BendPak has a new lift - a MaxJax

why does that look scary to me?

I think I'd invest in 6' jackstands before I got under it.

 

Looks pretty cool, but I guess if I have to ask then its too much?

Aaron

 

Well, this surely looks interesting and i agree, most of all it looks scary.

As far as i can see the pillars are not anchored to the ground in any reliable way. So what will prevent the pillars from just tipping/overturning? I would also propose jackstands before moving any part of my body below the car. And make sure to invest in a safety helmet and shoes as well. Sky might be falling down on you

Seriously, didn´t get too much into the details, but i myself would neither storage my car, nor work below a car on a lift when i am not 100% sure that the pillars are anchored deep (really deep) into a concrete ground. A lot of **** can happen with lifts, in the best case you just loose a lot of money, in the worst case you loose your health or even life.

Regards,

Dirk

Edit: Just had a deeper look and obviuously the pillars are anchored. Actually this might work out. My lift is anchored (permanetly, it has a frame) the same way. If the anchors are positioned right and you take care while fixing the pillars everything should be fine. Otherwise remember the helmet and the shoes

 

You did not see that the posts are bolted down into pre-installed holes after you roll it in place? It is no worse than anything else.

 

If each anchor (four per post) is true to the following spec: Rated load capacity (each anchor) - 14,800-lb. Tensile / 11,800-lb. Shear

then she's plenty sturdy for a 308 lift.....

 

Looks very interesting because it is an easily reversible solution. I might be interested ...

 

Bob,

That's actually the best solution I've seen so far! Makes me almost think it's worth it so that I don't always have to beg to use Bret's down at the shop (especially because I was just down there using his sandblasting cabinet.)

 

I'd feel much better using larger studs epoxied into the concrete. (yes they would stick up an inch or two, but a lot easier to zip for or five nuts down onto) If you are only lifting a 4k pound car it might be a decent solution. Scott

 

The Max Jax is from Dannmar, not Bend-Pak. They're different companies.

A potential problem I can see is the potential for dirt or small pebbles to block the pre-installed bolt holes, when they're not in use.
But I suppose a shop vac could help, there.

Of course, it still needs a floor prepared. It looks a lot like a regular asymmetric two post, except that you can unbolt it and roll the posts away.

I just hope the wheels are better than the ones on my "portable" low-rise. (Parallelogram style, Eagle's version of the LR-60P). I wind up using a pair of refrigerator rollers instead of the installed wheels.

 

IMHO: I checked out a bunch of lifts and was split between the German Werther Duplex unit, and ACL (American Custom Lifts) single post. I went for the ACL. I liked the wide platform that secured it. I've had it since 2005. Good machine, and EXCELLENT customer service. If you have a question, the owner gets you a response immediately. Just my .02 cents.

 

Yeah but dannmar is associated with bend pak, This was suppost to be a lift from bend pak but it is now from dannmar, there is a garage forum I was checking out and the same guy was CEO for both companies last year when this lift was being talked about.

I was looking at this one and while I like the idea of being able to move the uprights when I dont need the lift is a cool but the car still dosent go up high enough for what I want a lift for. It goes up a bit but not high enough for me.


And the cost was something else

I can get the XPR-9FD for around $2500
This new max jack was starting around $1500 or so and last thread I saw it was up to over 2K so why buy that when for a few hundred more I can stand under my car.

thats just me.

Ill see if I can find that link to the other forum if anyone wants to see it.
the bend pak CEO was on that forum talking about this lift.

jp

 

Lets see if this works.
check it out

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=24033&highlight=MaxJax&page=11

 

I saw...still made me nervous. If it had some type of cross brace between the pillars, I'd feel alot safer.

The risk, in my opinion, is the existing concrete floor coming up in a big chunk, while your Ferrari falls over.

 

Has anybody used this kind of lift http://www.pacetools.com/Products/VLR-6S

 

Cross brace like how? A regular two post lift is only held in by the bolts going into the concrete.

You have to be sure that your concrete is rated for this purpose before you install a lift anyway. Most concrete is but is it think enough when the slab was laid.

 

If we could get a group buy going like they did at GJ.com for 1500 I'd be in for one (if I can sneak it past the wife!).

 

+1 on the group buy - I would be in

 

Not an engineer, but if you are already moving posts around, I could envision a horizontal bar across the tops of the two posts to stabilize it from caving in toward the center.

 

I have a little experience here and this looks a bit tricky. The slab would have to be in pretty good shape for this to work. The car would have to be perfectly balanced on the rack as well so it didn't induce a moment reaction at the base (they are only using red heads to anchor). The slab would be preferably reinforced with rebar. There are a lot of garage slabs that aren't reinforced. Slab strangth also needs to be 3,000 psi. You wouldn't know unless it was tested at the time it was poured. If I were serious about this type of system (which looks like a good system overall) I would just go ahead and saw cut the slab out and repour the mat foundation that they describe (4'x4'x6" deep). I would also install dowels (#3 rebar) into the existing slab and use a non-shrink epoxy to set them in place. A rebar mat (something like #3 12 inches on center) would be also good to place in the center of the concrete mat (tied to the dowels). Best thing to do is call the Manufacture and get some install diagrams for the mat. Ask for reinforcing recommendations (why not if you go throug the trouble). Again, not a strict recommendation, but I would probably do something like this for piece of mind. Not a real large cost either....just labor and some concrete. Just my opinion

 

Notice in their video they use a 911. Is there a car that is less well balanced front-to-rear? You can see in the video that the front wheels lift off the ground before the rears.

And I have to agree that I wouldn't put Red Heads into a slab that I wasn't absolutely sure what was there and the walk under the car.