The fact that I am asking this question probably means that I have no business using a lift. But here goes: I gave myself a used two post lift for Christmas and now in May I am lifting my '53 truck for the first time. The bottom of the frame is a good six inches above the height of the running boards and the lift points are too close to the legs to lift on the frame. What is the safest way to place the legs of the lift under the frame? All my ideas seem dangerous. There must be a simple solution. Pictures would be appreciated
Karl
It may not be the easy way, but it is the Cowboy Way - Ranger Doug Beware of the stories you read or tell; subtly, at night, beneath the waters of consciousness, they are altering your world. - Ben Okri 1953 Chevy 3100 1960 Volvo PV 544 1941 Chevrolet Special Deluxe
Hi Karl, I too have a 2 post lift and a 1953 3100. The lift arms of my hoist are telescopic, are yours? For me, the lift points on the truck are quite high so I need to put on the 6" lift extensions. It is not ideal but it works quite safely.
Well the arms are horizontally telescopic, on the ends of the arms are pads on threaded shafts one can rotate upwards. They max out at about 3 inches. I suppose the safe solution is to invest in longer extensions (or whatever can be properly attached to the ends of the arms).
It may not be the easy way, but it is the Cowboy Way - Ranger Doug Beware of the stories you read or tell; subtly, at night, beneath the waters of consciousness, they are altering your world. - Ben Okri 1953 Chevy 3100 1960 Volvo PV 544 1941 Chevrolet Special Deluxe
The safe way to do it is to, as you have guessed, buy yourself a set of longer extensions. Just make sure you lift from a level spot on the frame. Don’t just stack 2X4 or 4X4 on top of your lift arms. That is a hospital trip waiting to happen.ðŸ›
Martin '62 Chevy C-10 Stepside Shortbed (Restomod in progress) '47 Chevy 3100 5 Window (long term project) ‘65 Chevy Biscayne (Emily) ‘39 Dodge Business Coupe (Clarence) “I fought the law and the law won" now I are a retired one! Support those brave men/women who stand the "Thin Blue Line"! Hug a cop! USAF 1965-1969 Weather Observation Tech (I got paid to look at the clouds)
I've been hoping for some sort of MacGyver solution, maybe using a vacuum cleaner and three burned out light bulbs. Where are the answers from the corner-cutters?
It may not be the easy way, but it is the Cowboy Way - Ranger Doug Beware of the stories you read or tell; subtly, at night, beneath the waters of consciousness, they are altering your world. - Ben Okri 1953 Chevy 3100 1960 Volvo PV 544 1941 Chevrolet Special Deluxe
You might be able to have a local welding shop fabricate H-shaped steel extension boxes that would slip over the frame rails and give you a steady point for the lift arms to engage. They don't have to be made of thick metal, probably 4MM thick steel would be plenty strong for a properly designed extender 6 inches tall or so. Let the legs of the extension extend a couple of inches over the sides of the frame rail for stability. Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
I'll look into that, Jerry. I do believe that there are longer extensions on the market. I'll look into the prices. We have a good welding shop here in the village but I would be surprised if they can produce anything cheaper then those extension (made in ???). Thanks for the input, guys.
It may not be the easy way, but it is the Cowboy Way - Ranger Doug Beware of the stories you read or tell; subtly, at night, beneath the waters of consciousness, they are altering your world. - Ben Okri 1953 Chevy 3100 1960 Volvo PV 544 1941 Chevrolet Special Deluxe
Since I do virtually all my own fabrication of things like that, I have a habit of forgetting to factor in labor cost when I consider an option other than just buying a factory part. Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
It may not be the easy way, but it is the Cowboy Way - Ranger Doug Beware of the stories you read or tell; subtly, at night, beneath the waters of consciousness, they are altering your world. - Ben Okri 1953 Chevy 3100 1960 Volvo PV 544 1941 Chevrolet Special Deluxe
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
I've been hoping for some sort of MacGyver solution, maybe using a vacuum cleaner and three burned out light bulbs. Where are the answers from the corner-cutters?
They are all dead.
Right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it. - William Penn
It may not be the easy way, but it is the Cowboy Way - Ranger Doug Beware of the stories you read or tell; subtly, at night, beneath the waters of consciousness, they are altering your world. - Ben Okri 1953 Chevy 3100 1960 Volvo PV 544 1941 Chevrolet Special Deluxe
Faced with your problem, I cut 6'' blocks of wood and using a fostner bit bored holes the same size as the acme threads. I then turned the end plates up side down and screwed them all the way through the extension arm. This exposed about 3'' of threads which fit into the holes holding the blocks firmly.... Well, you did ask for a redneck fix.
I have found a local source for extensions. I like fashioning my own parts but my wife gets terribly nervous everytime I say "I made it myself." I wonder why that is?
It may not be the easy way, but it is the Cowboy Way - Ranger Doug Beware of the stories you read or tell; subtly, at night, beneath the waters of consciousness, they are altering your world. - Ben Okri 1953 Chevy 3100 1960 Volvo PV 544 1941 Chevrolet Special Deluxe
Just use a hardwood dowel rod and lots of amperage. Have a buddy stand by with a good fire extinguisher! LOL! Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truck Follow this saga in Project Journal Photos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
On my Rotary two post lift the arms have a short and long flip up lifting pad which covers most needs but on early cars with the tall running board splash aprons we had to make up taller pads to reach the frame. Our model has a pivot pin on the pad that runs through the arm and is held in place with a snap ring. IIRC the pin has about a 7/8 diameter so we just welded that size pin to a steel box that drops into the factory hole in the arm. We often have to jack up with a floor jack to get the taller stands under the running boards and again to get them off but it is safe.
When I bought my lift I bought 3" and 6" extensions with it. They interlock under the adjustable ones that are on the arms. That gives me a height of 6" and 9". I don't remember the price but they were not much. They are kind of important. I wouldn't mess around with fabbing something up and hope it works, but that's just me.
I have found a local source for extensions. I like fashioning my own parts but my wife gets terribly nervous everytime I say "I made it myself." I wonder why that is?
My 2 cents: Given the investment in the truck so far, and then buying a lift, it seems to me a few hundred extra bucks for the correct extensions is well worth the expense. There are way too many stories with sad endings to take a chance with a back yard engineered work around.
My 2 cents: Given the investment in the truck so far, and then buying a lift, it seems to me a few hundred extra bucks for the correct extensions is well worth the expense. There are way too many stories with sad endings to take a chance with a back yard engineered work around.
Back yard engineered work around? You just described the very essence of hot rodding. That's what we do - V8's in vehicles that were intended to have 4-bangers, different suspensions, modified parts, etc etc. Back yard engineering is why our old cars are still running, any many of them running much better and faster than they were ever designed to run. Home builders addressing deficiencies in parts and products is how new parts and products are discovered and developed. Sorry, but I think any car nut worth his welder can make a part more perfectly suited for a particular purpose than some distant manufacturer who never actually uses his own product ever could. And probably do it much cheaper as well.
Martin '62 Chevy C-10 Stepside Shortbed (Restomod in progress) '47 Chevy 3100 5 Window (long term project) ‘65 Chevy Biscayne (Emily) ‘39 Dodge Business Coupe (Clarence) “I fought the law and the law won" now I are a retired one! Support those brave men/women who stand the "Thin Blue Line"! Hug a cop! USAF 1965-1969 Weather Observation Tech (I got paid to look at the clouds)
