Well, after waiting for Machine Mart to answer my questions regarding their high lift pallet truck, I have found and purchased a better/cheaper one. £180 inc VAT.

This is much better built than the MM one and has full lift of 850mm at 1000kg capacity. As the 7 is 550kg it's well within its limits. The company had kindly loaded a 1000kg pallet to full lift and left it there for me to inspect/check it's capacity.

Only problem is, now I've got to get it out of my van !! It took 4 guys to lift it in !!

I intend to use it to lift the 7 up for maintenance/work on the car. I am in the process of making up some steel trestle stands to take the whole car, the lift is just that, it will lift the car up for the stands to go underneath.

It operates as a standard pallet truck up to 200mm lift and will swivel and pull around the loaded pallet on its HD wheels. After 200mm a pair of HD stabilisers push down onto ground and lift the wheels off whilst stabilising the higher lift. i.e. over 200mm it will not move around.

Once I've got it out of the van I will let you all know if it works out as I intended.
It's not a problem for me if it doesn't, as we need a standard pallet lift in my company anyway.

Is the lift small enough, in its low position to go under the car?

Leigh.

if it goes into a standard pallet, it should slide under aSeven quite nicely!

Like the idea Rob - we have a similar one at work, which could be borrowed on weekends and put to good use.

Nick

Yes, but my seven has got tiny wheels

Thats a top idea - I like it!

But, I'm just thinking that a 550kg car, 800mm in the air, on a base about 600mm wide, it all seems a bit top-heavy?

Have you got plans to modify the pallet truck to make it more stable ?

you want to be careful what the forks are going to be pressing on, and be carful it doesnt press in the ally floor, i assume the forks are not long enough to stick out the other side of the car are they?

another option is to use an engine crane to lift up one end of the car at a time, then slide some steel tresels underneath.

many builders probably have engine cranes already so it could be a minimal outlay soultion!

Ned.

I've never needed to lift my car higher than the jack can lift it. If I need to do anything low down I sit on something while I'm doing it. You just want a new toy don't you, come on admit it .

[Edited on 10/12/04 by Peteff]

quote:

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Originally posted by ned
another option is to use an engine crane to lift up one end of the car at a time, then slide some steel tresels underneath.

many builders probably have engine cranes already so it could be a minimal outlay soultion!

Ned.

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Well here it is. The forks stick through other side of car by 150mm.

What is surprising, is where the centre of the car is. It is very stable and I've shook car around at full lift and it would take a fair bit to topple it.

This is first ram height :-
Rescued attachment Car lift 2.jpg

This is full height lift :-
Rescued attachment Car lift 5.jpg

The whole thing surprised me. The lift is smooth and stable, although quite slow on first lift, speeding up on second lift (Smaller piston). Overall 1 minute to full lift.

The car has a steel floor and it doesn't catch anything. If you had an ali floor it would actually lift the car on the outer steel side rails anyway.

Bear in mind I only want to lift onto trestles to work comfortably on suspension/brakes or underside.

You had yourself a bargain i think Rob!
Only problem will be that you'll get used to this tool very quickly!!!!

So do we get to find out where you get these from or is it top secret?

Ive just been searching around and cheapest i can see was £499! i know someone who could do with something like this so where did you find one for £180?

Mike

No secret, I got it off ebay but not from a bid. I phoned the firm.

Davpack in Derby. I don't have number to hand but will post it later.

quote:

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Originally posted by Rob Lane
No secret, I got it off ebay but not from a bid. I phoned the firm.

Davpack in Derby. I don't have number to hand but will post it later.

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First one of the results. Davpac, Derby, just off ring road, very easy to find from M1.

That's their ad for the full price version.

I purchased one of the paint peeling long fork jobbies. The paint has not stuck to the forks successfully, so they reduce the price.

Ask for Jo if ringing. (She's nice)

[Edited on 20/12/04 by Rob Lane]