raising the car in the garage - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

dunl · #16 10-15-2007, 10:49 PM

If I was building a garage, I'd definately do that, with a plate over top of it for when it wasn't in use.

But I'm looking for creative ways to raise the car in the air.

pawoSD · #17 10-15-2007, 10:53 PM

Thats a good point on the ventilation, could always build a duct into it with a blower that moves some air, then you're safe.

rwthomas1 · #18 10-15-2007, 11:00 PM

I like a combination of ramps in front and beefy jackstands in the rear. I have metal commercial ramps and large jackstands. They make jackstands with @ one foot square base that are meant for pickup trucks and large(er) vehicles. They are much more stable than standard jackstands. I have had my 7000lb truck up in the air to pull the transmission and it was rack solid.

A friend of mine had a permanent ramp in his backyard made of pressure treated 2X12's from a deck he demolished. The ramp was made by simply laying 2X12's on top of each other so that they were 6 or 7 boards high, the ends were beveled and laid so that it was a smooth ramp up and on. The whole thing laid out in a "U" shape, the legs of the U being long enough to get all four wheels up on them and the base was tied together on several layers to keep the legs from moving around. The open end was tied together at ground level. Sure, it wasn't super high but put a piece of cardboard down and you could slide around and do what was needed. It was very stable too. Nice if you have the space. RT

eagle-co94 · #19 10-16-2007, 12:37 AM

Harbor Freight regularly puts the 3 ton jackstand pairs on sale for around $18. I bought 2 pair when I new I'd have my car up in the air for a while. Even with my SS tipping 2 tons I was not worried about movement from the car. The stands were just inward of the wheels at each corner and angled slightly so that if the car were bumped hard the stands wouldn't be able to lean in the same direction. The 3-ton stands at their lowest height still put my car high enough off the ground for me to comfortably roll under the car on a creeper...but I am 6'1" and 160.

The last time I removed a tranny I rotated the tailshaft so it stuck out first and tilted it up and lifted up as I slid the tranny (with bellhousing attached) on a few layers of cardboard. I'm still young so I lift and lower my transmissions by hand.

RichC · #20 10-16-2007, 07:54 AM

.

Hello Everyone

I was planning on digging a pit in the new garage.
And having some sort of cover that would latch in place
so it could be used for a tornado shelter also.

I live here in Texas and we had 70 mph winds just yesterday.

Have Fun !
RichC

.

dunl · #21 10-16-2007, 11:38 AM

If I had more time, I'd like to build something like this:

TheDon · #22 10-16-2007, 12:06 PM

Dig a hole in the ground to remove the tranny.

A nice old german fellow that we met at the gtg last year brought his picture books of when he did his transmission for his 240D in germany. He dug a hole and swapped them. But he was a golf course builder so he had access to all the good tools

vstech · #23 10-16-2007, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dunl

If I had more time, I'd like to build something like this:

That is soo cool!
I bet I could build something like that pretty easy... I have room for a pit at the loading dock end of my shop... but it would be outside, so I would need either a roof over it, or good drainage, or both... this looks simpler...

I want to install infloor tubing for heat and compressed air distribution too...

dunl · #24 10-16-2007, 03:11 PM

Here's the whole gallery of that lift.

http://www.hotrodders.com/gallery/showphoto.php/photo/9290

TheDon · #25 10-16-2007, 03:25 PM

I've seen lifts like that before.. I just can't remember the specific name of them

dunl · #26 10-16-2007, 04:00 PM

Kwik lift?

raMBow · #27 10-16-2007, 09:56 PM

Well, I have one of those old garages.

First I use the ramps.

Second I have a "pit" that is covered and have never used it. 6' deep plus and about 10' x 15' in size. The last chap that used it was the original owner circa the mid 40's. Had a little torch accident down there and then suffered a few days before he died a miserable death, in the same bedroom I will soon sleep in myself.

I've just about cleaned out the first section of the shop and would like to give it a try for oil changes etc. That might me fun.

dunl · #28 10-16-2007, 10:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raMBow

Had a little torch accident down there and then suffered a few days before he died a miserable death, in the same bedroom I will soon sleep in myself.

dunl · #29 11-17-2007, 11:10 PM

final resolution for R&R of w116 tranny
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforu...53#post1678053

Cervan · #30 11-18-2007, 02:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pawoSD

I hate jackstands, I use ramps 99.9% of the time.

Build a super-ramp.....it'd be one heck of a project...but I envision a ramp that is modular....where you drive up on it, then add a piece that brings you up another 6-10" (that interlocks to the previous piece) and then drive onto that piece, and so on and so on....till the car is 4' in the air.

Small ramps in the rear secured to the front pieces for stability with a cable or chains (so it doesn't launch them trying to get up the front and rear pieces at the same time....would be optimal.

If I have to do a tranny job, I am going to construct such a behemoth.

When I did my driveline work, I used our normal 2 foot tall wood ramps that we use for most everything...on the rear, and built little ramps for the front wheels that brought the front up about a foot. This gave enough room to work ok under the car for that job. However, it took some effort on the car's part to get up this setup....2' climb in rear and 1' climb in front at the same time takes some torque and traction. The rear ramps have roofing shingles nailed on them for grip. (and it still did some skidding on the way up) but it worked great. Super stable sitting on the ramps, same as if it were on the ground. Way too shaky on jackstands, especially with the brute forces needed to work on the drive line parts...

To rotate the rear wheel to turn the driveshaft when working....I used my floor jack with a piece of wood under one of the trailing arms, and raised the wheel off the ramp just enough so the tire wasn't touching the ramp anymore.....super stable and this allowed me to freely turn the system. The car was well chocked. The front ramps had 5" high wood blocks screwed to the ramps with 6 3" screws and the rear wheel had a 4" chock. It wasn't going anywhere.

hey i have an idea, why not have a triangle with two side on it where you drive the car on. then in the middle of the triangle is a jack that raises or lowers the triangles. in the middle of each side of the track there is a divit for the wheel to go. so what you do is lower the jack all the way down, and then you can drive over it because its about the same hight as a speedbump. and then whenever you get it up to the hight you want you just lock the jack in place and there ya go.