Bike Lift

[BigWeld]

As I'm getting too old to bend down these days I decided to make one of these:

 

[BigWeld]

more pics

more pics

 

[chunkolini]

Tidy, looks as though it does the job, and I liked the idea of using the trolley jack rather than fannying about making a specialised thingy. Is there clever maths in getting the top of the trolley jack to follow the load bearing tube (does that make sense?) or is it just rule of thumb?
And what a great organised clutter surrounding it, takes years to get that effect.

Chunko'.

 

[Paul.]

Very good, It looks similar to the ones I used to make, A couple of safety struts would be a good addition, rather than relying on the jack

 

[stormin]

Tidy, looks as though it does the job, and I liked the idea of using the trolley jack rather than fannying about making a specialised thingy. Is there clever maths in getting the top of the trolley jack to follow the load bearing tube (does that make sense?) or is it just rule of thumb?
And what a great organised clutter surrounding it, takes years to get that effect.

Chunko'.

Looks like he's allowed enough back and forward float for the jack within it's channels. If the jack was to be fixed the lower pivot points for the side arms would have to be inline with those for the jack arm.

 

[Dangle_kt]

tidy job!

 

[Hitch]

Like it

 

[BigWeld]

Jack float is key to it's operation:

see pics

the disorganised clutter has taken years to perfect! believe it or not it was worse before I built my new workshop old shop had the same clutter but half the space

 

[BigWeld]

Very good, It looks similar to the ones I used to make, A couple of safety struts would be a good addition, rather than relying on the jack

Struts are just what it needs, youre pics show box sections which look ideal what sizes did you use.

Cheers

Paul

 

[Arsonista]

I'm getting too old

You gave yer age away by writing all the dimensions in imperial.

Very nice job. Keep promising meself one.

 

[rory1]

thats giving me ideas for a scaled up model to put a light car on now. might have to get the calculator and the books out and do some calcs.....

 

[BigWeld]

You gave yer age away by writing all the dimensions in imperial.

Very nice job. Keep promising meself one.

Thank you

Old habits die hard can't get into this new metric stuff lol

 

[BigWeld]

thats giving me ideas for a scaled up model to put a light car on now. might have to get the calculator and the books out and do some calcs.....

Nice thinking, you could perhaps use two of these lifts in parallel reduced in width to suit the track of a car.

 

[rory1]

Nice thinking, you could perhaps use two of these lifts in parallel reduced in width to suit the track of a car.

great minds think alike!! i just came to that conclusion aswell, and it would be easyer to store/shift around two smaller ones.

 

[TheJoker]

This is very nice! A bike lift is one of the project that I want to do one day. How much did you plan ahead? Did you have plans? Or did you just do it by experience and eye?
Great work!

 

[BigWeld]

This is very nice! A bike lift is one of the project that I want to do one day. How much did you plan ahead? Did you have plans? Or did you just do it by experience and eye?
Great work!

Some estimation of quantities done but nothing too precise, no plans other than some "fag packet" sketches lol had a good look around at some of the bought ones to get some idea of popular dimensions this panned out at 86" in length and 24" width for the top & 72" x 24" for the base.
Fixed uprights were 6" giving a finished (lowered) height (with plywood top & castors) of around 11".
When fully raised it sits at 38".

Parts list:
3x 7.5M bars of 50mm x25mm x3mm box section
around 6' of 50mm x 4mm angle (jack holder)
22" 50mm x 6.5mm tempered tube (main pivot)
Bag 12mm stainless bolts from Screwfix
Odd tube bits for the Bushings
Odd bits 1" flat bar for the lugs to hold on the top
Old 5 ton trolley jack
8'x4'x3/4" sheet exterior grade ply

 

[TheJoker]

Brilliant!!
Do you have any more pictures or description of how you've done the pivots/bushings? That's a question I've been meaning to ask; How to do pivoting points? Tube and shouldered bolt?

 

[Rusty]

Very nice work

 

[Paul.]

Struts are just what it needs, youre pics show box sections which look ideal what sizes did you use.

Cheers

Paul

Sorry missed your post yesterday, the support struts on mine were 1.5" x 1.5" x 14 swg erw for the outer sleeve, and 1.25 x 1.25 x 14swg erw for the inner, holes drilled at 50mm centres, the frame on mine was all 1.5" x 1.5" erw, to suit the available tooling on the bender. the jacking frame was made from 40 x 40 x 3 shs, with a cross tube from 42.4 x 3.2 chs,

 

[BigWeld]

Sorry missed your post yesterday, the support struts on mine were 1.5" x 1.5" x 14 swg erw for the outer sleeve, and 1.25 x 1.25 x 14swg erw for the inner, holes drilled at 50mm centres, the frame on mine was all 1.5" x 1.5" erw, to suit the available tooling on the bender. the jacking frame was made from 40 x 40 x 3 shs, with a cross tube from 42.4 x 3.2 chs,

Thanks Paul,

The frame on mine uses 50x25 so i will have to use 25x25 to make it look something like but as thats a bit on the slender side for my liking I might go for solid bar to fit inside it.