Car Lifts

[Nebuchadnezzar]

It's really nice knowing someone with a car lift, it really is.

For instance, I'm going to be doing some work on my truck and while all of it can be done on the ground, having the truck lifted in the air is going to be much easier to get done and it's going to save me so much money doing it myself.

I need to replace the 
passenger side lower ball joint
Passenger side upper control arm
Front brake pads and rotors
Front struts and springs

All parts cost just under $500.00 from Rock Auto's Dailey Driver parts and take me about maybe 3 to 4 hours if I take breaks and drink a lot of pop having to use the bathroom a lot.

Now, if I were to get this work done at a garage, they would keep my truck for a couple of days and charge my close to $3,000.00...just guessing here since I do all my own auto repair and maintenance.

It is really nice having a car lift.

[*bfine32*]

(07-17-2017, 07:28 PM)Nebuchadnezzar Wrote: It's really nice knowing someone with a car lift, it really is.

For instance, I'm going to be doing some work on my truck and while all of it can be done on the ground, having the truck lifted in the air is going to be much easier to get done and it's going to save me so much money doing it myself.

I need to replace the 
passenger side lower ball joint
Passenger side upper control arm
Front brake pads and rotors
Front struts and springs

All parts cost just under $500.00 from Rock Auto's Dailey Driver parts and take me about maybe 3 to 4 hours if I take breaks and drink a lot of pop having to use the bathroom a lot.

Now, if I were to get this work done at a garage, they would keep my truck for a couple of days and charge my close to $3,000.00...just guessing here since I do all my own auto repair and maintenance.

It is really nice having a car lift.

 Thought the thread was going a different direction. Thought it was going to be about lift kits. In that vein when I was running things in the Tri-County area we "jacked up" the back ends of out cars. Some folks used Air shocks however, those of us not on daddy's dime used things called shackles that we attached to the leaf springs.

As to the OP: we were able to do that an other modifications at a Gas Station at the Sharon Rd exit of 75. Old school gas station rented lift by the hour. 

[Nebuchadnezzar]

(07-17-2017, 11:58 PM)bfine32 Wrote:  Thought the thread was going a different direction. Thought it was going to be about lift kits. In that vein when I was running things in the Tri-County area we "jacked up" the back ends of out cars. Some folks used Air shocks however, those of us not on daddy's dime used things called shackles that we attached to the leaf springs.

As to the OP: we were able to do that an other modifications at a Gas Station at the Sharon Rd exit of 75. Old school gas station rented lift by the hour. 

Do you know why many kids liked the rears jacked up on their cars back in the 70's and 80's, me being one of them?

Because of Moonshine and the guys who hauled the stuff.

Moonshine runners put heavy duty truck leaf springs on the rear axle so that the car would look normal when hauling a couple hundred gallons on moonshine across county and state lines. They also had bigger engines in them that could outrun the police while carrying that extra weight.

This is also how NASCAR got started as well. Drivers would get together and race to see who was the better driver and the rules back then were nonexistent.

EDIT: By the way, I hate NASCAR. It is the most boring sport next to tennis and baseball. Now Rallysport and drag, now that's fun.

[Sabretooth]

OP it is great to be able to work on your own vehicles when needed. I too try to do as much as possible on mine.A friend of mine in N.C. dug out a pit in his garage, including steps, reinforced the sides, to enable him to walk and work under the vehicle when parked over the pit.I thought that was a touch of genius.
Good luck on your repairs, rock auto is fantastic.

[*michaelsean*]

Before a lot of our times they used to have car lift bays like they half self-serve car washes now. My guess is the liability caused them to go away.

[XenoMorph]

(07-17-2017, 07:28 PM)Nebuchadnezzar Wrote: It's really nice knowing someone with a car lift, it really is.

For instance, I'm going to be doing some work on my truck and while all of it can be done on the ground, having the truck lifted in the air is going to be much easier to get done and it's going to save me so much money doing it myself.

I need to replace the 
passenger side lower ball joint
Passenger side upper control arm
Front brake pads and rotors
Front struts and springs

All parts cost just under $500.00 from Rock Auto's Dailey Driver parts and take me about maybe 3 to 4 hours if I take breaks and drink a lot of pop having to use the bathroom a lot.

Now, if I were to get this work done at a garage, they would keep my truck for a couple of days and charge my close to $3,000.00...just guessing here since I do all my own auto repair and maintenance.

It is really nice having a car lift.

It really is my Mechanic has 2 car lifts..  Just did all my Brakes rotors and Calipers...   (hes having me do it pretty much so I get really cheap labor and get to learn how to do it...)

Next up  both my Lower control arms need replaced.   And my other car needs an Alternator and a belt

[Nebuchadnezzar]

You know what's really surprising is how cheap a two post lift that will lift up to 10,000 lbs is. I looked them up and it's only a couple grand. The problem is having the room to install one.

I love working on cars. I've helped friends and family build so many "Hotrods" or change a water pump, alternator, starters, brakes, shocks and struts, exhaust. Just so many things done to others cars but never have I ever built my own "Hotrod".

I want to build my wife a Nova SS. She really likes that body style.
I want to build myself a 1970 Mustang with a 351c and do what needs to be done to get 750hp.
I also want a 1973 Ford Falcon and build the car Mad Max drove
I also want to build a Chevelle SS
I really want a 1968 and 1969 Camaro SS

There are so many cars I want to build but don't have the money to even get a "Project Car" so it will always remain being a dream.