Where can I buy a 4 point jack/lift system???

[glow worm]

Searching for a 4 point hydraulic jacking system where I can easily and safely lift the car in one go. Even looked at a 4 Post garage lift at £2,500, but a bit over the top. An adjustable frame that slid under the car with hydraulic rams at the 4 chassis corners would be ideal, then I could make safe with axle stands. I hate using an ordinary jack at each corner at a time and am always scared of the windowscreen cracking or the car slipping. It's nigh on impossible to jack from the centre on a Tuscan front and I wouldn't even try from the rear.

Has anyone tried a scissor lift under a TVR??? Will one fit???

Any constructive ideas welcome or contacts/suppliers.

Edited by glow worm on Thursday 27th December 15:51

[glow worm]

shropshire lad said:

http://www.holden.co.uk/displayproduct.asp?sg=3&am...

I have one of these from Holdens . It works very well and is totally safe.

Quite like this one, do you adjust to the chassis corners on your Chim??...In the picture the car looks a bit unstable, but that might be the angle of the picture. Certainly 1 metre would be plenty high enough to work on the underneath.
Another suggested alternative is : http://www.levo-artis.com/, but you would have to buy the TR6 Beams aswell (If they'd take 2 tonnes)

Edited by glow worm on Thursday 27th December 17:01

[glow worm]

Thanks Lads, please keep the ideas coming...each one makes me re-think.

[glow worm]

C2HYM said:

Quinny said:

I'm seriously thinking of getting one of these in the new year
£1620.00 squids, delivered to your door

Very tempting

http://www.garage-apparatuur.com/208%20engels.htm#...




Its used mainly for storage in my case, two car garage has become a 4 car garage.

That was one thought that I'd had, then I could get a 2nd Tiv and stack them

[glow worm]

I think I've made my mind up....The Portable 4 Post Carlift....My reasons as follows:-
1) No storage problem.
2) No real loss of garage space, can leave the runways in the up postion. The front posts are wider than my garage entrance and the Tuscan will not reach the rear posts, so less chance of hitting the posts when reversing the car in.
3) The moveable castor system is quite clever, using the hydraulics to raise itself so easy movement.
4) Not fixed and if I move house I can take it with me
5) And most importantly, with a little adjustment to my garage roof, I should be able to stack a 2nd TIV in the future.

I'll have to get a pair of scissor jacks, to get the wheels off, but can't see that being a problem with the car up in the air.
Thanks to everyone for their input, it's been invaluable....Still time for anything better, since the people in Holland have shut down until 2nd Jan 2008 according to their answerphone (good job the recording was in English aswell as Dutch) and it appears I couldn't get it right in English.

Other advantage:-
With a sling arrangement it would help a One man lift of the bonnet off the Tuscan, and also provide somewhere to store the bonnet whilst polishing the engine

Edited by glow worm on Friday 28th December 20:04

[glow worm]

What on earth have I started??? This firm are going to wonder what's going on come the 7th Jan when the phone starts to ring.
P.S. I reckon I can keep the up and over garage doors since the bonnet should clear. My problem will be removing the rear part of my Artexed ceiling and a joist or two for the car roof. Which builders Artex a garage ceiling with swirls ?????? Other than mine

[glow worm]

heightswitch said:

Quinny said:

heightswitch said:

Just watched the video of the ramp

the castor idea is very good.

I think it is fabulous but most car on ramp operations need the wheels off. to me it still needs a proper jacking beam at which point you only work at waist height anyhow

It does have a jacking beam.
You just have to fit a jack to it.
I think thats how it work

I would prefer to see a raised lip on the inner edge of the platforms to allow a sliding beam that can be positioned under the car by sliding back and forth. the last thing you want is to be pissing about with a beam and seperate jack underneath the car.

N.

Neil now you've joined us in Blackpool, once mine installed you can come and have a look.Are you coming down on Sunday 11:30 Shovels

[glow worm]

http://www.garage-apparatuur.com/208%20engels.htm#...

They are back at work today 2nd Jan, I've just ordered mine from FRED..They will be delivering NEXT WEEK on their run to the UK (NORTH). He has agreed a £75 discount for anyone who orders this week and mentions PISTON HEADS....SO GET RINGING........0031 341 430 114.....He takes payment by cheque on delivery ... but credit card has percentage added.....also ordered microswitch to stop upward travel since I don't want car through a low garage ceiling.

FRED has plenty in stock but only BLUE and BLACK....no Silver

Edited by glow worm on Wednesday 2nd January 10:05

[glow worm]

Mines Black, they wouldn't do it in Red Glow.

Made a slight mistake measuring forgot the up and over garage doors have a rail either side so needed the inner width between posts to be greater than 2400 mm , unfortunately its 2350mm. So alterative is to have posts under the rails with are 2040mm high, posts are normally 2150mm high, FRED has said no problem he'll cut all 4 posts down to 2 metres , now it will go under the up and over doors. QED.

P.S. I does mean it will only lift to 1750mm instead of 1900mm , but since I'm only 5'8"...and the car would go through the garage ceiling at 1200mm I don't care about the loss in height.


Just need to move the electric motor for the doors from the centre to the right had edge of the door

Edited by glow worm on Thursday 3rd January 18:38

[glow worm]

stourbridges2tvr said:

Mrs BlueCerbera said:

glow worm said:

Mines Black, they wouldn't do it in Red Glow.

Made a slight mistake measuring forgot the up and over garage doors have a rail either side so needed the inner width between posts to be greater than 2400 mm , unfortunately its 2350mm. So alterative is to have posts under the rails with are 2040mm high, posts are normally 2150mm high, FRED has said no problem he'll cut all 4 posts down to 2 metres , now it will go under the up and over doors. QED.

P.S. I does mean it will only lift to 1750mm instead of 1900mm , but since I'm only 5'8"...and the car would go through the garage ceiling at 1200mm I don't care about the loss in height.


Just need to move the electric motor for the doors from the centre to the right had edge of the door

Edited by glow worm on Thursday 3rd January 18:38

I'm glad you posted that, was just about to give up as couldn't get things to fit without having to shell out on a new set of roller shutter doors, but just realised that as garage door is 2200 wide it'll fit between the posts All systems go again

But wont it impinge on the garage doors if you have a car hoiked up on the ramp? If you got a car up there and one under neath how will you open the door then?

Garage doors will open and close with top car beneath open doors, with door open it will lie above the bonnett of top car. The car will be positioned on the ramp such that the up&over doors don't reach the windowscreen.....well that's the plan....we'll see

PS If anyone gets in touch with FRED (@Intern) can they find out what Ampereage is required on the lift since I intend to put it on an separate RCB spur.

Edited by glow worm on Friday 4th January 09:33

[glow worm]

pete said:

What's the deal if your garage floor isn't completely level? Mine has a slight slope front to back so I presume I'd have to either dig out or raise the mounting points for the posts appropriately?

I'm very excited about this - it would be an ideal solution to my Tuscan + MX5 single garage dilemma! Now I just have to work out whether both cars will fit under my garage ceiling and whether I can move the door opener off to one side, or if it's also going to mean a £600 roller door at the same time!

Pete

It would be easier to pack it under the uneven bit, they're not bolted down to the floor, so provided the packing in large surface area and robust (like a sheet of metal). Raising the front might case a bit of a step from the supplied ramps since they raise 950mm to get onto the runways.

[glow worm]

Primarily to get easy access to the underneath, but I wish to keep my options open if I get a second Tiv (hence the choice of lift). My Tuscan is 1200 mm high (at the roof), my ceiling in currently 2400 mm..So with the deepth of the runways I need to raise the ceiling and cut one joist (strengthen before cutting). But I only need to do a small portion of ceiling to accomodate the roof.

Edited by glow worm on Friday 4th January 18:13

[glow worm]

Thanks Chris for those pics, helps to see how the lift works...The cables I assume raise and lower the lift, presumably the hydraulic ram under the runway tensions the cable and the hydraulics are driven by the motor on the post,I'm sure it will all become clear when it arrives. If not expect a phone call !!! I printed the installation doc. from the website but even allowing for Fred's English it's a little confusing.

I've spent all afternoon running in a 2.5 mm twin and earth cable between my house/garage through a brick wall, it's been like the 'Great Escape' tunneling through on my back in the garage loft, but it's in now.
I've got a 16amp type D RCB, I'm hoping the longer trip delay on a Type 'D' (rather than 'B' or 'C') will allow for any startup surge. Just waiting for my lift now.

I think QUINNEY is interested in the provision for a beam jack (to take the wheels off), my understanding is that a beam tray comes included but you have to get your own bottle/scissor jack...Is this correct???

Edited by glow worm on Tuesday 8th January 19:22

[glow worm]

MPx said:

Got copied into this thread by the TVR section of the family. Hopefully will still work for the Lotus side of the garage!!! Thanks very much for setting up the grp buy. Mine's on order....Fred says 2 to 4 weeks and I still get the discount.

Rgds
Mike

We TVRers like to be of service to the less well informed . I think we should start a LIFT owners Club.

[glow worm]

Rang Fred on Tuesday, his delivery driver has been ill, so everything has been delayed. He said 2/3 weeks, but the silver ones have arrived. He will ring each one of us before delivery. No bottle jack is included, but you need to be careful about the height (so I'll wait till I have the lift, I noticed 4 ton jack £11.73 from machine mart). I've bought a Mechanics Car Seat for whizzing around underneath polishing the chassis.

[glow worm]

MPx said:

Got a call from Fred today. Mine should be delivered next Wednesday (6th). Woooppppeeee!

Last to order and first to arrive.... and not TIV owner... ..I spoke to Fred also this week, mine's coming the following week. Apparantly he can only carry 60 (!!!) at a time, so two deliveries to the UK...I suspect South first, then Gods country. I've got my power in on a 16amp D type RCB/D and got my 10 litres of Hydraulic Oil (expensive stuff..with anti corrosion etc.)

Edited by glow worm on Friday 1st February 09:27

[glow worm]

BlueCerbera said:

Mines arriving on the 5th. Where did you get your oil from?

A friend got mine for from RS
http://uk.rs-online.com/web/search/searchBrowseAct...

Machine Mart do a cheaper 32 viscosity one but don't think it's got all the anti-corrosion adatives.

Edited by glow worm on Friday 1st February 14:43

[glow worm]

julian64 said:

Why, oh why, would you guys spend your money on a ramp. What you want is a two post lift.

I used to have a ramp. I ended up throwing it away 'almost' and got a two post.

Ramps are terribly restrictive in what you can do with them compared to the two post, and two posts are cheaper. Well at least EM ones are.

Complete no brainer.

Because I can't stack TVRs with a two post lift

[glow worm]

And I don't even know when mines going to arrive

[glow worm]

Also no need to bolt these ramps into the floor, they are moveable.