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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Spridget Car Lift, UK

Has anyone in the UK on the board bought themselves a car lift to work on a their Spridget. I have not bought myself a Spridget yet but will do in the near future and was thinking of tinkering in some luxury.

New, second hand, two post, four post or scissor or whatever. Have you used a friends or company lift.

The guys at Frontline have just moved to a new workshop and they tell me they have installed a refurbished wheeleasy.

Or have you just lay down in a darkend room for a short while until the idea has gone away.

Any comments received with thanks.

eddie
Eddie Cairns

"In a hole in the garage there lived a..."

I'd love a lift and am working on vague ideas that will cost me between nowt and hardly owt

but failing that

you could always have a hole in the garage floor, for infrequent use a hole, lined with steps and a pump (Who said why?) and with a heavy duty plank cover would do the job

Even better with lamps along the sides that you can light one wall or t'other

just thinking out loud...
bill sdgpm

Not in the UK,
But I'll add my 2 cents.
I installed a 4 post lift for parking purposes, but I have found that it is also an asset for maintenance. I also suspended a hoist from it for engine removal. The hoist is mounted to a wheeled platform so it is a bit like a gantry. I've used it much more than I've ever thought. With 74 inches of clearance underneath I'm currently wondering If I could use it for part of a structure of a temporary spray booth.
Trevor Jessie

Trevor,
Get the coffee going. I'm on the way Lol
Phil
Phil Burke

Ill have my car in tow...I should be there by noon...LOL

you got pics

prop
Prop

I have played with ramps for a good number of years now

A few years ago I fitted a 4 poster into a friends large garage. It was bought off e bay for 600 quid as a 3 phase lift. At that time inverters were becoming cheaper and for another 250 quid an inverter was bought and the lift made to operate off single phase. The owner was well happy. More recently however single phase brand new lifts from china have become extremely cheap. Another friend of mine has just purchased a single phase 2 poster for about 1500 quid brand new. The 2 poster is a marvelous bit of kit and has a lot of merits

If you buy a 4 poster then parking an extra car below the ramp is a good benefit. But you need to ensure you buy a central jacking beam as well so that wheels free servicing can be done. Although many jacking beams struggle to get under low cars.

For maintenence a 2 poster is far better and would be my choice if I had enough room. Which sadly I don't. However I keep sorting my friends electrical problems out (he has several properties he rents out) and in payment I can use his ramp anytime I want. :)
Robert (Bob) Midget Turbo

My "jacking beam" is actually a "jack tray" and sits in between the ramps. It works quite well. And the ramps are wide enough that I some times use my lightweight aluminum trolley jack.
Trevor Jessie

Picture


Trevor Jessie

I have a dutch car lift. Lift car about 3ft in the air.
Alan Anstead

Alan

I have notice a few that have a similar limited lifting height. That I'm sure to still be of use in a low headroom situation. That is most domestic garages.

I assume good for working on brakes and suspension but not that wonderful for exhaust, removing gearboxes and undersealing.

How do you find it to work with.

eddie
Eddie Cairns

I just jack it up and use axle stands. I love working lying down on my back....
Alex G Matla

Im with Alex, i just have worked on my midget on a "warm" 5 C floor.
Nothing can beat that feeling!!!
Its part of the low budget sportscar scene. :)




To be honest: my home garage is to low for a carlift and im to cheap to buy one for my workshop where i usualy work on my midget. :)


Arie de Best

Oh yeah,

Right there with you...love the cold floor :(

2 ibuprofens before I start, 2 after I'm finished :)

Dave


Dave Rhine ('78 1500)

How about a couple of Acrow floor props set under the garage roof joists, with a block and tackle you could lift one end at a time.(with suitable timber packing placed underneath of course)

Dave
Penwithian

Im planning on wal to wall carpet in my shop...LOL

But I find old carpet to be a good friend, when under the car
Prop

>>> But I find old carpet to be a good friend, when under the car <<<

Agreed, I have a couple old carpet scraps out in the garage that I use when "sliding under" It sure beats lying on the concrete. They're also good for sitting on while working on brakes, etc.

-:G:-
Gryf Ketcherside

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=94781

But this certianly beats wall to wall carpet.

Prop
Prop

My lift is an Autec. It is a backbone with four arms that rotate 90 deg. Each arm has a moveable rubber block to place under suitable points. Because it is a backbone design anything along the transmission tunnel is not easily accesible but it does most jobs. It is moveable being fitted with rollers and a jockey wheel. I have to use two scaffold planks one each side to get the spridgets above it as when collapsed it stands about 2.5 - 3 in tall and exhausts tend to touch. I believe it is rated at 2ton. Holdens used to illustrate one in their catalogue with a Morgan on top. There are some tall axle stands available as an accessory but I dont have them.
Alan Anstead

Don't know the availability in UK, but I've been getting information from this company, Dannmar, about a new portable, two post system that looks interested, esp. for people with limited space and height. Its even endorsed by Jay Leno! They have a video of him demonstrating it on their website.
http://www.dannmar.com/dannmar-products/two-post-lifts/maxjax.asp

Jack
Jack Orkin

I mentioned my carpet bits above, but when it comes to actual lifting, I use a combo of ramps, floor jack, and jackstands. If I need to raise the entire car, I drive one end up on the ramps and then jack up the other end and prop it with jackstands so it's level. I've used four jackstands in the past, but that seems awfully tottery, and I seldom need to remove all four wheels simultaneously.

I agree, a lift or a pit would be fantastic, but I can't even begin to justify something like that. My car's too healthy...

-:G:-
Gryf Ketcherside

Jack VAry cool...!!!

Any idea what something like that cost.

dosnt matter, cause Im in the same boat (okay dingy) as gryf

Prop
Prop

I also like the lift until I contacted them and asked the price. 1999.99 ouch, but you get free shipping in the lower 48 LOL.
ajs alan smith

One thing to watch for with pits is the possibility of gasoline/petrol vapours collecting. Gasoline/petrol vapours are heavier than air and will sink to the lowest level. One spark with the correct air/vapour ratio and you could have much more grief than you could ever have imagined!
Clive Reddin

Well that's one way of lifting your car in the air Clive. Be sure to get out of the way when it returns to earth.

Dave
Penwithian

Jack,
The MaxJax works quite well. Things to be aware of up front are that it doesn't lift nearly so high as most lifts do and it requires rather good concrete to mount on. Many garage slabs (like mine) are not up to the task.
David "Perhaps a used forklift would make a good portable lift for a Spridget?" Lieb
David Lieb

The problem with a proper lift is that assuming you have a domestic garage and you have got the height to lift to say a 1.8 mtr clearance under the car. Not many domestic garages have that!

The lift has to be bolted down in a central position to get at the high bit of the garage roof and also to give space at the sides of the car.

So it tends to take up two car spaces whether it is in use or not. So you need a four space garage to get two real spaces for storage of cars and another two spaces for the working area.

I live in the country so have the space in my garden to build a larger garage but we are now talking say £6k or $10k to extend the garage and fit a proper lift.

eddie
Eddie Cairns

Eddie,
That is one of the features of the MaxJax. It is designed to bolt to the concrete floor. Then you can unbolt it and roll the posts out of the way, regaining your floor space. No, it does NOT give you 1.8m of clearance under the car, but it is adequate for most service needs. No, you cannot "stack" your cars with it, but at least you don't reduce your 2-car garage to a 1-car. A friend of mine parts out Miatas to fund his racing habit (although the past couple of years have found him using his racing money for trivia like food and mortgage). He uses one of these and loves it.
David "we won't talk about where mine is..." Lieb
David Lieb

David

I have had a look at the website and it has it's good points.

A friend says it should be a conferance lift in it's own space with a kettle to make tea as it will become a mecca for other car nuts!!!

I change my mind between a fixed lift and a movable one twice a week. I will take early retirement in May this year so I have a few months to make a decision.

Thanks to all for their posts so far.

eddie
Eddie Cairns

This thread was discussed between 20/02/2010 and 26/02/2010

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

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