Serious Question: Need Info on Car Tilter
 

I figured I needed something to catch folks' attention.:D

I am looking at buying a car tilter. They cost $750.00 new and around $50+ for shipping.

I find these used on a lot of different forums, but they sell incredibly fast or I am just too slow on the draw.

Does anyone have any experience with these? This contraption is not a car rotissierie. There is a USA firm which sells them out of TN.

Ideally, I would like to buy a used one, use it once, then re-sell. They seem to sell really fast in the $350-$450 range, which leads me to believe they hold some value. Or, if I buy one, then I am stuck selling it which seems OK, but that one time use will cost me $400 or so.:mad:

I want to avoid lying on my back as much as possible. Getting up and down has turned into a PITA lately. I have access to a car lift, but if someone wanted to sodablast or the other flavors of blasting and completely refurbish the underside of a car without the PITA aspect involved, looks like a car tilter is the way to go.

Plus, buying the tool, sub-contracting with a welder who really knows his/her welding, then subcontracting with the soda or other blaster, then finishing yourself with this tool is A LOT cheaper and FASTER than hiring a restoration shop.

Any one out there with any info ???????

Is this what you're looking for?

http://images.worthpoint.com/files/pb/779/2098/303.jpg

Yes, that is one type, but the overall concept is the same exact thing with the USA version. I think that is the German type.

However, that is what I am looking for.

Have a link to the company in TN?

Google search shows that many who use them really like them.

Body Cart and Rotisserie | Car and Auto Body Rotisserie

877-283-9755

Accessible Systems, Inc.
104 Minga Dr
Johnson City, TN 37604
423-975-8907
FAX: 423-975-6602
sales@accessiblesystems.com

That's the problem. Folks who like them are most likely like me: They need the device one time, use it, and then re-sell it. Cycle repeats itself. Folks buy them up quickly. So, it's pure luck and timing to find one in time to buy it used. Buying it used for $400 or less, and using it once, and then reselling it for about the same amount of money is a win-win situation. One can completely refurbish their car's undercarriage to like new or better than new without the royal PITA factor.

Isn't there any way of renting one then? (If you only want to use it the once)

I have one of those pictured Liqui Vehicle tilter, made in Germany, very heavy construction. Once someone has one they don't part with them easily!

For any serious underbody work they can only be beat by a full rotisserie, but a rotisserie is bigger, more complicated, and more expensive. I drain the fuel and the engine oil and coolant, tranny fluid, use a sheet of plastic under the brake fluid cap, and remove the battery. You can get away not doing all that if you're only tilting part of the way or a shorter time, but fluids will find a way to leak eventually.

For dealing with scraping wire brushing prior to welding anything on the underside having the work surface in front of you instead of above you is a real advantage in my experience. Of course the car's suspension has to be pretty solid because that's what it will be hanging from.

The actual screw lifting device is very solid and strong, I've welded a 17 mm nut to one of the drive shafts and can use socket chucked in me Hole Hawg to power it up and down. You power the lift up to just beyond where you want it and then place a couple of jack stands in place under the arcs then lower it a bit onto them. I use it on solid pavement or a couple sheets of 3/4" plywood so there is a solid surface for the arcs to rotate on.

There are a number of these type of devices sold in the European markets of varying degree's of quality, the original Liqui is the most robust one I've seen.

Looking at the tool in the link and knowing the Liqui tool, I'd be looking for the Liqui if I could, there is no comparison in the design or quality to that American tool.

Plus it looks like the cost of the American tool is much higher than the $750, if you need an other wheel plate and or if you include the actual lifting device that's another $900. I don't like the fact that the tool is made up of so many small pieces and so many welds, all problematic. A cable operated Chinese winch!

Here is the liquid site where you can see more about it and how it's designed and works it's listed there as 799 Euros still

Liqui - Technik

The TN model comes with one set of wheel disks which is part of the $750 price. I already spoke to Joel, the tech person in TN. Very, very nice guy.

One can buy the winch OR use a cherry picker. The cheapest route is $750 plus shipping, but sometimes cheap is not the way to go when it comes to something important, hint .. Horrible Freight tools comes to mind.

I guess I should have included in the thread if anyone is willing to rent their item OR rent it at their site ???

Unless they have a US distributor, I don't readily see how one would ship something like that and still make it worthwhile (shipping cost plus currency exchange).

799 euro = $1100 USD.

Shipping from overseas would most likely be a show stopper unless I could find a service member who would be willing to claim it as his personal property when he PCSs from overseas. Other than that, you're right about Euro shipping charges.

They do make their way into the USA, but when they go for re-sale on the forums, they disappear in days. That is why the TN company is an alternative.

But, shipping would be another 799 Euros?

Yeah I'm just not feeling the Tenn. device I guess! If you look at the pictures of it in use where he's lifting a pickup onto its side you can see the lifting tower sort of bent over in the direction of the truck as its lifting that one side. I guess that design needs the whole device with the vehicle mounted onto it to sort of scoot over towards the lifting mechanism when it's doing the lift. I'd be a lot more comfortable using a big old tree and a come-a-long or a chain hoist as the lift.

The Harbor Freight Orange paint scheme doesn't help inspire confidence either!

The problem renting something out is if it can't be picked up locally the shipping will be a killer. The Liqui says it's tool is 62 kgs total weight but it also has its lift screw mechanism that is 6 1/2 feet long as well. So realistically even Greyhound shipping will be easily over a hundred I'm guessing.

I would probably be almost cost effective for someone to build one themselves if they could. Aside from the welding the only real difficult part would be bending of fabricating the correct arc of the main parts. If a steel fabricator could bend it that would be great but I'll bet slicing, bending and then welding an arc could be accomplished as well.

It would cost ALOT. I occasionally buy very small and light items in comparision and shipping costs are 50-$60 for a few pounds ...in not so bulky packages.