Car Lift for Conversion

[modellfan]

I want to reflect with you on options to lift my car to get my battery box in and out. I need to lift my car approximitly 70cm to get the battery out. My workflow to unmount the battery is to lift the car, remove the connections and remove except 4 bolts. Place the car with the battery on a roll cart. Loosen the remaining bolts and then lift the car. Currently I am working outside and I can't place anything permanent there, because it is rented. What do you do? What are your ideas?

Car Jack and Jack Stands
Is my current solution. But to lift it up and down is like three hours. It is quite unsafe. Last time my car jumped from the car jack. Fortunatly with minor damage.

Car Table

Axle Table

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Quick Jack
Not enough height

Tire Lift

Poor Mans Tire Lift

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[muehlpower]

I have something similar in a Chinese version. It's heavy, but can still be rolled away. The advantage is that the middle of the car is free underneath. It lifts about 1 m and costs just under €2,000.

[modellfan]

The gap is too narrow for my battery box and probably for most battery boxes.

[GregFordyce]

Do you actually need 70cm, how tall is your battery? I was able to support my van on 4 large axle stands, place the battery on a trolley made from an old door and casters. The casters are tall enough that I can get a floor jack underneath each end of the battery box and the door is thin enough that the battery box will roll under the van. Then I carefully lifted each end of the box while sliding blocks of wood and a pallet between the trolley and the door until the battery was in position.

[nkiernan]

In a similar line to your current setup, these additions can be handy. Diy ramp and removable centre section so can can be driven onto the four wheel stands...then remove the ramp and mid section.

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[muehlpower]

I use a lifting platform, as shown. First, I lift the car and place jack stands underneath it. Then I lower the platform and slide the battery under the car. Next, I lift the battery with the platform and bolt it to the car.
The platform is installed flush with the floor in my case.

[WillK]

I've just picked up a pair of these from cj autos. Easy to move about and store, and maintains access to the underside.

Will probably end up getting a second set if they work out well.

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[MattsAwesomeStuff]

I think some 2x8s to build some ramp risers is probably the cheapest way to go.

Commercially, Quick Jacks would be the way to go. A cousin of mine ran his mechanic side hustle with those until he could afford a taller garage and to install a lift. Bonus, if you don't need them, you can probably buy them used, and then sell them for probably the same amount you paid for them.

You can probably buy quick jacks cheaper than you could buy steel stock and make a contraption yourself.

If you don't like your 2x4 crib stack, I'd just make a bigger base and some triangulation to support it better. And split the stack so you're not doing the whole lift at once.

[modellfan]

I finally decided for the tire lift. Here is my reasons for it. A Lifting Platform has not enough clearance between both sides for a battery box and some metal in the way on the ground to remove the battery on furniture wheels. A ramp does not lift the car enough for the battery and a ramp especially can’t lift the car vertically from a unscrewed battery. Both car table and axle table need a connection rod between both sides where my battery is. Quickjacks would be a good solution for cars with flat batteries except the also horizontal movement when lifting the car from the battery but my Porsche 986 battery is 75cm in height. So I went the way for tire lift. 800kg per side possible. 250€ for each. Now I tested the full battery unmount procedure and I can fully recommend it. The whole lifting stuff without wiring and coolant connections can be probably done in 15min. My procedure:
1. Lift front axle both sides and Place it on wooden stands. Because you lift it on the tire , you don’t have movement of the axles to the side which made it kind of dangerous before with a normal jack stand. This always pushes the upper side of the wooden stands outwards.
2. Lift the rear axle on the wooden stands.
3. place the tire lifts on the lateral position of the battery box.
4. connect both tire lifts by metal tubes
5. lift the battery box with wooden blocks on the metal tubes slightly out of the cars suspension.
6. unscrew the battery box and disconnect all cables.
7. lower the battery onto a furniture cart and remove the metal tubes to the side
8. (only for such a high battery box as mine , lift the rear axle to 100cm)
9. remove the battery box to the rear with a rope to not go under the car when not on the wooden stands
10. lower the rear axle on the wooden stands and remove the tire lifts

Mounting the battery is in reverse order.