**permalink**) 09-10-2009, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by am9648

Take a look at these ramps. Yes still on you back but no where near the cost of the lift.

www.raceramps.com

model: RR-XT-2

I really like those Portable Pit Stop Ramps............ until I saw the $2500 price tag!

Stoney FFR · #8 (**permalink**) 09-10-2009, 03:04 PM

Here's the post about the homemade ramps that I remember seeing.. Really nice looking ramps and a great looking Cobra also!

Poor Man's Qwik Lift for $250.00 (look!)

But in a pinch I guess you could go with something like this.

But okay, enough about ramps. Back on topic now. Hopefully someone knows about that MaxJack that Chris is asking about..

Joe - -

Cobra #42 · #9 (**permalink**) 09-10-2009, 04:33 PM

Chris, You need to check out this guy, he is in Arlington, TX. A personal friend and a great guy. Jim Woodard bought a lift from him many years ago and it has never missed a beat. http://www.derekweaver.com/update/index.aspx He always has a lift on display at Good Guys which is coming up at TMS Oct 2-4. High recommended, db

Texas-Saluki · #10 (**permalink**) 09-10-2009, 06:19 PM

wow... it seems like I was just at goodguys... Don, I will take a look at the lift. I need something that I can put up and take down, maybe these are not that hard to setup as they have to bolt to the floor anyway, the strip on the floor is the electrical between the two.

That or I need to build a new house with a bigger garage

airspeed1 · #11 (**permalink**) 09-10-2009, 08:05 PM

I bought a lift from a company out of Fort Worth. It is four post free standing lift from a company called Direct Lift. I really like it.

Whoops...just saw the Derek Weaver reference in the previous post. That is who I bought the lift from. They deliver and installed and it works great.

If it helps any, this is what the lift looks like in a garage.

Jerry

gthompson · #12 (**permalink**) 09-10-2009, 09:52 PM

I have a single post lift that works pretty well for working on the car.
Here is a picture of the lift on the ground and then off of the ground.
The name of the company is American Garage Works. The guys name is Doug 817-219-1455

PCW · #13 (**permalink**) 09-10-2009, 09:53 PM

Texas,

I have a Maxjax and I love it. My concrete is about 4 1/2 " and had no problems with the drop in anchors holding at 100LBS of torque. It is rated for 6K, but have had only about 5K on the lift so far. I have heard some with old brittle concrete dug it up and re-poured 12" footing. I have 10'8" ceiling in my garage and have been able to lift all my cars to the full 48". Here are some pics, sorry don't have the SPF yet, but when I do, it will look really nice in the air? If you look on the columns you will see small magnetic levels. Before I got under them I wanted to make sure there was no movement between the columns. I set the level with a larger level dead center and not once have the bubble moved out center on the small levels. I also left the car up for hours before I got under it. Not one problem, been very happy with it. It can also be taken apart and stored if you would need to, I have not done that, no need to so far.

Craig

cman46 · #14 (**permalink**) 09-11-2009, 05:44 AM

To me lifts are kind of like what Cobra should I buy? Personally, because of ceiling clearance I have owned and used the Kwik Lift. The outfit is out of Oklahoma and offers many accessories. A floor jack is utilized to raise it. I believe it offers some 37" of clearance when one is on their back. Anyhow, Goodguys is coming up Oct 2-5 and is a great place to view and talk with the various lift vendors. I purchased my first Kwik Lift at Goodguys on a show special and it did not include sales tax. Input only no selling. Colin

SSSammy · #15 (**permalink**) 09-13-2009, 07:37 PM

Chris, I have one of the Derek Weaver jobs, and it is just sitting there, not bolted. It does walk around a few inches over time and it has to be re-positioned using it's dolly wheels.

but they are inexpensive ... about $2K installed.

Sam

PCW · #16 (**permalink**) 09-13-2009, 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SSSammy

Chris, I have one of the Derek Weaver jobs, and it is just sitting there, not bolted. It does walk around a few inches over time and it has to be re-positioned using it's dolly wheels.

but they are inexpensive ... about $2K installed.

Sam

All,

I have a question, how do you rotate tires, do brake jobs etc.. on this 4 post lift? Is it just for storage purposes? I like the storage aspect, but went with the maxjax because it is portable and made for low ceilings. I have a 25' deep garage and placed the lift deeper into my garage so when I do have a car on the lift I can pull another car in underneath it up to the windshield/roof-line and get 2 cars in the same garage.

I had some of the same concerns that some others have voiced. Relying on the drop in bolts, so I had a engineer friend look at the Anchor Bolt Stress Analysis on Maxjax website and he said it is well engineered, as long as the concrete is in good shape and the bolts can be torqued to 100LBS, it will hold. He also said you wouldn't put any 2 post lift on poor concrete, right?

I have never taken apart my Maxjax, but other owners say it takes 15 mins to disassemble.

Craig

LuvDaBlues · #17 (**permalink**) 09-14-2009, 05:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PCW

how do you rotate tires, do brake jobs etc..

Craig

Craig,

I have the exact same lift Sam has. I also purchased an internal hydraulic jack and internal jack stand tray. It lifts the whole car off the rails. If you're trying for speed records to perform maintenance, it's a small inconvenience. But as a hobbyist, it does just fine.

I work on my cars a lot, so some days the lift travels up & down maybe 10 times. For piece of mind I fastened the lift to the floor with four grade 8 expansion shields (bolts) each post. That baby ain't movin'!

These clowns helped me install the lift two years ago. Beer was extra!

PCW · #18 (**permalink**) 09-14-2009, 10:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LuvDaBlues

Craig,

I have the exact same lift Sam has. I also purchased an internal hydraulic jack and internal jack stand tray. It lifts the whole car off the rails. If you're trying for speed records to perform maintenance, it's a small inconvenience. But as a hobbyist, it does just fine.

I work on my cars a lot, so some days the lift travels up & down maybe 10 times. For piece of mind I fastened the lift to the floor with four grade 8 expansion shields (bolts) each post. That baby ain't movin'!

These clowns helped me install the lift two years ago. Beer was extra!

Thanks Luvdablues, that makes more sense. What does the extra Hyd jacks and internal jack stand tray cost?

Craig

jwoodard · #19 (**permalink**) 09-14-2009, 02:23 PM

Craig,

The Jack Tray, Caster kit (steel wheels) and 3 Drip trays are included with the Lift. The hydraulic jack is listed at $495.00. They always have special pricing on these items at the Goodguys show in October.
Like LovDaBlues, I got the sliding hydraulic jack so servicing the brakes and/or removing all wheels is very easy. Use the sliding hydraulic jack for one end and use the jack tray with a couple jack stands on the other end.

Here's how I accommodated an 8' 6" height ceiling. I can stand under the car but I'm not very tall.

LuvDaBlues · #20 (**permalink**) 09-14-2009, 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwoodard

Craig,
Here's how I accommodated an 8' 6" height ceiling. I can stand under the car but I'm not very tall.

Now Jim, you may not be very tall....... but you've always been the "Big Man" in my eyes!

I think the majority of us folk's in the DFW are have purchased our "Pro-Park 7" (now "8") from Derek Weaver in Fort Worth.
http://www.derekweaver.com/update/index.aspx