Scissor type lift???

WyoSyclone

WyoSyclone

Active member
Hey Guys,
In moving back home to Wyoming I just realized that I won't have my tornado-shelter/mechanic's pit in the garage to get to the bottom side of the Sy.....

At my highly advanced age of ...ummmm, 50 :squint: I don't feel like crawling underneath the Sy. The ceilings in my shop are 10', so I was thinking about getting a scissor type lift... something similar to this....

http://www.mohawklifts.com/consumer/usl6000.php

Does anyone have experience, good or bad, with these?? (I know there are big safety issues with them).

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Rob
 
M

MikeK

New member
Re: Scissor type lift???

I asked this same question on a local site and this is where they sent me. www.superlifts.com

I have used them in the autobody world but dont plan on doing much on the underside. Worked very good for us when we worked on rocker panels and things you wanted to get to eye level.
 
4C FED

4C FED

Absolutum Dominium
Re: Scissor type lift???

Do a lot of research. I can't remember which manufacturer, but one of them some time ago, had several failures where the lockout device failed.
 
T

Trizney

Donating Member
Re: Scissor type lift???

There are several 4 post lifts that work in normal garages. They range in the 1-3k range depending on options and quality.

I personally would not want a scissor style lift.

If you search over at CorvetteForum, there are way too many posts on lifts. You can get a good idea of which is good, and which you don't want.
 
kentuc

kentuc

Member
Re: Scissor type lift???

I don`t really trust them for working.A little scary. I had a chance to pick one up pretty cheap, I passed.
 
T

Trizney

Donating Member
Re: Scissor type lift???

DaveP said:
I don't. You should probably check your sources.

Backyard Buddy doesn't make a scissors-type lift. All of their lifts are 4-post. As a post above suggests, search on Corvetteforum for lift threads. The Backyard Buddy is highly regarded among people that can afford, and only want, the best.

I sure like MY Backyard Buddy.:tup: But it is a 4-post.
Dave
Click to expand...

I was not referring to the Backyard Buddy as a scissor type lift. I was referring to it as one people have had many problems with. I could be wrong, but that is the one that comes to mind. I did a lot of reading on lifts and I was certain that was the one people most complained about, and ones where something broke and they had to come out with updated parts. I think it was a specific piece that the cable runs on, and it was plastic and cracked/broke.
 
WyoSyclone

WyoSyclone

Active member
Re: Scissor type lift???

Yup, the problem with the scissor lift is that it entirely covers up the tranny/drivetrain area. In doing some research it looks like I could get a 4-post in the shop... I'd just have to adjust the stops so that I don't crush the Sy up against the rafters!

I just thought of something... our local Dodge dealership is closing down... wonder if they have any good lifts that I could pick up cheap??

Thanks for the input... I'll keep checking things out...
 
Don W.

Don W.

Stab it and steer it
Re: Scissor type lift???

Look at that lift then think about doing a, for example, transfer case change. Get a 4 post, or, like I do just put the thing up on jack stands and crawl under. And I'm 60+. Not sure if I'm bragging or complaining but it's definitely not as easy as it used to be. :rotf:
 
T

Trizney

Donating Member
Re: Scissor type lift???

DaveP said:
Maybe, then. My pulleys are all-steel. The only plastic are the UHMW guides that the posts slide in.

I know one thing about my Backyard Buddy: You have to pay attention when lowering onto the locks. If one corner doesn't 'catch', that corner will continue to fall, and the platform becomes crooked. I guess some guys have flipped their car off the thing. I can also see where it could severely bend the lift. I've seen this 'problem' discussed on CF. I had it happen to me a couple of times after I first got it. ( I didn't lose the car, though.) I could see that a Chinese lift could be bent by doing this. My BBuddy didn't bend at all. But I'm MUCH more careful about this now.

With any lift, you gotta' pay attention...
Click to expand...

DaveP,

I was mistaken. It was the Autolifters lift. Below is the post with pics of the failure.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/showthread.php?t=1419373
 
F

Finallyaty

New member
Re: Scissor type lift???

I have that same hoist and love it. I have a spancrete floor so I could not put in a 4post. I had to build
ramps for some low cars and it is a little bulky for tranny work. I don't know about the safety problem.
The safety catches are very easy to see if they don't lock in , don't go under the hoist ! One of my safety latches was sticking a little so I lubed it. My hoist is five years old and probably had 100-150
cars on it so far, No problems.
 
T

Trizney

Donating Member
Re: Scissor type lift???

usl1.gif


I don't know about you, but that is just a scary image. In my years as a mechanic, I know how much vehicles can move when you are having to put some balls into certain bolts you can't reach with an impact, which causes the vehicle to move. I can just see the car moving enough to maybe put the weight in the wrong area and tilting over.

If a scissor lift is similar in price to a 4 post, there should be no choice. They have a few that will fit in normal sized garages, so the height of your garage shouldn't be an issue.
 
turbodig

turbodig

Active member
Re: Scissor type lift???

WyoSyclone said:
I just thought of something... our local Dodge dealership is closing down... wonder if they have any good lifts that I could pick up cheap??
t...
Click to expand...

Personal experience... it's a PITA to take the old one down, transport, and put up elsewhere. We had a bobcat, a loader tractor, and a big flatbed trailer.

If you get one of the shorty garage models shipped to your door, most of the above is taken care of for ya.

It'd have to be a real smokin' good deal to make it worth it.
 
Windedv6

Windedv6

Ty n 10s
Re: Scissor type lift???

I use one of these and it works out great for everything i need on my trucks. It's high enough to easily roll around and it's safe. It's portable if needed. I park one of my Ty's on it in the ramp position for day to day parking.

http://www.kwiklift.com/

Several of my friends have them.

John
 
4C FED

4C FED

Absolutum Dominium
Re: Scissor type lift???

Windedv6 said:
I use one of these and it works out great for everything i need on my trucks. It's high enough to easily roll around and it's safe. It's portable if needed. I park one of my Ty's on it in the ramp position for day to day parking.

http://www.kwiklift.com/

Several of my friends have them.

John
Click to expand...

That looks nice & affordable without any special needs for installation.:tup:
 
WyoSyclone

WyoSyclone

Active member
Re: Scissor type lift???

turbodig said:
Personal experience... it's a PITA to take the old one down, transport, and put up elsewhere. We had a bobcat, a loader tractor, and a big flatbed trailer.

If you get one of the shorty garage models shipped to your door, most of the above is taken care of for ya.

It'd have to be a real smokin' good deal to make it worth it.
Click to expand...

You hit the nail on the head here Dig.... I just got back from looking and it would be an unpleasant experience to try and disassemble and retrofit an exising lift... bad idea on my part! :oops:
 
WyoSyclone

WyoSyclone

Active member
Re: Scissor type lift???

Windedv6 said:
I use one of these and it works out great for everything i need on my trucks. It's high enough to easily roll around and it's safe. It's portable if needed. I park one of my Ty's on it in the ramp position for day to day parking.

http://www.kwiklift.com/

Several of my friends have them.

John
Click to expand...

Now that's exactly what I had in mind, John... thanks for the link! Portable, not too extreme in the lift height department, and it leaves the entire underside open for access..... I bet I could even suspend my bed from my rafters then let the truck down beneath it to check my fuel pump...hmmm.... all sorts of opportunities there! :D

edit... ah, I see - one end lifts up via the floorjack... wouldn't be good for taking the bed off. A motorized version of that, that lifted all four corners at once would be cool... kind of a simple, smaller 4post - sure seems like it would be easy to fabricate using the type of hydraulic rams that you see on log-splitters - one front, one rear with a common motor/pump assembly.
 
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dutchty

dutchty

Member
Re: Scissor type lift???

I use a big 8000lbs siccor one It was about US $1500
I read that the safety fails a lot of times on siccor lifts??.
WELL mine its just in the opposit way, the safety is working to good.
When I want to let m down I have to lift m a bit and push in the remote safety latch to unlatch the Siccor lift.
A lot off times it remains in the safe position, so it can't be lowered.
Another problem I have , because I've lowered my TY maybe a bit to much is to drive over the lift. I have to put some lengths of wood besides the lift to drive over.
I can reach almost anywhere as yuo can see in the pics.
In the middle there are only some bars for strenght which are limiting accces under the car.

I like the 4 pole one a lot but when you want to work on suspension it looks you need an optional lifting ram on the bridge.??!

IMG_0846.jpg

IMG_0847.jpg

280106-145207.jpg
 
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