Shop Update: No more working under Jackstands!

"Decay buys too many beaters" (decay) 06/27/2018 at 15:12 • Filed to: None

15

49

Finally had some time this weekend to finalize the installation of my lift. It’s been a few months process with the concrete work that was required and an issue I had with the first batch of epoxy anchors not setting up properly. But last night I finally got a car up in the air!

The image above is at one of the lower positions with the max height being just under 4 feet to the bottom of the arms. It’s a little tight in there, but should make pretty much all future work I need to do infinitely easier.

The work space is a little bit cramped  side to side, but I have clear access to the wheels and suspension on everything I put up so far. And, obviously, free access to the entire undercarriage without and stands getting in the way (no more hitting my head/arms/legs on my stands whenever I have to exert excessive force on a stuck fastener !!!)

Hopefully, this means I can get started on fixing the S2000. O ne of the primary reasons for installing the lift was so I could drop the motor out of the bottom rather than pull it from up top.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Decay buys too many beaters 06/27/2018 at 15:16

2

Once I buy a house (HAHAHAHAHAHA), this is a major need.

But first I need $900,000 .

lone_liberal > Decay buys too many beaters 06/27/2018 at 15:17

3

I am absolutely oozing jealousy. 

MrDakka > Decay buys too many beaters 06/27/2018 at 15:17

3

How are you winning at life? Tell me your secrets

Decay buys too many beaters > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 06/27/2018 at 15:22

1

I was lucky enough to buy back in 2015, for what I though was a truly stupid amount. Since then I have been dumbfounded that the trend has continued. I don’t know where people in my area (which is considerably less costly than yours) are getting their money, but I am pretty sure I would not be able to swing purchasing my house today.

The w hole pacific coast has got to pop soon, this market is unsustainable, right?

Quadradeuce > Decay buys too many beaters 06/27/2018 at 15:26

1

This is high on my list of upgrades to the part of my warehouse that I have commandeered for personal use.

Is your lift height limited by your garage ceiling height? Or just the lift model?

How did you decide what lift to purchase (brand, symmetrical vs asymmetrical , etc)?

Urambo Tauro > Decay buys too many beaters 06/27/2018 at 15:26

1

Too cool! Being able to stand underneath a car to work on it is life-changing.

Wacko > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 06/27/2018 at 15:28

0

i bought my house in 2007 for 90000$

i added 90000$ in renovations that i done myself , and now i have a house that is worth 400 000$(here in rural, northern Quebec )

note, that before my renovations in 2014 my house was re-evalutated to 189000$

f86sabre > Decay buys too many beaters 06/27/2018 at 15:31

0

What drove your decision to go two post vs four?

Decay buys too many beaters > MrDakka 06/27/2018 at 15:31

1

DIYing almost everything (not just with cars) leaves me with a fair amount of extra resources to use on hobbies.

That and commuting on a 50cc scooter saves soooo much on gas :p 

punkgoose17 > Decay buys too many beaters 06/27/2018 at 15:32

1

This is beautiful.

Decay buys too many beaters > f86sabre 06/27/2018 at 15:34

0

Simple, most of the four posts have bracing that prevents pulling a driveline out from the bottom and many require extra equipment for wheel removal.

I don’t have the ceiling space to park a car under a four post anyway. 

Decay buys too many beaters > Urambo Tauro 06/27/2018 at 15:35

0

Well... it’s a 3/4 height lift. But I can sit up straight and not get rust and dirt particles falling into my eyes any more (yes, i do wear safety glasses 100% of the time, those little flakes find a way)

MrDakka > Decay buys too many beaters 06/27/2018 at 15:38

1

Thats what I thought, but the prices just keep going up. What you use to buy a 2 bedroom 1 bathroom house in SoCal can be used to buy a damn mansion in the  Midwest.

bob and john > Decay buys too many beaters 06/27/2018 at 15:39

1

if my commute wasnt 30 miles long Id soooo commute on a scooter

Decay buys too many beaters > Quadradeuce 06/27/2018 at 15:39

0

Lift height is limited b y the model (It’s a Dannmar MaxJax), but the model choice was driven by my low ceilings. It offered the best price/performance for my available space.

Urambo Tauro > Decay buys too many beaters 06/27/2018 at 15:41

1

Even still. Just being able to lean your body into a breaker bar to crack a bolt loose makes all the difference in th e world!

Decay buys too many beaters > bob and john 06/27/2018 at 15:41

0

You could commute on a G rom ¯\_()_/¯

I’m getting the hang of tuning the standalone ECU that I’m running on it and have average fuel economy up to the 110MPG range.  

Decay buys too many beaters > MrDakka 06/27/2018 at 15:43

0

It was painful to spend what I did in the Portland market. I spent what would have bought me 10 acres and a 3500sqft house back in PA.

bob and john > Decay buys too many beaters 06/27/2018 at 15:46

1

my issue is that 20 of those miles is on freeway where the speed hit 85mph. 

Decay buys too many beaters > Urambo Tauro 06/27/2018 at 15:46

1

Definitely! The lowest lock on this lift is about 20" up, which is already higher than the sketcky top position on my stands. 

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Decay buys too many beaters 06/27/2018 at 15:46

0

There are a lot of people in China.  So my guess would be no.

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > Decay buys too many beaters 06/27/2018 at 15:47

1

That’s so cool, I’m not envious at all...

Decay buys too many beaters > bob and john 06/27/2018 at 15:47

0

You could carry a plunger and latch on to the back of a semi! That would yield even better fuel economy!

nerd_racing > Decay buys too many beaters 06/27/2018 at 15:58

1

Oooo MAX JACK! I want one of these in my life. 

Decay buys too many beaters > nerd_racing 06/27/2018 at 16:05

1

After using one at a friend’s house, I knew I needed one

thejustache > Decay buys too many beaters 06/27/2018 at 16:09

1

Sooo... is it cool if I come over and wrench on some stuff? Looks like you’re only 3k miles away or so, if I leave now I might be there by the weekend ?

In all seriousness having  a garage with a lift is definitely a life goal. I’m pretty sure I have rust permanently in my eyes from lying on my back under jackstands, no matter how obsessive I am with safety glasses. Enjoy your setup!

bob and john > Decay buys too many beaters 06/27/2018 at 16:09

1

yea, that sounds like a REALYL fast way to get the OPP called on me day to day

Decay buys too many beaters > thejustache 06/27/2018 at 16:12

1

Sure! Get in soon though, the S is going to live there for a few months.

And yes... That right there... the rust in the eyes, was one of the main reasons. It has been downright painful chassis swapping our race mustang over the winter. I’ve made 3 visits to urgent care so far to get junk out of my eyes :/

Decay buys too many beaters > bob and john 06/27/2018 at 16:15

0

You know what they say

“ Drop a gear and dissapp....” oh wait, that’s not quite right. 

TrickJos > Decay buys too many beaters 06/27/2018 at 16:34

1

Looks great. I’ve been thinking about doing this too. What is your height from floor to garage door when the door is open? I haven’t measured anything yet but these pictures help me gauge how it would work out. Thanks for posting!

Decay buys too many beaters > TrickJos 06/27/2018 at 16:40

0

Garage door open, it’s about 86" floor to door.

TrickJos > Decay buys too many beaters 06/27/2018 at 16:43

1

Cool. I’ll have to measure but that sounds about right.

bob and john > Decay buys too many beaters 06/27/2018 at 16:51

1

Decay buys too many beaters > TrickJos 06/27/2018 at 16:52

0

Yeah, it’s pretty standard “low ceiling” height. Don’t think they make them much shorter. 

Decay buys too many beaters > bob and john 06/27/2018 at 16:54

0

My DR-Z is my second fastest motorcycle 

Future Heap Owner > Decay buys too many beaters 06/27/2018 at 17:12

1

Awesome! Looks great!

... Can I use it 

Decay buys too many beaters > Future Heap Owner 06/27/2018 at 17:25

1

Sure, whenever one of the beaters isn’t hard parked on it. 

jasmits > Decay buys too many beaters 06/27/2018 at 17:26

1

I work in between Seattle and Bellingham and was seriously considering buying a townhouse in one of the northern Seattle suburbs even though my plan is to live/work up here for another year and then move back to Portland because that’s where all my people are. It should never make sense to buy if you know you’re only staying very short term but I had some money left by grandparents for a down payment and the monthly payment on a 15-year mortgage was comparable to the cheapest rent I could find for a way nicer place. With the way that market is going I could basically depend on getting the down and mortgage payments back so essentially I’d have a place for a year for only realtor fees, and it wasn’t out of the question that I’d live there almost for free or even make money. Through a combination of running out of time and wimping out I’m just renting in bham another year but still.. Utter craziness the market’s hot enough I could consider that.

P.S. We should grab a beer when/if I move back to Portland! You know, just being friendly and trying to meet more Oppos, no ulterior motives about trying to make more friends/acquaintances with lifts.

Future Heap Owner > Decay buys too many beaters 06/27/2018 at 17:38

1

You are very generous!  If I ever find myself needing to drop a transmission on a non-truck or pull an engine for minor repairs, I might come calling.

Decay buys too many beaters > jasmits 06/27/2018 at 17:42

0

Sure thing, always down to grab a drink with a fellow oppo.

As for the housing thing, I still feel like I overpaid, but the theoretical value of my place has gone up 40 % since 2015. It breaks the logic on the NYT rent vs buy calculator.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/upshot/buy-rent-calculator.html

Decay buys too many beaters > Future Heap Owner 06/27/2018 at 17:44

1

Yeah, one clutch job on my friend’s lift (and one clutch job on my back) was enough to sell me on it. 

jasmits > Decay buys too many beaters 06/27/2018 at 18:17

0

Well, according to that calculator I absolutely should have bought lol. S eeing as Snohomish had a 14.8% median home price increase over the past when I put in the info for a place I was seriously considering even just staying a year it said to rent if I could rent a comparable place for $500 a month, rent for a comparable place would’ve been at least in the $2000 neighborhood . Even if I use much more conservative numbers it still says buy haha. Oh well.

rockingthe2 > Decay buys too many beaters 06/27/2018 at 18:18

2

S2K, FRS, Miata, and you use free harbor freight LED lights on your fancy lift.

PERFECT.

Decay buys too many beaters > rockingthe2 06/27/2018 at 18:23

0

Actually, in the second photo it’s one of these https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07519PBGZ/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

But not going to lie, I do love me some free harbor freight stuffs. 

rockingthe2 > Decay buys too many beaters 06/27/2018 at 18:26

1

You mean third photo? I may not be able to read, but I can count! Second photo, hood of what I’m assuming is the miata .

Decay buys too many beaters > rockingthe2 06/27/2018 at 18:34

0

Hah! So it is. Yeah in the third photo is my actual work light. 

MM54 > rockingthe2 06/27/2018 at 19:23

0

Those free harbor freight lights are decent. When the batteries die, grab the coupon for free AA A batteries and replace them while mainta in ing zero cost per lumen!

CaptDale - is secretly British > Decay buys too many beaters 06/28/2018 at 14:11

1

Congrats!

Doctor of internal combustion > Decay buys too many beaters 07/02/2018 at 16:14

0

Max Jax rule! I had the same issue with the epoxy fasteners.  I ended up pulling all of them out and using the mechanical ones.  I’ve had my 4x4 ram 1500 on it with no issues.  I’m a little leery to put my crew cab dually on it, even though Danmar claims it will lift it.  right now I only lift one end at a time