Using Jackstands with my four post lift?

[glenndeweirdt]

Hello,
It has been a while since I have posted with this venerable group having gotten in touch with my feminine side of Porsche ownership ( I bought a Boxster).

I have a four post lift ( Chinese made, not Bend Pak, unfortunately) and I want to use the lift in combination with jackstands so I can replace brake pads and bleed brakes at a comfortable level. I have a heavy guage jackstand tray that came with the lift. I have a dandy 914 jack that fits perfectly under the jack points but has a fairly small 16sq.in. footprint. I am concerned that when jacking the Boxster the relatively thin diamond plate lift deck will buckle or worse. Should I get a piece of 1/4" sheet steel to spread the load?

Anyone have any experience with this?

[FrenchToast]

Maybe its just me, but it's difficult to understand exactly what you are trying to do.

Is your lift one that lifts the car on its wheels?

Be safe, have a good evening!

Cheers

[theclaw]

Originally Posted by FrenchToast

Maybe its just me, but it's difficult to understand exactly what you are trying to do.

It's not you. I can't figure that one out either.

A rule of thumb when using equipment like this (I have my own scissor lift) it's usually not a good idea to use it in ways it wasn't designed for. Sure way to make the Darwin Top Ten.

You talking about something like this?

[Canada Kev]

What's wrong with that...?

To me it sounds like, with the four post, he can drive up on it, but wants to further lift his car off the rack to remove the wheels. Seeing that the car is on its wheels on the rack it must be jacked up. Sound about right?

I have seen some four posters with rails that another couple jacks run in so the car can be lifted off the lift once it's up to a comfortable working height.

[rnln]

I think his question is clearly that he has his car on his 4 poles lift, and he want to jack (and jack stands) the car up to remove the wheels, can be 1 axle at a time. He has jack plate but no air jack.
I want to hear the good solution too.

[tig]

What you really want is one of these:



But given, that all you have is a jackstand tray, and the jack points on your car are along the ramps of your lift, and not the jackstand tray I too would be concerned about the 4 'points' of the jack stands damaging the steel of your ramps.

Get some 1/4" steel plate squares the size of the footprint of your jackstands. Have your local welder weld the jackstands to the steel plate. Now you have distributed the forces....

[sc_rufctr]

^^^^^

That's an excellent setup. Is it yours? More details please.

[Plavan]

Side Note: Bend Pak Lifts are Chinese made also.

[glenndeweirdt]

Very cool but more involved and expensive solution. Yes, I have a drive on four poster. I think I made this more complicated than necessary. I bought a piece of 12'x12"x1/4" sheet steel to rest the pad of the jack so I don't have to worry about the diamond plate ramp/deck buckling when I jack the car. The jackstands rest in a heavy guage steel tray that is supended between the decks like you see in the picture above.

Thanks.

[Dantilla]

Originally Posted by theclaw

C'mon, guys- Look closely and you'll see that he has a second 4x4 as a safety backup.
What could go wrong??

[4495]

Originally Posted by sc_rufctr

^^^^^

That's an excellent setup. Is it yours? More details please.

I would like to know more about x038F's four post lift set-up as well. Please share!!!

[yelcab1]

Originally Posted by glenndeweirdt

Very cool but more involved and expensive solution. Yes, I have a drive on four poster. I think I made this more complicated than necessary. I bought a piece of 12'x12"x1/4" sheet steel to rest the pad of the jack so I don't have to worry about the diamond plate ramp/deck buckling when I jack the car. The jackstands rest in a heavy guage steel tray that is supended between the decks like you see in the picture above.

Thanks.

My four post lift came with a very thick jack plate in between the 2 ramps. I put various bottle jacks on the plate to lift the car up and then support the car with various pieces of 4x4 between the car and the ramps. Remove the wheels, lift the lift to a comfortable standind position to work on breaks.

By the way, there are times when it is quicker just to do it with a normal jack in the driveway.

[4495]

Originally Posted by yelcab1

My four post lift came with a very thick jack plate in between the 2 ramps. I put various bottle jacks on the plate to lift the car up and then support the car with various pieces of 4x4 between the car and the ramps. Remove the wheels, lift the lift to a comfortable standind position to work on breaks.

By the way, there are times when it is quicker just to do it with a normal jack in the driveway.

That's not we want to hear. If our wives were to read that we'll never get a four post lift.

[yelcab1]

Originally Posted by 4495

That's not we want to hear. If our wives were to read that we'll never get a four post lift.

Well, I had to adjust the wife's Lexus's tie rod end and it was a five minute job in the driveway with a jack versus moving the cars around, crawling underneath the lift with a bottle jack...

Yes, I can rotate tires on the lift, but it is quicker done in the driveway.

[glenndeweirdt]

Thanks guys. I will post a pic next week when i actually get around to this project.

[tig]

Originally Posted by 4495

I would like to know more about x038F's four post lift set-up as well. Please share!!!

You can read the whole story here:

Bald is beautiful - The Garage Journal Board

Enjoy!

[rnln]

Here it is. I "hated" his lift and garage, because I can't afford it
Show me your lift

Originally Posted by 4495

I would like to know more about x038F's four post lift set-up as well. Please share!!!

[rnln]

yelcab, isn't it unsafe to stack up a bunch of 4x4 and rest the car on them?
Now you guys just made me wonder if my order of a 4 poles is the right decision. it's still time for me to cancel the order and go with MaxJax. Arg

Originally Posted by yelcab1

My four post lift came with a very thick jack plate in between the 2 ramps. I put various bottle jacks on the plate to lift the car up and then support the car with various pieces of 4x4 between the car and the ramps. Remove the wheels, lift the lift to a comfortable standind position to work on breaks.

By the way, there are times when it is quicker just to do it with a normal jack in the driveway.

[rnln]

Glenn, any good solution on jacking/jack-stand your car on the 4-poles lift? any pic?

[glenndeweirdt]

Damn! I just took the thing down after swapping brake pads or I would have taken a pic.

Yes. I solved my problem. I bought a 12"x12"x1/4" piece of steel diamond plate that I put on the deck under the jack point. I then jack the car using an old 944 jack I have and fits perfectly in the Boxster jack point. I then place the steel jackstand tray that came with the lift under the alternate jackstand support points (lots of controversy on these but the selected points worked for me). and jack the car until the jackstands and hockey puck pads will fit. Then I lowered the car onto the stands.

The only minor problem is since I only have one jack tray I cannot remove all four wheels at the same time. No big deal.

I will be bleeding brakes and changing oil after an autocross in two weeks and will post a picture of my solution. It is actually simpler and quicker than it sounds.