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Posted: 6/23/2016 9:13:51 PM EDT
Ok, engineers and other mechanical types, I have a question. I recently installed a MaxJax 2-post lift, with plans to use it primarily with my Jeeps and a small Mazda 4x4 truck. For those not familiar with the MaxJax, its designed for smaller garages with low ceilings, with a 48" lift height and rated for 6k lbs. I'm very happy with the lift thus far, and I am already planning on possibly picking up a second in the future. One thing I have noticed about the lift though, is that because the Jeeps and truck sit up fairly high, you have at least 12" of travel before you actually start "lifting" the vehicles.
How feasible would it be to fab up metal bases to set the lift columns on, and raise them off the ground another 12"? The column bases are roughly 13x15" or so, would it be possible to fab a riser that's roughly 35-50% larger at the base, tapers to the dimension of the column bases, and still be safe? The concrete is all 6.5" thick of 4k psi mix (I could easily go with 5k psi and 7" on the next pour), and actual anchors in the ground are 7/8" diameter epoxy anchors that are 6" long (and take a 5/8" bolt). The standard base takes 5x bolts per side, would a larger base of say 15-17x20" with 8x anchors per side be potentially feasible? I guess the real unknown (at least for me) is how the downward force is changed or magnified once the column bases are raised. I know the logical answer is to buy a bigger lift, but mostly just brainstorming and genuinely curious. I know its probably a crazy idea, but from an engineering standpoint, what am I missing? As long as the riser base is built correctly, could it potentially work? Here are a couple pics of the lift: 
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Posted: 6/23/2016 9:20:04 PM EDT
[#1]
I'd think it would be easier to weld up some sort of risers on the end of each lifting bar. Take off those rubber pads, weld in the risers, then attach the pads to the risers. But I'm definitely no engineer.
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Posted: 6/23/2016 9:21:12 PM EDT
[#2]
Sure. I've seen much bigger stuff put on risers, your biggest problem would be anchoring it to the floor. I wouldn't want to do it without some engineering first, you could easily kill yourself if you got it wrong.
ETA: It would probably cost more then buying a bigger lift. |
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Posted: 6/23/2016 9:28:02 PM EDT
[#3]
Do those things just sit on the floor or are they anchored? I see wheels on them.
Nevermind, I see the bolts in the othe pictures. Sure it can be done but all the lifts I have used had extensions for the pads. |
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Posted: 6/23/2016 9:28:06 PM EDT
[#4]
At my job we use adapters kind of like these and stack them to fit our needs
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Posted: 6/23/2016 9:29:27 PM EDT
[#5]
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Posted: 6/23/2016 9:38:44 PM EDT
[#6]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
At my job we use adapters kind of like these and stack them to fit our needs http://www.challengerlifts.com/tab%20pages/accessories/CL10series/images/10315%20Adapter%20Organiz%230009.jpg Surprised I they don't have them on their website. That's what is needed. |
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Posted: 6/23/2016 9:40:10 PM EDT
[#7]
I was gonna post extensions. I believe when I worked with a lift we could pull the pads out and slip in extensions and put the pads back on higher up. difference between lifting a low car vs an SUV.
I would buy a factory kit if they had one. gravity + weight + distance = bad |
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Posted: 6/23/2016 9:42:28 PM EDT
[#8]
All you need are pad extensions.
However very relevant thread, I will soon be putting lifts in the garage of the house im buying. |
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Posted: 6/23/2016 9:43:09 PM EDT
[#9]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I was gonna post extensions. I believe when I worked with a lift we could pull the pads out and slip in extensions and put the pads back on higher up. difference between lifting a low car vs an SUV. I would buy a factory kit if they had one. gravity + weight + distance = bad The black corvette picture in the gallery posted above shows the extensions the best. |
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Posted: 6/23/2016 9:43:54 PM EDT
[#10]
That garage looks rather flammable.
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Posted: 6/23/2016 9:47:36 PM EDT
[#11]
I thought about the extensions, not sure how high you can stack them...lift came with 3-4" extensions.
Sure. I've seen much bigger stuff put on risers, your biggest problem would be anchoring it to the floor. I wouldn't want to do it without some engineering first, you could easily kill yourself if you got it wrong.
ETA: It would probably cost more then buying a bigger lift. Anchoring to the floor is no trouble. The standard set up uses 5x 5/8" bolts per column, attached to 7/8" diameter anchors that are epoxied to the concrete at a depth of 6". According to the Wej-it site, the tensile strength with epoxy for the anchors is 26k lbs, 6-8x of those per riser *should* be enough. Of course, this all assumes the risers are correctly built. I guess my biggest question is how much is the force/weight magnified with the lift columns raised off the ground? |
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Posted: 6/23/2016 9:48:57 PM EDT
[#12]
That garage looks rather flammable. Yeah, wood tends to be quite flammable. |
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Posted: 6/23/2016 9:50:10 PM EDT
[#13]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
At my job we use adapters kind of like these and stack them to fit our needs http://www.challengerlifts.com/tab%20pages/accessories/CL10series/images/10315%20Adapter%20Organiz%230009.jpg Used them on multiple Benwill 2 post lifts to pick up trucks. We used ours primarily for race cars that sit 1" off the ground, but spacers work great to service the tow rigs as well. We had 10k lb lifts. |
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Posted: 6/23/2016 9:51:39 PM EDT
[#14]
How about a base that is larger at the bottom and tapers up for the stand to sit on
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Posted: 6/23/2016 9:52:22 PM EDT
[#15]
Op, why don't you just buy a 12x12x6 and then cut you some pieces and put them on the lifting arms to get the additional 12 inches. That's how we do it in the boat world when we haul a boat out.
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Posted: 6/23/2016 9:52:34 PM EDT
[#16]
How about blocks of wood on top of the lift pads ?
If you raise the whole thing up, you will loose the ability to lift something low. |
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Posted: 6/23/2016 9:52:52 PM EDT
[#17]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
How about a base that is larger at the bottom and tapers up for the stand to sit on That's exactly what I have in mind. |
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Posted: 6/23/2016 9:56:58 PM EDT
[#18]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
That's exactly what I have in mind. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
How about a base that is larger at the bottom and tapers up for the stand to sit on That's exactly what I have in mind. I would believe that you would want a larger footprint for stability. I'm sure Arfcom has a mechanical engineer that should be able to advise the best way for this. |
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Posted: 6/23/2016 9:59:36 PM EDT
[#19]
Leave the base alone!! Simple solution: http://www.gregsmithequipment.com/16-Piece-Double-Screw-Up-Adapter-Kit-3_2
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Posted: 6/23/2016 10:07:03 PM EDT
[#20]
If you raise the whole thing up, you will loose the ability to lift something low. Yes, but the columns and riser can be moved....the lift is designed to be portable, no reason the risers couldn't be removed and the lift rebolted to the floor. |
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Posted: 6/23/2016 10:07:29 PM EDT
[#21]
Two easy ways to raise it up I can think of and would design at work. First would be to pour a short 12" concrete column that is anchored into your existing slab and have the lift anchored into. Second would be to get a short section of steel column and throw base plates on both ends with holes, one end gets bolted to lift, other anchored to ground.
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Posted: 6/23/2016 10:08:04 PM EDT
[#22]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Leave the base alone!! Simple solution: http://www.gregsmithequipment.com/16-Piece-Double-Screw-Up-Adapter-Kit-3_2 Those look very interesting, but I am still unsure how high the extensions can be on the lift arms. |
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Posted: 6/23/2016 10:13:03 PM EDT
[#23]
Do the pads not just pull out like all others?
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Posted: 6/23/2016 10:15:00 PM EDT
[#24]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Do the pads not just pull out like all others? Yes. |
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Posted: 6/23/2016 10:15:45 PM EDT
[#25]
Lifting 3000 pounds with pads only is the same as lifting 3000 pounds with adapter extensions.
Our Bear at work had screw pads that could screw up to 8" inches. Even then we sometimes used a 4x4 block of PT wood to get an extra 3.5 inches on top of the pad height. |
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Posted: 6/23/2016 10:19:39 PM EDT
[#26]
Well, up to 13" with that kit. Not sure why this so hard to understand? But sure, build a new base out of whatever for a problem that has been solved.
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Posted: 6/23/2016 10:22:56 PM EDT
[#27]
I don't see a problem with that plan.
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Posted: 6/23/2016 10:23:49 PM EDT
[#28]
sweet canadian drywall
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Posted: 6/23/2016 10:26:08 PM EDT
[#29]
A couple of milk crates ought to do it. |
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Posted: 6/23/2016 10:28:08 PM EDT
[#30]
Reinforced concrete risers w/ embedded mounting bolts might be easier to implement and safer, but it would be permanent.
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Posted: 6/23/2016 10:29:09 PM EDT
[#31]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
sweet canadian drywall yeah im thinking I'd go for A/C in the garage before fabbing up some lift extension and calculating another concrete pour but I like to be comfy when I'm fuckin' around in the garage. 
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Posted: 6/23/2016 10:29:28 PM EDT
[#32]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Those look very interesting, but I am still unsure how high the extensions can be on the lift arms. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Leave the base alone!! Simple solution: http://www.gregsmithequipment.com/16-Piece-Double-Screw-Up-Adapter-Kit-3_2 Those look very interesting, but I am still unsure how high the extensions can be on the lift arms. I suggest you give the manufacturer a call to confirm but you should have zero problem with the extensions. They are only axially loaded and assuming the slenderness ratio doesn't come into play should be more than adequate. The extensions will not change the load on the rest of the stand. |
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Posted: 6/23/2016 10:33:05 PM EDT
[#33]
yeah im thinking I'd go for A/C in the garage before fabbing up some lift extension and calculating another concrete pour but I like to be comfy when I'm fuckin' around in the garage. Possibly in the future, but not right now. My other shop, which is about 50' away, is a 20x30', and temps have never been a problem...at least in the summer. I will run a small heater in the winter, but that's only when the garage temp gets below 50-55*. Otherwise, its not too bad in the summer as long as you keep some air circulating. |
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Posted: 6/23/2016 10:35:59 PM EDT
[#34]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I suggest you give the manufacturer a call to confirm but you should have zero problem with the extensions. They are only axially loaded and assuming the slenderness ratio doesn't come into play should be more than adequate. The extensions will not change the load on the rest of the stand. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Leave the base alone!! Simple solution: http://www.gregsmithequipment.com/16-Piece-Double-Screw-Up-Adapter-Kit-3_2 Those look very interesting, but I am still unsure how high the extensions can be on the lift arms. I suggest you give the manufacturer a call to confirm but you should have zero problem with the extensions. They are only axially loaded and assuming the slenderness ratio doesn't come into play should be more than adequate. The extensions will not change the load on the rest of the stand. The lift comes with extensions! So, made for them. I see a lot of people here that have never used a lift on a 4x4. |
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Posted: 6/23/2016 10:38:38 PM EDT
[#35]
You asked for the advice of engineers, mine is forget about a base. Use risers at the pads or get a larger lift. If you're unsure how tall you can stack risers, call the manufacturer. A riser would be absolutely possible but If you don't have the know how or ability to build a riser that would be adequate (which I'm assuming you don't because you are asking opinions) you'd pay someone a bunch of money to do it correctly. Probably would equal the difference it would have cost you to buy a model with a higher lift height.
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Posted: 6/23/2016 10:38:56 PM EDT
[#36]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
The lift comes with extensions! So, made for them. I see a lot of people here that have never used a lift on a 4x4. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Leave the base alone!! Simple solution: http://www.gregsmithequipment.com/16-Piece-Double-Screw-Up-Adapter-Kit-3_2 Those look very interesting, but I am still unsure how high the extensions can be on the lift arms. I suggest you give the manufacturer a call to confirm but you should have zero problem with the extensions. They are only axially loaded and assuming the slenderness ratio doesn't come into play should be more than adequate. The extensions will not change the load on the rest of the stand. The lift comes with extensions! So, made for them. I see a lot of people here that have never used a lift on a 4x4. The question that he should confirm is how high you can safely go with them. We have no idea what they are designed to and the manual for the thing only mentions extensions with regard to power cords and in the parts list. You can only have a column so long before it buckles, I doubt that would happen here but if I was under it I'd confirm before going under it. |
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Posted: 6/23/2016 10:40:47 PM EDT
[#37]
The lift comes with extensions! So, made for them. I see a lot of people here that have never used a lift on a 4x4. Ok, why not lift extensions and a riser?? MIND BLOWN!! 
Seriously, there has to be a limit to the extension height that can be used with this lift. I have no idea what that is, but the extensions you linked are for Atlas lifts. Of course, (once again) I have no idea how that comes into play with other lifts, though. I'll contact MaxJax tomorrow, looks like the *may* offer 6" extensions. Nevertheless, the risers do seem like a fun project...may give me a reason to finally use my HF 110v MIG welder! |
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Posted: 6/23/2016 10:48:01 PM EDT
[#38]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Ok, why not lift extensions and a riser?? MIND BLOWN!!
Seriously, there has to be a limit to the extension height that can be used with this lift. I have no idea what that is, but the extensions you linked are for Atlas lifts. Of course, (once again) I have no idea how that comes into play with other lifts, though. I'll contact MaxJax tomorrow, looks like the *may* offer 6" extensions. Nevertheless, the risers do seem like a fun project...may give me a reason to finally use my HF 110v MIG welder! Quote HistoryQuoted:
The lift comes with extensions! So, made for them. I see a lot of people here that have never used a lift on a 4x4. Ok, why not lift extensions and a riser?? MIND BLOWN!!
Seriously, there has to be a limit to the extension height that can be used with this lift. I have no idea what that is, but the extensions you linked are for Atlas lifts. Of course, (once again) I have no idea how that comes into play with other lifts, though. I'll contact MaxJax tomorrow, looks like the *may* offer 6" extensions. Nevertheless, the risers do seem like a fun project...may give me a reason to finally use my HF 110v MIG welder! Are you joking? Stop before you kill someone. IF you built a riser it would need to be built out of material thicker than what that welder can handle. Learn the capabilities of your equipment and yourself. |
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Posted: 6/23/2016 10:49:32 PM EDT
[#39]
Really? You don't think the extensions I recommend have gone through that? Buckle with proper set and check? This is what happened, Engineers telling you what to do against real world. The lift is good (yes?) If so, engineered extensions are good to their rating (13"). They work on my 1 ton! |
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Posted: 6/23/2016 10:54:36 PM EDT
[#40]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Really? You don't think the extensions I recommend have gone through that? Buckle with proper set and check? This is what happened, Engineers telling you what to do against real world. The lift is good (yes?) If so, engineered extensions are good to their rating (13"). They work on my 1 ton! I've designed equipment capable of lifting 7000MT that had steel pins in it that were 7' diameter. He should contact the manufacturer (as he's going to do) and ask them what the extensions he has are good for and possibly purchase another set and stack them before taking real world advice from the Internet. |
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Posted: 6/23/2016 10:56:00 PM EDT
[#41]
I'm going to step away and watch this shit show unfold. I've given you real option that is used in every 4X4 shop USA. There is not one person that will say I'm wrong. Have fun
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Posted: 6/23/2016 10:58:18 PM EDT
[#42]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I'm going to step away and watch this shit show unfold. I've given you real option that is used in every 4X4 shop USA. There is not one person that will say I'm wrong. Have fun Not saying they won't work but they may not fit and he may not need them. |
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Posted: 6/23/2016 10:59:47 PM EDT
[#43]
You don't think the extensions I recommend have gone through that? Buckle with proper set and check? I think you are misunderstanding me. I am not questioning the extensions themselves, I feel absolutely confident that they are manufactured to hold their rated rate...I'm simply curious what the tallest extension you can use with my particular lift. I'm sure its quite possible (and likely) that it makes no difference. Regardless, I agree 100% that the extensions you linked would be the easiest solution...we are on the same page. |
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Posted: 6/23/2016 11:02:26 PM EDT
[#44]
To an unsolved problem I'm sure. While I'm so proud of you, this problem has been solved and I'm sure he will know it when he calls the Man.
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Posted: 6/23/2016 11:02:52 PM EDT
[#45]
I'm not an engineer, but one thing to consider is the anchors in the floor. If you drill other holes in close proximity to the holes already there, it will weaken the integrity of the floor in that area and the epoxied anchors as well.
As to your original question, I don't see why column bases, built stoutly enough, couldn't do what you're wanting. Of course, I'm not an engineer. Also consider the voiding of any warranty or liability. |
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Posted: 6/23/2016 11:07:57 PM EDT
[#46]
...oh. *Mechanical* engineers.
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Posted: 6/23/2016 11:10:35 PM EDT
[#47]
I think you are misunderstanding me. I am not questioning the extensions themselves, I feel absolutely confident that they are manufactured to hold their rated rate...I'm simply curious what the tallest extension you can use with my particular lift. I'm sure its quite possible (and likely) that it makes no difference. Regardless, I agree 100% that the extensions you linked would be the easiest solution...we are on the same page. My Bad. It makes no difference on the lift. But, 13" is the highest rated. You can do more with other items but I'm not telling you that. Extension pads keep the same rating as the lift. |
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Posted: 6/23/2016 11:16:50 PM EDT
[#48]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Nevertheless, the risers do seem like a fun project...may give me a reason to finally use my HF 110v MIG welder! 
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Posted: 6/23/2016 11:18:31 PM EDT
[#49]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Not saying they won't work but they may not fit and he may not need them. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
I'm going to step away and watch this shit show unfold. I've given you real option that is used in every 4X4 shop USA. There is not one person that will say I'm wrong. Have fun Not saying they won't work but they may not fit and he may not need them. I'm glad you are so wise and keep us safe! |
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Posted: 6/23/2016 11:28:22 PM EDT
[#50]
Quote HistoryQuote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Nevertheless, the risers do seem like a fun project...may give me a reason to finally use my HF 110v MIG welder! https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/8e/b9/fb/8eb9fb9ee1baa74917a008480d2bd320.jpg ?? |
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