So 'm about to begin construction of a hoist to use for raising the car about 2' to put on high stands, and also for engine removal.
The car is about 800lbs, engines 150 lbs so not super heavy stuff here.
I purchased an electric HOIST, rate at 1100 lbs.
I want to tie into the existing structure of the 2 car garage, which has a central steel pole which supports a wooden beam that is comprised of 3 2x12's sandwiched together.
The only "problem" is the beam only comes out from the house to the center pole, not all the way to the outside wall.
I guess what I really need to know is what size material is required.
The span from the center pole to the other side/outside wall of the garage is about 9'.
I'd use braces at 45* coming up off the two vertical poles, reducing the span to probably 4' or so.
Glenn. On my stand alone garage I used 3 2x8's with one .25 steel plate between them. I use a removable 4x4 post to lift the car and remove it once it's on the stand. I use the MK technologies rolling stand. It t was designed for my Ford but i now use it for a Spec racer, The usupported span is 6 ft with the temporary post. No movement and no groans, except from me. I use a hand 2 ton hoist.
Maybe splice an extension onto the existing beam at the center pole attaching somewhat towards the house.
2 2" by 12" 's sandwiched together would be plenty strong across a 9 foot span. Put one on either side of your existing beam and bolt them together in about 15 more or less equally spaced intervals.
A 4 by 4 or 6 by 6 post at the outside wall with the 2 by 12's sandwiched over it and bolted in about 5 places .
This sounds like overkill and is, but it is cheap and way safe.
Tie the outside wall post into the wall to keep it stable and you will be good to go.
Have lifted that kind of weight with much lighter lumber structures with no issues.
Coop,
In the big sceme of things 1200 lbs is not much. I wish i was passing through Hotlanta soon I'd put it up for you. Won't be there til around the 8th. I'm assuming you have a living space above the garage...
Two 2 x 10s #2 Yellow pine with a 1/2" piece of plywood sandwiched in the middle, nailed together with 3 1/4" nails every foot, two rows staggered... will carry the load. Add a bunch of subflooring construction adhesive to go into overkill.
The trick is getting a strong connection for your lift. Maybe, wrap a chain around the beam. Or run a big honking 1/2" or 5/5" eyebolt up between the two 2x10s with big washers at the top.
Each end of the beam needs support down to the floor. 4x4 or two 2x4s nailed together at each end.
I have two 2x8s laying on their sides spanning 24" between two trusses in the ceiling, with an hardware store eyebolt up throught them and a Harbor freight chain hoist. I lift the ol' fat Reynard 3' up onto its high boy stands all the time.
Once you get a lift like that you'll be spoiled... you'll want one at the track.
Speaking of wanting a lift at track how about some thoughts on minimum materials to build a gantry out of steel.
There is a nice one commercially available for racers for $1200 I believe but that seems too much to me. I think Harbor Freight as one for $550.
Anybody built one?
... and, you can build/have built from mild steel or stainless an inverted "u" [1/4" material should work nicely - (aluminum may be best but have'nt considered the needed thickness) ] make it a 1/4" or so wider and probably 3 1/2" longer than the constructed beam [make sure enough space to "hang" the hoist] ~ crossed drilled on the bottom, insert pin/bolt and then you can position/slide it anywhere along the beam (pre- load) to make sure it is right above/centered above the load. (no need to shift the car left to right to get it perfect). Versatile AND you get the full load bearing of the beam (over a larger surface)- and other locations along the beam could serve other projects ......
Last edited by Swift17; June 29th, 2012 at 9:10 AM.
Reason: Add drawing
How many people do you figure can sit on the edge of a 20-24' trailer?
I think if you had two 250lb dudes sitting on the edge, about 10 feet apart, the trailer would probably not crumble, especially if the fellas were there for a minute or so...
My idea, not proven btw, sees a 2" square steel beam the length of the trailer, bolted into the roof, right along the edge, spreading the lifting load along the length of the beam. There is a 2" square receiver type arrangement at the middle of the beam, facing out.
To this receiver is inserted a 8' long 2"square beam, which is supported at the other end by a vertical beam equal to the height of the beam on the trailer roof, w/ provision for small adjustments to equalize the height of the vertical beam to the trailer height.
An electric hoist is mounted to the horizontal beam, possibly with a sliding mechanism.
This vertical beam will have a 4' long horizontal beam at the bottom, froming an inverted "T" for necessary support.
With this arrangement, material needed is reduced by utilising the trailer as one vertical element.
All atachments are done with pins and R clips.
Before too much poo-pooing gets hurled my way (!) by the engineering types on here, which seem to out number the Coop/Purple Frog types by about 1000:1, I have no idea if my "calculations" are correct, or if the admittedly not-so-substantial trailer walls/roof are even capable of supporting this idea, or even if the trailer would only need to support half the weight (pretty sure it is, but I ain'ts exactly book smart...).
It's merely an idea that struck me during a vision quest a few years ago in New Mexico...
Coop,
In the big sceme of things 1200 lbs is not much. I wish i was passing through Hotlanta soon I'd put it up for you. Won't be there til around the 8th. I'm assuming you have a living space above the garage...
Two 2 x 10s #2 Yellow pine with a 1/2" piece of plywood sandwiched in the middle, nailed together with 3 1/4" nails every foot, two rows staggered... will carry the load. Add a bunch of subflooring construction adhesive to go into overkill.
The trick is getting a strong connection for your lift. Maybe, wrap a chain around the beam. Or run a big honking 1/2" or 5/5" eyebolt up between the two 2x10s with big washers at the top.
Each end of the beam needs support down to the floor. 4x4 or two 2x4s nailed together at each end.
I have two 2x8s laying on their sides spanning 24" between two trusses in the ceiling, with an hardware store eyebolt up throught them and a Harbor freight chain hoist. I lift the ol' fat Reynard 3' up onto its high boy stands all the time.
Once you get a lift like that you'll be spoiled... you'll want one at the track.
Froggy's correct, 2 2X8's standing on edge in my overhead 2X4 truss garage ceiling with a heavy chain looped around them lifts a 4.6 DOHC Ford V8 just fine. Just don't use any wood with large knots in them.
__________________
Scott Woodruff
83 RT5 Ralt/Scooteria Suzuki Formula S
65 FFR Cobra Roadster 4.6 DOHC
A gantry would be much better, but the el cheapo 2 ton crane I bought has worked great for lifting my car up on a table. You guys know how often I've changed configurations. My biggest issue is raising the car high enough to get the legs under the car. Smaller casters would be an improvement. The other advantage to this crane is that it is portable - I can move heavy stuff all over the garage and back and forth between garages. I could even fold it up and bring to the track. An alternative to consider Coop.
If I follow correctly - your deal sees 100% of the load through the (8 or 10?) threadsof the eye bolt?!!!!
I m skeered...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Purple Frog
Coop,
In the big sceme of things 1200 lbs is not much. I wish i was passing through Hotlanta soon I'd put it up for you. Won't be there til around the 8th. I'm assuming you have a living space above the garage...
Two 2 x 10s #2 Yellow pine with a 1/2" piece of plywood sandwiched in the middle, nailed together with 3 1/4" nails every foot, two rows staggered... will carry the load. Add a bunch of subflooring construction adhesive to go into overkill.
The trick is getting a strong connection for your lift. Maybe, wrap a chain around the beam. Or run a big honking 1/2" or 5/5" eyebolt up between the two 2x10s with big washers at the top.
Each end of the beam needs support down to the floor. 4x4 or two 2x4s nailed together at each end.
I have two 2x8s laying on their sides spanning 24" between two trusses in the ceiling, with an hardware store eyebolt up throught them and a Harbor freight chain hoist. I lift the ol' fat Reynard 3' up onto its high boy stands all the time.
Once you get a lift like that you'll be spoiled... you'll want one at the track.
I bought mine (the two ton version) on sale fpr $169? Maybe less. Picked it up at the store the day after I ripped a new hernia right along the scar tissue of a previous repair. I like the fact that I can position the crane wherever I need lifting capability and then fold it away when not needed. I lift my car to chest height with no problems
The internet and the doctor both claim that hernias don't go away, or repair themselves. I decided to delay the surgery to later in the year, but now I am convinced I will never need it. It simply went away! And I have been doing the usual stupid stuff, like taking dishwasher out of an SUV on my own....
Sr racing sells a lift for formula cars that run on a 12vt battery I have one and it works great. I believe they are in the $550.00 range and lift the car aprox 2.5 to 3 feet never measured it. It slides right into the trailer for transport to the track to. It takes up a lot less space than the units ,I have seen so far in the forum .You may also be able to find a used one somewhere. I have even thought it would be nice to try and make one that would lift a 3000lb car I am not sure if exhaust and stuff under the car would get in the way or if the uni-body could support the weight of the car itself with out collapsing . Hope this helps Peter Cheney FV#06
I shamelessly copied the Brenner lift, going down to the surplus metals store and buying everything I needed for less than $200 and then spending another $135 to have it all welded together. I built it for a hoist, but they were so expensive I just bought a lever actuated chainfall from Northern Tool and hang it by large chains bolted through the holes I was going to use for the hoist.
It's unbelieveably strong, could probably be made out of lighter gauge materials.
Well I did not want to mention copying the Brenner but there it is and shameless it is but hey!
Any engineers tell me if an I beam top rail is stronger per pound than square tube? I like the Northern Tool deal but they are not anywhere close to california.
Well I did not want to mention copying the Brenner but there it is and shameless it is but hey!
Any engineers tell me if an I beam top rail is stronger per pound than square tube? I like the Northern Tool deal but they are not anywhere close to california.
Here's what I had in my 1st garage. Found the aluminum I beam at a salvage yard in Cartersville.
Then installed it in a trailer w/ a hoist:
Then went to this (Warn Pulls all on a chain that runs throught he beam in the garage). I use a temp support leg in the middle of the beam when lifting, but probably don't need to.
__________________
Sean O'Connell
1996 RF96 FC
1996 RF96 FB
2004 Mygale SJ04 Zetec
harbor Freight is close by and they have it on display. The uprights are about 4x4 and hence overkill and too heavy to take to track etc.
Another guy built a brenner copy for about $200 in material (excluding winch of course)
edit
the HF one weighs 625 lbs!!!
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Hybels
Last edited by Richard Hybels; July 11th, 2012 at 5:40 PM.
Reason: more info
A word of warning for those of you contemplating the Harbor Freights hoists. They are HEAVY and they are TALL. Too tall to fit in 90% of the garages out there and will have to be shortened, sometimes to the point that they can't raise the car as far as you'd like. Light fixtures are a problem even in a 9' ceiling garage Garage doors are certainly a limitation.
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Charlie Warner fatto gatto racing
As I see it, part of the problem is keeping the car level as you lift it off the ground. I would expect that the roll hoop is one point of attachment on the car. But, more than 50% of the car is forward of the roll bar causing the front wheels NOT to leave the floor until the rear of the car is almost 3 feet off the floor. So, a sling would have to attach: one end to the roll bar and the other end of the sling bifurcate (had to check the spelling to make sure the "r" was included) so that each end would attach some where near each front wheel. Then find the balance point midway in between the 3 points of attachment.
The roll hoop is really not the balance point as you suggest, but rarely is the balance so bad one hand can't straighten things out. At least that is my experience on the end of a tow hook!
I find with an FC (without driver installed) the rear of the car doesn't leave the floor until the front wheels are about 24" in the air. Still not a problem for me to get it on 30" stands as I have 10' ceilings in the shop.
-- to like my $180 solution more and more. It really does put a formula car on a table with only a little creative horseplay. And then you shove the whole unit out of the garage and out of the way!
Coop your welcome to borrow our MK lift to swing the new Zetec in....
Never gonna happen!
Thanks DMc - Start some rumors why don'tcha!
I am soon to be the owner of a pre-owned Brenner lift and matching rolling car table/stand.
I ditched the whole wooden thing in favor of spending more money!
Just doing my part to stimulate the economy.
The Brenner can be broken down and tossed ever so gently into the trailer after lifting to height, or can be rolled to the rear of my spacious 2 car garage workshop.
It can also be brought to the track, an lastly does not require getting the car 8" or so off the ground before rolling (the much less expensive ) engine hoist/lifting crane underneath.
Plus I can do "Lift Rentals" at the track - $15 a shot! Bring it - The thing will pay for itself w/i 17 yrs!!!!!!
TIP: use the 20% off coupon in the Harbor Freight ad that you can find in any automotive magazine - that saves you an easy $140!
This thing is beefy and easily wheels around the garage. I use a real 1-ton hoist with it as well and it's great. Only thing it isn't is transportable.
Anyway, sounds like you scored big time, Glenn. Nice!
General Formula Car Discussion
Building lift in garage
I'm assuming you have a living space above the garage...
So, a sling would have to attach: one end to the roll bar and the other end of the sling bifurcate (had to check the spelling to make sure the "r" was included) so that each end would attach some where near each front wheel. Then find the balance point midway in between the 3 points of attachment. 
