SMALL GARAGE? Problem Solved with Portable Car Lift!

In this video we will show you the best car lift currently on the market that you can install in your tiny space. Max Jax has put together one of the most convenient way to get your project off the ground and get the gears rolling!

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[josemedeiros]

Safety wise I would never have put the controls in such a tight spot. If this lift where to fail or the vehicle becomes unbalanced one could be pinned between the vehicle and the wall. This would likely prove to be fatal. Since you were running longer hose to one side anyway, I would have put the pump and controls on the rear wall where you could more easily escape if a car starts to fall. This would also give you more equal hose lengths. I have two four post lifts and the controls are at a corner where one can easily escape in case of failure. It is much more rare for a car to fall of a four post lift, but I have seen dozens of videos of cars falling off of two post lifts. If you watch those videos you would not ever think of being so trapped when lifting a vehicle.

[ric]

Good to see people wearing their safety flip flops when installing this heavy equipment. Better safe than sorry.

[paulf]

I've worked with anchors in concrete for over 55 years. The wedge anchors included by the equipment manufacturer are only as good as the concrete their being set into. Most residential garage floors are at best is 3, 000 psi concrete, most likely less and 4" thick, maybe and just maybe they added re-enforcing wire. The concrete is the weak link in the whole system.
Anchors should be spread out no closer than 6" a part, which the manufacturer did. I'm sure in the instructions they had a disclaimer regarding the concrete integrity to cover themselves. Before you buy this product check the depth of your floor and how hard it is to drill. The safest thing to do is cut a 4ft by 4ft opening under each post and place 4ft deep steel re-enforced deadman dowelled into the existing concrete. Remember, concrete is very strong in compression but very weak in tension "pull". This lift system puts the concrete in tension.

[fasteddie]

I've had this jack for 5 years now, purchased because of low ceiling. No problems what so ever, mounted pump and tank on the lift post with metal tabs I fabricated and attached, looks cleaner, highly recommend!

[TheBaccaClench]

ive had this lift for almost 2.5 years now and it is single-handedly one of the best things i've ever bought for my garage. Also side note for everyone with this lift, get a heavy duty grease or a paste type white lithium (not the spray type) and apply it in each of the lift posts on the inside channels. The instructions are honestly super unclear and after a while, the lift becomes very shakey and rough without lubing those inner points up. It is not like a traditional lift and I would recommend doing it at least once a year where you wipe down as much of the old grease and apply new grease. Also, make sure to always put on the locks and check the hydraulics every now and then to make sure they aren't leaking.

[GaryHardyInc]

Bought my MaxJax almost 4 years ago. Love it. Don't worry about not raising up perfectly level. Mine never has. I did set the anchors in two positions. Highly recommend anchoring adhesive. I am surprised that you didn't hit any rebar. I used 1/2" rebar 16" on center when building. Made sense before having to drill for the anchors. 🤯

[stuartkorte]

I have the old Danmar MaxJax. Except for keeping the lifting equal it’s been great. I lift my 2012 Silverado crew cab. Another option for not unbolting the driver side post, take the arms off and hang on the wall. The arms get in the way more than the post.

[sale]

A comment or two.... the rear bolts in the floor are in tension not compression. There are no front bolts as the base plate is compressed against the floor underneath hence developing the moment resistance coupling to resist the moment for the load on the lift arms. Therefore the strength of the lift posts for rotating towards the car depends greatly on the tensile bolts strength but more so on the tensile strength of the concrete. Does not matter how big are the anchor bolts, the concrete tensile resistance governs the ultimate strength. The anchor in the concrete engages an imaginary cone in the concrete when subjected to pull forces and resist the pullout by shear friction in the concrete. The thicker the concrete the higher the shear resistance. The cone developed under the pull forces (tension) must not be interrupted by a crack in concrete nor by the concrete edge. Your anchors for the post against the wall may be too close to the edge and therefore may not develop the full pullout force resistance, from the video they appear to bee about 3" away or so. If your garage slab was poured after the walls were built, floating floor, you may have to check the edge distance. If the floor was poured over the foundation walls prior to the walls above being constructed you may be OK. MaxJax manual should have a minimum edge distance specified. (also check a video of a guy with a failed anchors)
I have the same lift but older model with a safety bar that you push through the holes in the posts to act as a safety.
I also installed levels (for leveling the fence posts) which I can check to see if the posts are plumb in both directions front to back and left to right when I lift the load, every time. There will be some movement on the posts (bubble in the level moves but stay within the plumb area) due to the load acting on the arms and creating the moment (torque) on the arms that are transferred to the posts. The posts must be installed vertically with no load. Due to the garage floor slope you may need to shim the posts bases to bring them to a vertical position.
Good luck.

[Rvideo]

I have the previous version of the MaxJack and love it. Don't really miss the higher lift possible with the higher lifts. Purchased a low rolling chair to perform work under the car. Used the MaxJack when I changed the transmission on my Mercedes 500SL and when I was restoring my '80 Corvette. I also was able to install a side mount garage door opener and highly recommend one if you have the capability. It also picks up my Chevy Tahoe and '86 Mercedes 300SDL with ease

[BruceLyeg]

I killed a couple of cheap hammer drills before I broke down and rented and real rotary hammer and did it in minutes. As you know, the right drill made it a lot easier.
The garage looks fantastic. Having a lift at home for doing body work is something I wish I'd done ages ago. Saves the knees and back a lot of pain.
On single garage doors like that you can move the opener over to the side and the door will still function normal. Congrats on the new lift

[Coodeville]

Once you go lift you never go back. Have had mine 4 years now and cant go without it. You see things with a lift you never knew existed. I'm into vintage Caddy's and Lincoln's. So I got a 10, 000 lb one

[petem]

Brian you do such nice work . I worked in a shop that had symmetrical lifts we got in the habit of pulling up to the lift and rolling the windows down and putting the car in neutral and pushing it between the posts .

[howardiko]

I purchased the 7K and had to put in another 2k to make it work and be safe. Did 24 inch square base plates 5/8 . Then replaced the movable parts of the arms to extend them to actually work.

[dogolife]

Been having mine since 2020 the best investment I’ve made for my home garage! No problems at all so far! 🤞

[bendafixer]

Its great when your boys all pitch in to make the dream work! Awesome job!

[EivinSukoi]

I have a midget wife who can perform all my mechanical needs using this lift, great vid .

[stephencruz]

How thick should the concrete be on the garage floor? Did you know how thick yours was before you installed the lift?

[nesparas]

Love the way you assembled heavy metal wearing slippers. It would be nice to see something heavy fall onto his toes!!! Safety first!!!

[a.c.e.]

In the case of a garage installation in a "home" where the concrete is generally less than 4" thick, I'd worry. I measured 2.5 inches in some spots when I cut the floor and elsewhere it was always less than 4" thick. If you are pouring a new floor, make sure it is at least 6" thick or better still, 8". The MaxJax Manual calls for 4" and 4.25" minimum (which is it MaxJax?) and tells you to drill 5.5" deep into concrete. The Wej-It anchor manual calls for a 5 inch deep hole for the PD-58 anchor. I skipped all of that and did my own installation that is now going on over 10 years...and I am still here. LOL

[SmokeyA]

Yes have had my MaxJax for about 10 years love it