The MaxJax Portable 2-Post Lift

C G said:

I just cant get my head around this thing. Id really like one but I don't know if I have the nerve to get under a car that's on one. I just have a hard time trusting a few bolts glued into the cement to keep those things from pulling out and tipping inwards. Plus the rides I would use em for are my 41 and 56 Caddy's. Or my 71 K20 truck or my 69 C10 panel. All large and heavy. Gives me the willies just thinking about it.

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I have a BendPak HD-9 that initially gave me the same feeling. Even after having used it a good 100 times now, I still always walk around and check all of the locks and even push on the car that is being lifted (prior to working on it) just to make sure it feels solid. I think it's best to always be respectful of your lift and want to double check everything.

sorry to cross post. but:

We bought this lift and got it installed. We notice that the jacks don't raise at the same rate, resulting in one reaching its maximum height before the other. I have bled the system per the instructions and the floor is very level. Am I missing something stupid?

thefirebuilds said:

sorry to cross post. but:

We bought this lift and got it installed. We notice that the jacks don't raise at the same rate, resulting in one reaching its maximum height before the other. I have bled the system per the instructions and the floor is very level. Am I missing something stupid?

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A few of us have experienced the same... need to keep bleeding, you still have air in the system. Did you use close to 9 quarts of oil to fill the system? Did you raise the unit all the way up making sure you still had oil in the bottle to avoid air going back in the lines?

Swap the lines from left to right to see if the problem moves to the other column.

What difference are you seeing? Measure it. 1/2" to 1" seems to be normal. You still need to rest the lift on the stops when working under the car, so it will be level, but still, raising the car should not show a significant difference between the columns.

If the problem persists then you will need to call Gabe and ask for a new flow divider.

Keep us posted.

I think once you put weight on the lift, it'll level out... try that first...

wachuko said:

A few of us have experienced the same... need to keep bleeding, you still have air in the system. Did you use close to 9 quarts of oil to fill the system? Did you raise the unit all the way up making sure you still had oil in the bottle to avoid air going back in the lines?

Swap the lines from left to right to see if the problem moves to the other column.

What difference are you seeing? Measure it. 1/2" to 1" seems to be normal. You still need to rest the lift on the stops when working under the car, so it will be level, but still, raising the car should not show a significant difference between the columns.

If the problem persists then you will need to call Gabe and ask for a new flow divider.

Keep us posted.

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ok yes, we were told to put in 7 quarts and then I noticed the motor makes that "im dry" noise (near the top) so I asked dad to add a little more fluid and he found he needed another 2 quarts

anyway, I think he was talking 1-2" and I figured I could just re bleed them again today and probably correct the issue.

I'm not concerned except for the fact if the car is raising on each side at different rates then its stressing one jack more than the other

I had the same issue... Just keep bleeding and it should be fine.

revlover said:

I think once you put weight on the lift, it'll level out... try that first...

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Good point that I forgot to highlight... need to bleed both with and without weight...

I got mine to about a half inch difference after extensive bleeding. Mine took 9 quarts as well. After I put some load on it it was fine.

anaxagoras said:

I got mine to about a half inch difference after extensive bleeding. Mine took 9 quarts as well. After I put some load on it it was fine.

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Yeah, I spoke to Gabe at Dannmar about this and he said it has something to do with weight being applied back to the Flowdivider that makes it level out.

I had the same problem and insisted on a replacement Flowdivider, but he told me to try putting weight on it... from then on... perfectly level.

revlover said:

Yeah, I spoke to Gabe at Dannmar about this and he said it has something to do with weight being applied back to the Flowdivider that makes it level out.

I had the same problem and insisted on a replacement Flowdivider, but he told me to try putting weight on it... from then on... perfectly level.

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agreed. I _carefully_ bled with weight on it and it seems better.

Question- I now the pad is 3", I did not see on the site if they make any other pads that are taller, like 5" or 6". I'm sure I've seen them, just can't find any information.

I used ATF and is thinner and does not tend to bubble like oil. The extra PSI handling for hydraulics is better also. Plus, it's way cheaper.

The only problem I've had is two of the four quick couplers went bad after two uses and their sending me new one's and should be here tomorrow.

I asked this question before. The arm pads that came with the unit are 3" in height, I'm sure they have like 5"-6" but could not find them on the site. Any ideas ?

I don't yet have a lift.
Still dreaming and still useing a long handle jack.
But at least I don't have to lift my tires 4 feet off the floor.
Has anybody designed a tire caddy that you can put the tire on, at height, while working and then roll around?
I am thinking something a little nicer than a 55 gal drum on casters.

I suspect you could easily modify a cheap HF 2 wheel dolly or hand truck and weld a couple of arms and add some gussets and you've got a simple 4' tire/wheel dolly.

It's going to be top heavy, so you could add some additional weight to the bottom of the dolly or add some legs to the bottom to make the base bigger.

kbs2244 said:

Has anybody designed a tire caddy that you can put the tire on, at height, while working and then roll around? I am thinking something a little nicer than a 55 gal drum on casters.

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I finished my install today. I probably have ~8 hours total time for the install including determining the location of the columns.

I used 9 quarts of ATF and had no issues bleeding
My anchors reached 100 ft/lb well before the top surface of my concrete.
I had to trim my washers a little bit to clear some of the welds.

I noticed on the female couplers, there is a flow arrow. Since the instructions say to install female couplers to both ends of the hose, one of them has the fluid flowing in the opposite direction as the marking. Would there be an issue with this?

kbs2244 have you though of a motorcycle ATV jack??

kbs2244 said:

I don't yet have a lift.
Still dreaming and still useing a long handle jack.
But at least I don't have to lift my tires 4 feet off the floor.
Has anybody designed a tire caddy that you can put the tire on, at height, while working and then roll around?
I am thinking something a little nicer than a 55 gal drum on casters.

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I have the lift and thinking about getting a hydraulic lift table for dropping engines, transmissions and suspension parts. You could also use it to lift wheels and tires if you want if you make a simple rack over the table to keep it from rolling.
But don't forget that lifting the wheel is also a good form of exercise once in a while!

The ATV jack and lift table are good ideas.
But it just occured to me that at auctions I have seen "pallet lifters" that are basicly pull around lift trucks.
Some are battery/hydro and some just use a hand powered winch.
They will lift from the floor to about 6 feet.
That is plenty.

Ok, So I've got 6" floors and a 10' ceiling. Did these two in anticipation of a small lift in the future. This one looks like what i need, except, all i've seen so far is a bunch of Porches', Ryan's Model A coupe, and a Cobra on one of these. Will it lift a '57 chevy, a '50 mercury, and an '02 Silverado?

Have you looked through the customer photos on the MaxJax site? I remember seeing a few trucks in there... could be wrong...

http://www.maxjaxusa.com/images.html

This is a 6,000 lb two post lift. Don't know the GVW of an 02 silverado. As long as you are <6,000 lbs. it can lift it, without hitting the garage door opener or door tracks.

My loaded 04 Avalanche would be a perfect guinea pig for this lift. It weighs ~5800 lbs without fuel according to the dealer invoice paperwork that I got when I bought it. Unfortunately, I don't have the height in my garage to lift it. Your silverado should be < 6000lbs as long as it is a 1500 series. I think 6000lbs is the cutoff for gas mileage testing, ie any vehicle above that does not need to have the gas mileage listed on the window sticker.

Hi guys, purchased my friends XPR 9F and yesterday learned from the installer it was not goig to fit in my garage. I would like to find someone in or around Daytona Beach FL who has a MaxJax installed and see it in operation.

Has anyone heard or whitnessed an unfortunate experience with the lift?

Who can I buy from, they do not publish the dealers on the website. Is the manufacturer offering any group buys at this time?

Thanks, Howard

htarnoff said:

Hi guys, purchased my friends XPR 9F and yesterday learned from the installer it was not goig to fit in my garage. I would like to find someone in or around Daytona Beach FL who has a MaxJax installed and see it in operation.

Has anyone heard or whitnessed an unfortunate experience with the lift?

Who can I buy from, they do not publish the dealers on the website. Is the manufacturer offering any group buys at this time?

Thanks, Howard

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Howard,

Not in Daytona but in Orlando...

I have it since it came out, it gets a lot of use at home. No issues. You are welcome to stop by and see it. Send me a PM if you don't mind the drive...

Currently working on a parts car I got to get my hands dirty on a Fiat Spider:

wachuko said:

Howard,

Not in Daytona but in Orlando...

I have it since it came out, it gets a lot of use at home. No issues. You are welcome to stop by and see it. Send me a PM if you don't mind the drive...

Currently working on a parts car I got to get my hands dirty on a Fiat Spider:

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Can you tell me who you ordered it from and of any changes to newer models: someone mentioned there were only two stop heights and that a thired may have neen incorproated.

Did it arrive in good condition or were there scratches and the like?

Thanks, and I may take you up on it if you will be around on Wednesday.

htarnoff said:

Can you tell me who you ordered it from and of any changes to newer models: someone mentioned there were only two stop heights and that a thired may have neen incorproated.

Did it arrive in good condition or were there scratches and the like?

Thanks, and I may take you up on it if you will be around on Wednesday.

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I got it directly from Dannmar during the first group buy. Arrived in good condition. Only a set of adapters missing.

Here is what it looked like when I got it:





It weights 800-900lbs... so without a lift it is going no where...

For those getting ready... the instructions tells you that you will need 7 quarts of ATF fluid. That assumes that your bottles and hoses are full. So plan on using 9 quarts.

System needs to be bleed to get the air out. Easy to do, just follow the instructions. You will need to bleed it a couple of times to make sure you have all the air out...



Since I have a three car garage, I wanted to have the ability to use it in the single and in the double bay. You can ask for additional anchors when ordering the lift or you can buy them via the web...

The anchors are WEJ-IT® POWER-Drop - 7/8 x 3-13/16 (5/8 Internal thread) -
http://www.alliedbolt.com/wejit.html

I found serveral places on the web that sells them:

http://store.eberliron.com/products/wej_it_concrete_anchors/power_drop_drop_in_anchor

http://www.drillspot.com/products/43499/Wej-IT_PD-58_Drop-IN_Anchor

Another great suggestions is to also pour some epoxy for concrete before dropping the anchor and/or to fill any space on top of the anchor.

Specs on the anchors?





How apart to install the columns?

In the single bay I have mine at 115" (measured from the outside of the base). Getting out of the car is a tight fit. Moving the arms into position is also a tight fit... arms need to be all the way in and, depending on the car, I need to have someone in the car to move forward while I slide the arm in, and them backwards a little to slide the second arm in. Keep in mind that test cars were Porsche 911 ('83, '91, '02). Something with a longer wheel base will not be so much of an issue. I also took into consideration being able to close the garage door with the car on the lift, sounds stupid, but I just want to make sure you don't drill it with the right width only to find out that half the car is sticking out of the garage...

In the double bay I have them at 128" (again, measured from the outside of the base) and it works great... easy access to the lifting points, easy to open the doors, still within the 130" limit in the install manual for trucks (eventhough I am using it for smaller cars), and I can slide the arms in and out without having a second person moving the car around.

Electrical?? Be sure to have a 20amp outlet... you will trigger the 15amp breaker from time to time if you decide not to go with a 20amp setup.

Holes?

You really need to follow the directions on the drilling... after following the instructions all holes aligned perfectly. I made additional holes to swap the towers between the single bay and the double bay. It helps that the hole are symmetrical so turning the tower 180 degrees only requires drilling one more hole for that column.

I did used the shims on one column to make the distance at the bottom of the column and the top to be equal.

I also needed to cut some of the washers to make them fit the colums as some of the holes were to close to the welds...

Washers cut to fit...




Another useful thread:

http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=31570

A few more...











Motorcycle adapters







I hope that helps.

This lift will get used a lot! Best purchase I have made, and coming from having a midrise lift, I really like not having all that metal under the car while working on it. The ability of getting back my garage space when I am done is also a major plus. Thank you Dannmar for giving us a two-post lift we can use in our low ceiling garages!!

And reposting the install photos:

OK, here you go... a few photos...

In my case the lift was not lifting even on both columns... even after several tries to bleed the system...

Jeff made himself available Friday and all day Saturday via phone. Way to go! After several bleeds and one column still lifting higher than the other Jeff suggested that I swap hoses to see if the problem was the flow divider... Sure enough, once the hoses were switch, the other side start to lift higher. So a new Flow Divider is on its way.

Anyway. This thing is awesome!!! Very smooth lifting, lowering... just awesome! I lifted two of my cars, pushed them while lifted... and all very stable...

You really need to follow the directions on the drilling... after following the instructions all holes aligned perfectly. I made additional holes to swap the towers between the single bay and the double bay. It helps that the hole are symmetrical so turning the tower 180 degrees only requires drilling one more hole for that column.

I did used the shims on one column to make the distance at the bottom of the column and the top to be equal.

I also needed to cut some of the washers to make them fit the colums as some of the holes were to close to the welds...

Anyway, enjoy the photos:

My brother is visiting... so I put him to work drilling the holes...



while I assisted by using the vac





Washers cut to fit...



Drilling on the second bay to have the capability to use on both sides...



One happy camper!

A few more:





Let's test it with something light first...





So far, so good...


Here is a single column use setup...



Guys! Looks like this is working... what do you say about trying a car?

Even more:

Here I am thinking about lifting the car... point of no return...











Well... it passed the test...







Since it worked with heavier car... let's try a lighter car just for kicks...





This one needed the extensions for the pads





That is all for now... enjoy the rest of the weekend!!!

Not sure if they made any changes to it. Give them a call, they are a great bunch to deal with.

It has three holes... but the top one is useless. Needs one between the top hole and the second one so that the safety stop rods can be postion at the highest lifting point.

htarnoff said:

Hi guys, purchased my friends XPR 9F and yesterday learned from the installer it was not goig to fit in my garage. I would like to find someone in or around Daytona Beach FL who has a MaxJax installed and see it in operation.

Has anyone heard or whitnessed an unfortunate experience with the lift?

Who can I buy from, they do not publish the dealers on the website. Is the manufacturer offering any group buys at this time?

Thanks, Howard

Click to expand...

Check this out http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=42844

wachuko said:

You really need to follow the directions on the drilling... after following the instructions all holes aligned perfectly. I made additional holes to swap the towers between the single bay and the double bay. It helps that the hole are symmetrical so turning the tower 180 degrees only requires drilling one more hole for that column.

Click to expand...

One comment - please see the other thread about Maxjax Installations....

The anchor instructions from Dannmar are not correct. Dannmar packages Wej-It PD-58 Power Drop 5/8" anchors (7/8" OD) with the MaxJax. They base their stress and shear calculations on the specs published by Wej-It. However, they have deviated significantly in the method to set those specific anchors. Wej-It neither supports nor recommends the non-standard approach published by Dannmar for these specific anchors. In my installation, I measured the stress capacity to spec of all ten anchors installed in 4000psi concrete at least 5 1/2" in depth - fully cured. According to all specifications (both from Wej-It as well as industry code) the anchor should be torqued to 90 ft-lbs. In clear testing without the post/base-plate installed over the anchor, all ten of my anchors failed to hold 45 ft-lbs of torque via the 5/8" coarse thread bolt as a reduction. As a result, I've driven all anchors into the substrait and am instead going to use epoxy anchor systems. I am very happy with the support provided by Wej-It, and less so with the (invalid) explanations from Dannmar. When tested with the baseplate in place (as per the Dannmar instructions - though they really don't call for any test at all) it "appears" as though the anchors are probably set. This means that the posts are securely fastened to the anchors - but the anchors are not securely fastened to the concrete matrix.

As with my comments in the other thread, I strongly suggest testing any anchors installed as per the Dannmar process. If you are curious about the specific differences, either simply look at the instructions on the Wej-It site or let me know. I'm just trying to avoid somebody getting hurt or killed. BTW, the lift was actually designed by BendPak, but the rights were sold to Dannmar. I also discussed this issue with the actual designer of the product at BendPak.

Poncho,

Thank you for raising awareness of the anchor bolts. It is always best to err on the side of caution. Although you have pointed out an installation procedure not endorsed by Wej-it, it is (was) a procedure that had been tested many times before, and with loads exceeding 150% of the rated capacity.

Two-post lifts have been used around the world for almost four decades. They are the most commonly used vehicle lift in the world today. Although the cantilever style design does make one speculate about the forces applied to the anchors and floor, it is quite low compared to other structures. The MaxJax lift has a lower rated capacity than most commercial lifts and the arms are shorter which reduces the moment loading considerably. The tension load on each MaxJax rear anchor when loaded to full capacity, off-set and rear-heavy, is only 2300 pounds.

We appreciate your communication with Wej-it engineers, but we too have had similar discussion, and not with over-the-counter reps or call center techs, but chief engineers. Remember, our companies purchase over 200,000 anchors a year - we are attended to.

Below is a recent email received from a Wej-it engineer along with the accompanied testing photos. This person was given all communication relating to your anchor bolt issue.



Gabe,

I can’t see any way that your installation process caused floor damage to Ponchopower’s floor. If indeed there was floor damage I suspect that the continued torquing of the anchor simply created enough tension that the anchor overcame the concrete’s ability to resist it but even that would have to be at torque values far above what he stated he used. Residential concrete is well known to be dubious in terms of its continuity of thickness and questionable in terms of content of aggregate.

But just to be sure something else was not happening here I took a random box of PD-58’s from our stock and tested them to see if I could duplicate Ponchopower’s results and I found that these anchors (when installed in proper thickness concrete and installed as directed by Dannmar) work perfectly. The scan #5215 000 is of the lab’s data collection sheet. On it you will find that the average of the 3 anchors that I pulled was 22,806 lbs tension which is comfortably above the catalog value of 14,800 lbs tension.

I would be remiss if I did not point out that there are no torque values published on our website for Power Drop anchors as alleged by Ponchopower since they are considered “Turn Set” anchors.

The pictures that are attached illustrate the fact that the anchors never failed, the concrete failed to withstand the force of the anchors when pulled to failure. A concrete spall as seen is the typical failure mode for these anchors.

A couple of things to note from the attached photos are as follows;
1 - All anchors spalled the concrete at tensions above published values. These results are consistent with normally functioning anchors when pulled to failure.
2 – None of the anchors lost the friction clip or suffered any body damage and therefore could have given even more resistance (higher tension values) had the concrete been able to withstand the pressure.
3 – To see if the anchors acted adversely when a torque was applied I took them to 100 Ft. Lbs and all of the sample anchors set without any trouble.
4 – I included 1 photo of the top view of a properly set anchor.

What my experience tells me is that it is likely that Ponchopower’s floor did not meet the minimum thickness requirements or that some mis-installation occurred such as a condition known as a reverse spall. That is when the installer breaks the backside of the concrete out because of excessive drilling pressure. Both conditions could create the scenario as described by Ponchpower.

Your instructions also state to blow the dust from the hole. If this is not done a condition could be created whereas the anchor might fail to reach the proper depth of embedment and cause similar issues as outlined.

Best Regards,

XXXX XXXXXX
Technical Services
Wej-it Fastening Systems

And as per the other thread....

Again, I strongly disagree with the post provided by Gabe above. I have refrained from providing more specific details, but can easily do so.

First of all - your statement that the procedure has been "tested" - that is a false statement. Period. It is true that the procedure has been "used". But not "tested". "Testing" of a partially installed anchor is simply not possible. The question here is not in fact whether the full stress and shear capacity of the anchor in question is requried. It is whether the anchor is set - or not. You have absolutely zero capability of providing stress and shear capacity on a "partially set" anchor. You and I have discussed this already, and suffice it to say that while my description is mechanically correct and supported by industry standard engineering processes, yours is not.

Second, the "torque values" provided by Wej-It were initially provided by a Wej-It representative - personally and directly. Gabe, you and I also both know that you specified to me a 60 ft-lbs torque rating - which I questioned and which is why I went directly to Wej-It.

Third, your representation to whoever the person providing that email is not entirely accurate. We can easily get into a discussion of "dueling Wej-It representatives here" but let's get to the basics. Wej-It disagreed with your statements, to the extent that they provided me directly free product of a different type (which I have already received). Beyond that, it is simply not possible that "excessive torque" was applied. Nor is it possible that there is either "reverse spalling" or "insufficient concrete depth". Frankly, I can still prove this right this very second. The holes are now empty. The PD58s have been driven down into the substrait. Every single hole can easily be inspected at this point to determine both the constitution of the concrete matrix, as well as the depth and condition. That will not likely be the case after tomorrow, as I intend to inject epoxy and set replacement anchors, but it is the case right now. If you're interested in actually dealing with this rather than speculating or trying to avoid a liability issue, let me know asap. You have my phone number.

Also, please carefully recognize that I am not alleging the the actual metal anchor structurally failed. I am stating that the anchor "system" which includes the supplied PD58 combined with a concrete matrix which meets (or in this case exceeds) specified requirements using the supplied instruction set failed to meet minimum strength requirements for safe operation of this device.

Additionally, I specified to you up front that I was not at the time certain what kind of "damage" had been generated. I did not state that the floor was definitely "damaged" - other than the fact that by the anchors not setting as a result of this ineffective process (which I note you do not mention nor characterize in your post) I can no longer attempt to use PD58s in those holes. I was very clear to you via phone call, followed up by email (the last which you did not acknowledge) that I was going to test the anchors, drive all that failed into the substrait, and inspect for possible damage. You'll note my text in this thread accurately portrays exactly that.

Also, please do not attempt to malign the communication I've had with Wej-It and with Bendpak. Those communications were with not just "counter" people, but with engineers - including the chief engineer who designed the MaxJax product.

Again, I am very disappointed with the support thus far. For example, I did not mention that you (Gabe) personally during our 2nd conversation were recommending that you send me replacement anchors (Wej-It 7/8" x 4 1/2" wedge anchor) to be used "temporarily" (call took place on Tues Feb 23rd) even though the anchor would not fit through the baseplate nor was it supported in an installation where the concrete was drilled all the way through or where the concrete was at the given depth.

I did not intend this thread to bash anyone. I am truly concerned about the safety of these lifts if installed explicity as per the Dannmar instructions, and posted this simply to recommend people inspect their anchors.

Gabe, I challenge you to show me exactly where my testing method is invalid. I am not an 18yr old video gamer with no experience. The bottom line here is simple.

I have a completely cured concrete floor of at least 5 1/2" solid thickness exceeding 3000psi that currently has ten (10) holes in it that can be easily inspected to prove that the concrete is not the issue here. I have records of our initial and subsequent discussions concerning this beginning on Feb 22nd early in your day during which you promised to but failed to return a call that day. You and I both know that you acknowledged on the morning of Feb 23rd when I called you again that your instruction set was "incorrect" and that only at approximately 4:30pm that day when I returned yet another call you reversed that position.

This is a situation where the failure mode can result in death, and I'm disappointed.

Didn't notice any installation issues with my MaxJax... everything torqued nicely. I also used epoxy, however.

But yikes! This is getting dicey...

I am very intrested in a group buy , I would go $1500.00 delivered. please drop me a line if anybody is intrested.

nzbsr9 said:

I am very intrested in a group buy , I would go $1500.00 delivered. please drop me a line if anybody is intrested.

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MOLE!!!!wned:

I'd go for a group buy. I've been squirreling away cash for one.

wachuko said:

Even more:

Here I am thinking about lifting the car... point of no return...


Well... it passed the test...



This one needed the extensions for the pads



That is all for now... enjoy the rest of the weekend!!!

Click to expand...

wachuko,

I haven't been on this thread for a while and notice all the Porsche's you have. I ordered a 2011 Boxster Spyder a few months ago and should have it by Mid June. I have a build completion date of May 17th.



PCW

Anyone have one of these lifts setup and are located in South Carolina and/or the Charlotte, NC area? I've love to see it in person.