Scissor Lifts

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Lozza74
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Scissor Lifts

Post by Lozza74 »

At the request of Tony (MetBlue) I thought I would start a thread on scissor lifts. Feel free to use this to ask any questions - hopefully we can share ideas here.

When I first bought my Excel last year I asked on here about using a scissor lift to raise the car, and although I got some good advise to lift from the chassis it appears not many people have used this sort of lift with Excels.

My lift is the clifton model from strongman tools (https://strongmanlifts.co.uk/product/clifton/), but is a few years old now and I see they have more features on the lift now.

I use a couple of 3"x2" steel beams across the lift platforms to support wooden and rubber blocks under the chassis at both the front and back of the car. You can just see the wooden blocks in the pictures, as well as the beams.

I also have some wooden planks on the floor at either end of the lift that I drive on to, mainly to raise the car up a few inches to make it easier to slide the beams across.

In the picture you can also see a 1meter rule propped against the rear suspension, just to give an idea how high the car can be raised.
Image
Image

In the background you can see some more steel beams and a couple of acro props - part of my plan for separating the body from the chassis and hanging it from the garage roof.

Richard.

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MetBlue
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Re: Scissor Lifts

Post by MetBlue »

Thanks Richard for taking the time to post that. A really useful piece of kit and a good back saver. 😀.
It looked on the front bumper picture that it pivoted, hence my question about the rear. Can see now when I look back it doesn't. I got thinking about these when I needed to change a rear drive shaft. Without getting the car 1M high, I hadn't enough room to swing the necessary breaker bar. 😢.
Need to decide how deep the pockets are though, and if when not using, how much it would clog up the garage( they aren't exactly something you move around obviously). I'm lucky enough to have a double garage, but every inch space is well used, including under the car!
I wonder how I could hide it from the other half? 🤔
Tony
What goes together.... Must come apart.

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Ray-s
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Re: Scissor Lifts

Post by Ray-s »

:shock: Wow it's clean under there :o Nice bit of kit though ...
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Ray...
Why is there always bits left over ?

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pistolpete
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Re: Scissor Lifts

Post by pistolpete »

yes it is clean, I want mine that clean and I want a lift like that.
SO day today does it matter that the lift sits on the floor can you just drive over it and park the car. I have seen cheaper ones but like all things cheaper there is a catch

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Lotus-e-Clan
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Re: Scissor Lifts

Post by Lotus-e-Clan »

Alternatively a small cheap 4 post Classic-sized lift (off eBay made in China) has served me well for past 7 years. Lots of flexibility on space for parking 3 cars in a relatively small double garage.
Image

Image


Gives about 1.5 meters head room in my garage. If I had a taller garage you could stand beneath. But as it is, it's an ideal working height sitting on an castored office chair . You can zoom about underneath just pushing with your feet!
Image

7 years ago it cost me just less than £2000 all inclusive of delivery (forklift needed to get it off the lorry!). Great investment.

Very convenient for some jobs where you need to raise and lower the lift in quick succession - like when I took the engine out for a clutch and flywheel change. Also this lift comes with castor trays so you can move it about the gargae if you want ..there is no need to bolt the lift to the floor ..I haven't and it's very stable in use regardless.
Peter K

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DavidOliver
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Re: Scissor Lifts

Post by DavidOliver »

To get the lift to work under the wheels all you need is a metal scaffold walkway beam (30cms wide) on top of the scissor and at each side.
Very cheap at any builders yard.

Dave the cog.

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pistolpete
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Re: Scissor Lifts

Post by pistolpete »

[q.
Gives about 1.5 meters head room in my garage. If I had a taller garage you could stand beneath. But as it is, it's an ideal working height sitting on an castored office chair . You can zoom about underneath just pushing with your feet!
Image

7 years ago it cost me just less than £2000 all inclusive of delivery (forklift needed to get it off the lorry!). Great investment.

Very convenient for some jobs where you need to raise and lower the lift in quick succession - like when I took the engine out for a clutch and flywheel change. Also this lift comes with castor trays so you can move it about the gargae if you want ..there is no need to bolt the lift to the floor ..I haven't and it's very stable in use regardless.
[/quote]



That also looks a very good option, with added advantage of being able to another car in the garage, what do you do when you want wheel off and lifted up?

Clan looks brilliant, do you race it?

Lozza74
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Re: Scissor Lifts

Post by Lozza74 »

day today does it matter that the lift sits on the floor can you just drive over it and park the car
When not raised the top of the lift is about 2 inches above the floor, I just drive over it and park up.
Although to be honest my garage is a double, but with one car in front of the other so the lift and lotus lives at the 'inaccessible' end of the garage.

The 4 poster is another great idea. I didnt go that route as I was worried about headroom (and lifting the car through the ceiling), as well as about restricting the width I had available. Plus I didnt think of it :D .

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Lotus-e-Clan
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Re: Scissor Lifts

Post by Lotus-e-Clan »

pistolpete wrote:
Fri Jun 04, 2021 15:01

That also looks a very good option, with added advantage of being able to another car in the garage, what do you do when you want wheel off and lifted up?

Clan looks brilliant, do you race it?
There is a jacking tray that slides along the centre between the ramps.... or simply jack sils on ramp as if on the ground ..obviously you jack it only when the roof is not touching the celing(!!) ..then raise to any working height. There are preset stops that work out convenient for various jobs like doing brakes at standing height.

Clan has a full race Cov Climax (Imp) 1040 cc engine with a close ratio straight cut box. 100 mph = 8250 rpm!! 60mph = 5000 rpm in top. 0-60mph just over 5 secs (2nd gear @ 8200 rpm). No, don't race it -track days in past but now used mainly for a blast around the Dales.
Peter K

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