Elans and Two-post Lifts

[GrUmPyBoDgEr]

I would have no concerns about using a 2 post lift for short maintenance periods, but not as a storage device.
I'm with the full car lift brigade on this issue.
I have the height in my single garage to fit a drive-on lift but it would need to be specially designed to miss all the obstructions I've installed over the years. So if anyone has a universal/bespoke design at hand I would be very interested to see it.

Lift limiter switches are part of the package, as far as I know.
Crushing the beloved Elan against the garage roof is an owner option

John

[alexblack13]

There is a limit switch fitted to the lift. On my one its purely to stop it going past its designed limits.

In limited height situ's, I would think there is a very definite possibility of lifting the car into an obstacle, so linking another well positioned limit SW into the system is a very good idea.. I have. Although height is not a problem, I have a shelf which can be contacted with the car if it is not well onto the ramp, so I use a stop on the runway and a mark on the wall. But if I am working on the car and moving it around on the ramp, and forget what I'm doing, the switch stops the lift about 1' from contact with my storage shelf.

So far so good.....But you have to get rid of what I call forget me not's. For obvious reasons...

Happy days...

Alex...

[abstamaria]

Thank you, all. George, I will check the factory manual when I get home. The problem with beams across the car would be the exhaust pipe, I think.

I need the lift to service the Elan and the other old cars I have. I would like to be able to take off the wheels easily, so a drive-on, 4-post lift won't fit the bill for me. I am looking at a Danmar MaxJax, which is two-post lift for low-ceiling home garages. It will bring a car only high enough for one to sit on a low chair beneath it, but that seems fine with me. All these 30+ years, I have been working with a floor jack and jack stands, so the MaxJax, if it works, would be a great convenience and improvement.

I was just talking to a friend who has a Toyota 2000GT (like the car James Bond used, but a coupe), which has an Elan-inspired backbone chassis. He of course has the same problem - how to lift the car on a 2-post lift.

Thanks again,

Andy

[gerrym]

A little off topic here, but I have a poor mans Two Post Lift lift I use on my "moderns".

Basically it's two very strong 3 tonne trolley jacks placed longitudinally outside of the car body, i.e along side. The two jacks are connected via a RHS cross beam which is screwed into the top pad of the trolley jacks (these conveniently have an M20 x 1.5mm tapped thread.

This arrangement can be used to lift a very heavy car (1.8 tonnes curb weight) within minutes to a comfortable working height so I'm sure it would manage an Elan with ease. Lifting each jacks say 4" at a time (or have a 2nd pair of hands and do it simulataneously) elimimates side loads on lifting points and the jacks. For safety, a jack stand should still be placed under the cross beam. A creeper makes ingress/egress a bit more comfortable/faster.

For information , both trolley jacks came from Costco: I think they are ARCAN brand. Big heavy steel jacks with very wide based wheels/castors.http://www.amazon.co.uk/Arcan-Trolley-3 ... B003O65M0K

Regards
Gerry

[gjz30075]

Interesting Gerry. If I understand correctly, the jacks are on either side of the car and their connecting piece runs 'east / west' under the car?
Any pics?

Greg Z

[cabc26b]

Andy,

The problem with beams across the car would be the exhaust pipe, I think.

Yes, maybe weld up square section tubing fixture for the job ?

For later models or early cars without the oem exhaust , you would have to work around the exhaust system. The original center section was a trick piece or small cross section oval pipe you would not crush it with a board(s) across the car per the manual ....

George

[bcmc33]

For some while I've been considering installing a car lift but I'd only consider a drive/push on four post lift similar to the one our friend Alex black uses.
I wouldn't consider lifting my car, by any means, by loading the glass fibre body shell.

I've even considered maybe two Motorbike scissor lifts as a cheap space saving alternative but then nearly all access to the drive train would then be obscured.

Cheers
John

Is this the sort of thing you were thinking of, John?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/YDJ-3000B-Super-L ... 3cb7a80fe3

[billwill]

>The problem with beams across the car would be the exhaust pipe, I think.

You make a beam with a gap in it for the exhaust pipe thus.:

1. buy two fence posts 4x4 wooden beams
2. saw one in half at the midpoint.
3. screw the two half posts to the intact post leaving a gap of about 2 inches at the centre.
4. make sure they are very securely fastened together....

This arrangement is slightly unstable if you let it twist, so you might want to consider using a 6x6 beam for the bottom one with a sawn 4x4 post for the upper one.




See the first picture on this topic.
elan-f14/replacing-the-doughnuts-t16456.html

[bast0n]

I agree with Alexblack

For the record the 4 post lift from Intern BV Holland has been 100% reliable and is very strongly built with good safety features and quality electrical components. So far so good.. I did a little mod' and fitted an umbilical control so I can operate the lift from anywhere. Its great... Recommended 100 %...

I have one also and it is tremendously good. I support the Elan with four axle stands under the corners and can whip suspension on and off with no problems. I am lucky in that I have an old barn to put it all in so clearance no problem. Various cross beams to support the car can be popped in at will.

D

[pereirac]

I would feel happy supporting the body shell with a two post lift, but whether I would want to lift the whole car and engine without supporting the chassis in some way ... I would be worried about stress cracks..??
My local garage thought twice about lifting the car with a 2 post lift and used a 4 post lift instead..(much to my relief)

[bcmc33]

It looks like Spyder has no problem using a two-post lift. See Alan's pictures of his visit:
elan-photos-f18/spyder-cars-peterborough-few-pictures-from-recent-visit-t22677.html

[abstamaria]

Thank you for pointing those pictures out, Brian. And they seem to be using the 2-post lift for long-term storage as well. And with cars below!

As Dan (Stresscraxx) pointed out earlier, the specialists (or at least some of them) seem to have no issues lifting an Elan with a 2-post lift. That is what gave me encouragement. I still have to order the lift, but am decided to do so. It will work on the other cars in my motley collection (the only issue being the differing widths of the cars - the MG TC is espcially narrow compared to a 996). I am not sure how brave I will be when the time comes.

Andy
1969 S4 DHC

[abstamaria]

Looking for more reassurance, I did a search on Elans and 2-post lift, something I should have done before, and find the topic has been discussed many times in the past. Those who have lifted an Elan say "no problem", especially for short-term repair or servicing, and commercial shops seem to have Elans on 2-post lifts as a matter of course. Someone posted pictures of the Spyder workshop, which seems to use 2-posters for long-term storage.

My MaxJax 2-post lift arrived, and we installed this. I have other older sports cars with full frames or monocoque bodies, so will be trying them out on the lift. Notwithstanding all the assurance, fears of the sills flexing or the chassis cum engine dropping out of the body still keep me from lifting the Elan. I don't want to lify on the suspension arms, but may try the transverse wood supports suggested here.

The MaxJax is for a low ceiling, incidentally, so is ideal for a home shop. If I had retained Tony Thompson's side-impact and foot protection bars in the Elan, I would probably be more confident.

Any more recent exoerience with two-post lifts?

Andy

[3lotus]

Hi,
I use a two post lift all the time with my plus 2's and S2 at the end of the sills, next to the verticals. I agree about not storing cars up there. It sure is nice to work on them that way and great for taking off and installing the body.
Paul

[abstamaria]

Hi, I use a two post lift all the time with my plus 2's and S2 at the end of the sills, next to the verticals. I agree about not storing cars up there. It sure is nice to work on them that way and great for taking off and installing the body. Paul

Paul, that's great news. I'm not too sure what you mean by "verticals." You mean you place the lift pads at the front and rear ends of the sills? You don't use a wood cross-beam? If so, I am encouraged to try.

Andy