help designing shop stand for 911

[wayner]

Thanks!
I have a set of huge jackstands that do the job, but...

I've got my eye on two cars right now, so I won't rule out another build, but mainly I want to make my car mobile at working height while I work on suspension and brakes, so would prefer to support the chassis instead of the hubs.

My car lived on a lift for two years. I got spoiled by just showing up and digging in.

I planned my build so that once home, any jobs that I tackle will be ones a can nibble at between meals so to speak. If I can grab an hour before dinner, I don't want to have to spend the hour moving the car, jacking it up and putting it away.

I also want the garage usable for parking the daily driver etc, so, I just want to jack it up once for the winter and roll it into the corner, and roll it out when I have a few minutes to tinker.


I plan to:
-drop the engine, clean it and seal a leak (just because it is so darned easy to drop).
-swap the known good tranny and replace it with my spare so I can assess its condition next summer.
-upgrade to my 993 brakes. I backed out of that upgrade while I was in there since an adapter I had made didn't fit and I didn't want it to hold up the 2013 driving opportunity.

If I get ambitious I'll remove and powder coat everything, but that will probably wait until the next winter after another summer of use.

P.S.
I miss having a lift. I call this picture "spoiled"

[tijnes]

I built a similar setup like the one from MW but out of some 2x6's that I had lying around. Easy to build and cheap. It worked like a charm to assemble the entire car after it came back bare shell from the bodyshop. The three wheel design is perfect because you can install suspension etc without obstacles.

When I just recently installed the engine again I opted to put it on jack stands for safety purposes because of the added 600+ pounds.

If you want I can take some pics and or measurements this weekend.

Martijn

[Racerbvd]

Originally Posted by Jack Stands

In the book, Excellence was Expected, Ludvigsen shows a picture of a four wheeled dolly that was used when they rolled the completed 914-6 chassis structure across the road (by hand) to the Porsche assembly line. It looks like it used the four small round points on the corners of the floor pan to hold the chassis. I imagine that a similar dolly could be made for the 911 as well.

A buddy built one for his 914 (now mine, along with the dolly) out of wood, used PVC counter sunk for the round points.

[wayner]

Putting it up to roll it around just seems so practical.

[wayner]

If you want I can take some pics and or measurements this weekend.



Martijn

How about more pictures of your car?

Do you have a build thread?
Love the colour!

[Shaun @ Tru6]

here's what I made, don't have measurements but could take some.

[wayner]

Thanks Shaun

That looks simple and useful.

I've seen others using tie down straps at the front as you have. What problem do they solve ?

[Shaun @ Tru6]

For me it's more of a safety issue given my off-road surface, lots of dips and mounds and a sewer grate to cross. The back is heavier than the front, so it's a just in case thing. On a shop floor surface, you wouldn't need it.

[hcoles]

a few comments that may have been mentioned....
consider clearance during the lift to get the "cart" under the car, you will need to lift and hold the car up with all that in the way and then get the cart under the car and lower it. You might consider making the cart in parts that bolt together to help with this and may also help with storage later.

[BK911]

Originally Posted by hcoles

a few comments that may have been mentioned....
consider clearance during the lift to get the "cart" under the car, you will need to lift and hold the car up with all that in the way and then get the cart under the car and lower it. You might consider making the cart in parts that bolt together to help with this and may also help with storage later.

That's what I did. Basically 2 saw horses on casters. Jack up the front, slide one saw horse under. Jack up the back, slide the other under. Wham bam.

Not strong enough with an engine, but thats what the lift is for. Perfect for just about anything else.

This is the only pic I can find. You can see one end under the tangerine coupe.

[Unobtanium-inc]

Originally Posted by tijnes

I built a similar setup like the one from MW but out of some 2x6's that I had lying around. Easy to build and cheap. It worked like a charm to assemble the entire car after it came back bare shell from the bodyshop. The three wheel design is perfect because you can install suspension etc without obstacles.

When I just recently installed the engine again I opted to put it on jack stands for safety purposes because of the added 600+ pounds.

If you want I can take some pics and or measurements this weekend.

Martijn

I think you were smart to go with jack stands when you added the weight of the engine Martijn. We have seen two wooden carts over the years that suffered a broken board where your lowest 2x6 "axle" is. One was a 2x6, the other a 4x4. We have built a number of wooden carts that we take on the road, but we used 6x6 to be safe. -- Matt

[Unobtanium-inc]

Here is the cart that we have which was built using Porsche's specs for their dollies. As you can see it attaches to the chassis in very specific Porsche fashion and has adjustments at the front end. A very overdone piece for most purposes, but neat to look at since this is the cart that could be found rolling chassis around the factory. Sorry I don't have better photos but the cart and car are in a dark warehouse awaiting attention. -- Matt

[wayner]

ok, project has begun!

Having considered everyone's input to the design, the first order of business?

Build a stand for my beer...

[wayner]

Ok, aside from building a beer holder, I got sidetracked again and ended up building the beginnings of a shop crane/engine hoist...

Its actually my car dolly but maybe it can do dual duty?

[wayner]

When I went shopping for wheels I had selected some 800 lb units for around $24.00 each. When I went back to get them they were sold out. I bumped up to some six inch 1200lb wheels for $34.00 each.

On my way to the cash, I passed a clearance bin and found the same wheels except in an eight inch size and rated for 2000lbs each. They were normally $46.00 each, but marked down to $24.00.

Based on weight rating, one of my new eight inch wheels will support the entire car with engine (almost. The car is 160lbs over that weight so I will use more than one wheel).

With the eight inch wheel, its bracket, and the three inch tube, I have 13 inches of lift before adding any additional support tubing.
One thing that I have to plan for is to make sure that it is not too tall to roll under the car while on jack stands.

[wayner]

Making progress

[onboost]

Originally Posted by Shaun 84 Targa

here's what I made, don't have measurements but could take some.

Shaun,

I for one would appreciate it if you could take the measurements, or add them to the pic and either post or send. I need to get busy and put one of these together as I'm just putz'n around on one project without!

Thanks dude!

Paul

[Shaun @ Tru6]

I'll try this weekend Paul but no promises, crazy busy with getting a motor back into the M491 and 2 other 3.2s up 2 flights of stairs. That should be fun.

I'll see if I can do something like I did for my rotisserie.

[wayner]

Done!







CAUTION!
The shackles that I used to strap the two ton wheels to the 3x3 beam came from a heavy equipment supplier that manufactured them for me. They are used to strap leaf springs to axles on big trucks (although they made them smaller for me, but the same steel).

They ARE NOT the softer metal ones that you buy at the hardware store. I wouldn't trust the hardware store units.



[

[wayner]

The main bars with the wheels are all 3x3

I used the suggestion in this thread and made it in separate pieces so that it would be easy to store. The centre bar slides into a 3x3 with pins to hold it.

The beam that goes across the floor at the front is 2x3 (huge amount of overkill).
I might have gone 1x2 or 1x3 if I did that piece again.

It has a stub welded to it so that it can insert into the front upright, and is held with a bolt.
I made stubs that insert into the rear supports to contact the torsion tube.