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Jacking Wheel Dolly for Elan

PostPosted: Thu Nov 26, 2020 2:56 pm
by joesailor
I am trying to find mechanical wheel dolly's that can jack up the Elan with its 13 inch tires.
Many of the dolly's I have looked at either do not tell you a minimum tire size or the minimum dimension is something like 11 inches which means a minimum of a 14 inch wheel at least.

Has anyone with a early elan on 13 inch wheels found a self jacking dolly that will work on our cars? Yes, I could use the skate type of dolly, but that requires jacking the car and we know how much fun that is especially at rear of car. I would be taking car off dolly 1 -2x per month to use.

Re: Jacking Wheel Dolly for Elan

PostPosted: Thu Nov 26, 2020 4:06 pm
by h20hamelan
you could consider getting some rigid plumbing pipe, and cut it in half lengthwise. They are fitted with rollers so you may need to clamp them.
This would probably only get you a few inches off the ground. Make sure your tyres are fully inflated and more, so there is no give.
i use the standard expandable ones for moving vehicles, and they work on my 13" elans without any mods.
is there a body shop or towing service in your area you could rent one to try? those will be the expensive $200 per. I found mine for $50 each, they appeared to be identical.

Re: Jacking Wheel Dolly for Elan

PostPosted: Thu Nov 26, 2020 4:30 pm
by joesailor
I am trying to avoid the Big $$ ones like GoJack -- I hope someone will be able to tell me if the Harbor Freight or similar self jacking mechanical version would work.

Re: Jacking Wheel Dolly for Elan

PostPosted: Thu Nov 26, 2020 4:43 pm
by h20hamelan
mine are Canadian Tire, which work

Re: Jacking Wheel Dolly for Elan

PostPosted: Thu Nov 26, 2020 4:50 pm
by h20hamelan
can't seem to upload the picture
they look similar to mine
if you cant get it tight enough, some rigid plumbing pipe or even a block of wood will work.
at $100, buy four, open two. if they don't work return them

https://www.harborfreight.com/1250-lb-c ... 61917.html
this one?

Re: Jacking Wheel Dolly for Elan

PostPosted: Thu Nov 26, 2020 5:26 pm
by Elanman68
Appreciate these are from a UK seller and you're in the US, but this company has a good reputation it seems.

https://www.sgs-engineering.com/ws4000-680kg-wheel-skates

Re: Jacking Wheel Dolly for Elan

PostPosted: Thu Nov 26, 2020 6:02 pm
by srineer
considering most Lotus are so light, I use four of these on my Elan +2 and Europa

https://www.harborfreight.com/18-in-x-1 ... 63098.html

HAUL-MASTER
18 In. X 12 In. 1000 Lb. Capacity Hardwood Dolly
(7,468)
Write a Review
Move up to 1000 lb. with this handy moving dolly

$10.99

Re: Jacking Wheel Dolly for Elan

PostPosted: Fri Nov 27, 2020 5:50 pm
by stugilmour
I also use the Canadian Tire version. Work great. Highly recommended. Width was a bit tight for the wide rear tires of an Esprit V8 :D , but perfect for the Plus 2.

They used to sell a hydraulic version, which got poor reviews on the Canadian Tire site. Both the mechanical and hydraulic versions have been OK for me, but I do think the mechanical version (similar to the Harbor Freight product you are considering) are preferable and more robust.

The Harbor Freight ones should be fine. Note the main constraint is maximum tire width, which is not an issue for the Elan. The HF specs are noting maximum diameter and width; minimum should not be an issue with the Elan.

Car moves around very easily with them installed, like a curling rock. :D Bonus is they raise car enough that it is easier to get floor jacks placed.

Here is a link to the Canadian Tire version for comparison.

https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/moto ... heel+dolly

PS

This product may also be of interest. Each dolly is pretty heavy and awkward to store on a shelf or similar as they don’t stack well. Just noticed it on HF...

https://www.harborfreight.com/wheel-dol ... 64496.html

HTH

Stu