Homemade car lift for the garage. Description of a homemade car lift. Communities › Dream Garage › Blog

To service a car at a service station, a huge number of tools and special equipment are used, from cheap to expensive, absolutely inaccessible to a private owner or an ordinary car enthusiast. This equipment includes a rather narrow-profile device, which a simple driver can resort to no more than once or twice a year. But there are also those without the use of which it is impossible to carry out repair or maintenance work. These are car lifting devices.

Mobile lift for passenger cars

It is designed to lift vehicle, intended mainly for passenger cars.

The mobility of the structure does not create any dependence on the location of the wheels and axles of the vehicle. The device is easy to store, mobile, and does not take up much space. The structure is made of steel, reliability in operation is guaranteed.
But purchasing new lifts for your own use is unprofitable. Many people try to buy a used mechanism or make a homemade car lift.

If you think about it, the scissor model of the lifting device, as the most reliable, costs from one hundred and fifty to two hundred and twenty thousand rubles. It is especially disappointing to purchase such a mechanism when your old vehicle costs several times less. At the same time, cheap versions of lifting mechanisms are sometimes not reliable.

In order not to spend extra money, let's try to figure out how to make such a device ourselves, having the necessary drawings that can suggest interesting idea, so as not to copy all the dimensions exactly, taking into account the dimensions of your garage.

Equipment requirements

The main purpose of a hydraulic lift is to raise the machine to the required height so that it is convenient to service it. Sometimes this needs to be done to the height of human growth. The second condition is the most basic. The mechanism must be absolutely safe for people and maintain the integrity of your vehicle.

It is necessary to provide a drive system for the lifting device, consider the procedure for controlling, adjusting and attaching the lifting device to the garage floor. It is possible that the model will be mobile so as not to constantly take up free space. It should be noted that to prevent rollovers and injury, many provide the possibility of reliable fixation lifting devices to the concrete floor.

Technological manufacturing features

To make a scissor lift, you will need certain technical skills and necessary details. The platform and base of the structure can be made of channel iron with a U-shaped cross-section. For scissors you will need an I-beam, in cross-section resembling the letter “H”. In addition you will need:

hydraulic cylinders;
bushings;
pumping unit;
a device that distributes forces between both sections.

Positive and negative sides

The main advantage of a homemade lift is minimal financial costs. For your own use, the device will be very useful. A short platform will allow access not only to the body, but also to the bottom of the car, and will provide vertical lifting. The main disadvantages include security and lack of synchronicity in work. When working, you should provide additional measures security.

Low Cost Lift Options

It has already been said above that you can buy a used device, which will still be of high quality and will not require significant cash costs. Sometimes in a garage you can get by with a jack or a traverse, a ditch mechanism, with the help of which many works are performed.
Making a lifting device with your own hands takes a lot of time to find materials and work. Sometimes it’s easier to turn to a car service for help. But if you have decided to do it, there is no need to be afraid of anything - the task is difficult, but completely solvable.

Not every garage can have a viewing hole. But for vehicle repairs it is extremely necessary. That's why the best solution It is considered to make a car lift with your own hands. This is not difficult to do if you have basic skills in working with basic mechanisms.

Types of lifts

Do-it-yourself lifts can be:

screw;
hydraulic;
chain

Based on the method of lifting the car, they are divided into platform, scissor, and fork lifts. Each of them has its own design features. The most popular type is the screw fork type. A long threaded shaft is used as the base. It is made of tool steel and can withstand loads of up to three tons. But making such a lift on your own is almost impossible.

Screw platform lift

In this case, it is recommended to give preference screw type in the form of a platform. To make a lift for a car of this type, the structure is made in the form of rolled elements placed parallel to each other with the ribs down. They are attached to a drive mechanism that ensures the platform is raised.

In these types of lifts, the requirements for shafts are significantly lower. This is explained by the presence of four of them (not two). The main disadvantage of such lifts is the need to use a jack to repair the suspension. This is explained by the fact that the wheels of the car do not hang in the air, but are on the surface of the channels.

Other popular types of lifts

Very often, forklifts and platform lifts for cars are made with a chain drive. In terms of their performance characteristics, they are not inferior to screw ones. But it is quite difficult to make such a design on your own. This is explained by the need to ensure coordinated operation of engines and braking devices.

The scissor type of lifting mechanisms most often operates using a hydraulic drive. But many craftsmen decide to equip them with a screw or chain mechanism, which they most often do with their own hands.

Instructions for assembling the lift yourself

To make a car lift with your own hands, you need to prepare the appropriate materials. Their list includes:

several powerful steel corners;
worm gear. Minimum load capacity – 0.3 t;
metal plate 10 mm thick. You can get it with your own hands from an old machine for working with metal;
bolts;
two powerful chains, where the diameter of the constituent elements is at least 2 cm;
hook;
steel cable 5 mm thick;
two keys with different diameters. You can easily remove it from an old moped yourself.

To make a lift yourself, you need to follow fairly simple instructions:

Steel corners are built into the garage walls. The hood of the car should be placed under them.
A centimeter plate is installed on the corners. It is secured using eight M8 bolts.
The slab will not be monolithically connected to the corners. If necessary, you can easily change its placement.
A worm gearbox is fixed to the surface of the plate.
The key is put on the drive shaft and fixed.
A hole with a diameter of 2 cm is made in the plate, where a chain is inserted, after which its ends are connected.
Another smaller sprocket is mounted on the output shaft and connected to each other.
Two holes with a diameter of 3 cm are made in the plate. A chain is passed through them, putting it on a smaller key.
At the end of the second chain there must be a hook that can support the weight of the engine.

Making your own tipping lift

To make a lift with your own hands, you can use a completely different design scheme. It allows you to create a tipping type device. Such an apparatus consists of several main parts - a shoe, a platform, a rack, a beam system and various connecting parts.

To make a lift, you need to follow simple instructions:

The shoe is made from steel sheet, carefully adhering to the dimensions indicated in the drawing.
The stand for the tipper is formed from 32 corners, 1.5 m long. Squares are assembled from them and welded together.
Several holes are made in the lower part to fix the support pipe.
A platform in the form of a box is formed from a steel sheet. The sides are welded or bent.
A piece of wood is mounted inside the box, which is fixed using fasteners previously inserted into the holes of its ends.
A piece of rubber is installed on the tree.
An eyelet is attached by welding at the bottom of the box.
The upper beam is formed from two 1.5 m corners, welded in the shape of a U-shaped profile.
A metal insert is welded in the middle of the beam for better fixation of the jack.
A rectangular plate of the same length is welded to the resulting U-profile beam to obtain a square pipe.
A plate is welded to one end of the beam (a bushing is attached to connect it to the rear beam), and on the other side - jack guides.
The rear beam is made from four 1.5 m corners. Two square profiles are made from them.
A node is welded in the middle of the rear beam to connect all the beams to each other.
The lower beam is made by ourselves according to the same principle as the previous ones.
Install the jack and stoppers.

DIY car lift - drawing

Lift operating rules

To make a lift yourself, you need to put in a lot of effort. But in order for this unit to work more efficiently, it is necessary to follow all the rules for its operation:

Before using the lift, be sure to remove the bolts that hold the engine and vehicle frame together.
A loop of steel cable is placed under the engine. A lift hook is placed on its end.
Search the circuit.
Over time, the movement will transfer to the drive shaft, which will transmit force to the cargo, which will lead to tension in the cables.
The power unit is lifted slowly and carefully to avoid damage.
After removing the engine using a lift, it is necessary to stop its operation. The load will now be held by the gearbox.
The vehicle can be moved and replaced in its place durable table, which can withstand the load from the engine.

How reliable and safe are homemade lifts?

To make a lift with your own hands, you need to work hard. But will such equipment be safe? Some experts strongly doubt this. On average, a car weighs more than one ton. If the lift has low power or poor quality equipment, there is a possibility of the vehicle falling. This could result in serious injury or even death for the mechanic.

The reasons for the development of such emergency situation are called:

heavy vehicle weight for which the drive or actuator unit is not designed;
incorrect design of the locking unit, made by hand;
destruction of the locking mechanism under heavy load;
Incorrect fastening of the support parts of the car lift.

If you need to make this equipment, you have to use someone else’s drawing or calculate everything yourself. In each case, there is a possibility of serious errors that can lead to irreparable consequences.

Video: Homemade garage lift

Cars tend to break down and require periodic Maintenance like any technique. Access to the bottom in garage conditions often impossible due to the lack of a lifting device. Having all necessary tool With the lift equipped and ready for work, it is possible to replace the consumables of the chassis, transmission, and engine. Despite the fact that the device is in demand when repairing cars with your own hands, purchasing it for use for your own needs is very expensive. Maintenance can be performed no more than twice a year, so it is better to make units and components yourself.

What types of lifts are there?

Lifts come in various designs, differing in the method of lifting the car and the type of drive. For vehicle repairs, three types of drives are mainly used:

chain mechanisms;
screw;
hydraulic systems.

The method of lifting the car plays an important role in the design; a garage lift can be a fork, scissor, or platform design. The most popular are fork screw units, the basis of which is a long threaded shaft made of tool steel. The parts of the unit are capable of withstanding the load of an average car; it is almost impossible to make the mechanism with your own hands, due to complex design forks

The easiest way to make a platform lift with your own hands is using a screw mechanism.

Parallel beams attached to the mechanism are capable of lifting a car weighing up to 3 tons.

Choosing a design

To make a vehicle lifting unit with your own hands, it is important to familiarize yourself with the designs on the market. The cost of finished equipment can be equal to the price of a car. In auto repair shops you can find the most common option - a screw two-post jack; the design can be made with a hydraulic or electric drive. The structure can be made using additional beams, depending on the expected loads.
A scissor lift has a platform and is driven by a scissor-like mechanism. A homemade lift of this type is driven by mechanical force and is lifted by a hydraulic drive connected to an electric motor. Before making such structures, it is important not to forget about safety precautions. During operation, parts may spontaneously fall, which will lead to irreversible consequences. A homemade car lift must be made with a reserve of aggregate power; when using it, it is important to know the mass of the element being lifted.

In emergency situations with a garage lift, locking mechanisms allow you to hold the car. To avoid critical moments, it is necessary to check the condition of the electric motor and hoses. The main problem of making a screw lift with your own hands is the complexity of assembly and manufacturing of the mechanism. Hydraulic parts are expensive to purchase new design inappropriate.

For garage use, a modification of the mechanism is suitable that allows you to lift the car from a certain side. With your own hands, you can make a hydraulic lift that lifts a car at an angle of up to 60 degrees; this design is called a tipper.

DIY garage lift

For use in the garage, it is possible to make a kit for lifting a car with your own hands. You will need the necessary components, tools and plumbing skills.

A homemade lift is made using the following parts:

Steel corners measuring 8x8x1 cm, for making a stable structure.
Worm type gearbox. A new product can be expensive; it is usually selected during disassembly or removed from a non-working mechanism. It is necessary to pay attention to the load capacity, the indicator starts from 350 kg, the transmission force indicator is 60 kg.
A steel plate with a minimum thickness of 1 cm is removed from old equipment.
Set of bolts, mounting hook, star-shaped keys.
Several iron chains with a link diameter of 2 cm or more. Weak chains will not withstand the load, you should pay attention to the quality of the product, some materials can stretch during operation.
Steel cable, 5 mm thick.

Assembly and installation of components occurs in the required sequence, following the proposed instructions. The steel corners are fastened to the walls in the opposite direction from the hood of the car. On top of the corners for the lift, a steel plate is installed with your own hands. The connection is made with prepared bolts. Next, you need to install the worm gear, securing it with a key on the drive shaft. A key of smaller diameter is installed on the output shaft of the gearbox.

Holes suitable for the diameter of the chain are made in the plate, after which the chain mechanism is installed. It is important to pay attention to safety; holes are made in the frame at a certain distance, and a locking mechanism is inserted with them.

Features of operation of such a lift

The use of a worm-type unit during operation is suitable for lifting a car engine or load-bearing parts. The procedure for using a self-made car lift is simple; you must follow these steps:

Remove engine mounts, bolts, nuts.
Afterwards, the steel cable loops are supplied and the structure is coupled.
The drive shaft rotates by turning the chain; with a little effort you can slowly lift the part to the desired position.

After lifting, it is necessary to remove the car from the work area by placing a table under the engine. It is possible to make a stand or table with your own hands; the design must be durable and withstand heavy loads. Convenient to use is a table on wheels, which allows you to move the part in the required directions.

If the car is too big

Repairing large vehicles is not uncommon; wheel size and ground clearance may not allow you to raise the necessary parts to the required height. The process takes place with an assistant, who pulls the part onto a pre-prepared table. The gearbox rotates with the opposite side to the installed element.

Such situations lead to thoughts about improving and modernizing a car lift for a garage with your own hands. It is possible to manufacture a movable structure that will make it possible to move the lifted part to the required distances. It is possible to make an aggregate installation with an electric motor on a reduction gear, in which case it can be a real crane for lifting large-sized mechanisms.

Making a tipper yourself

The tipper is used to raise one of the sides of the car to the required degree. A simpler option that does not require special devices like a gearbox and chains.

The process of making a do-it-yourself tipper includes several stages.

The shoe is made to work as a support for the future jack. It is important to follow the dimensions prepared according to the drawing so that the movement is free.
The lifting stand is made from 1.5 meter long corners, assembly is carried out in the form of squares, fastening welding machine. The racks are used in the amount of two pieces; it is important to take into account the distance through which the beam will travel.
Holes are drilled to attach the support pipe, also required for the locking mechanism.
The platform for the beam is made from a sheet of steel, the edges are bent, then the result is a box to which the sides are welded.
Supporting the car on the opposite side by raising it is done using a self-made structure made of beams. The square profile is made from a long corner corresponding to the car.

If you don’t have time, you can contact specialists who will make a tipping mechanism in the garage if it meets the requirements.

Simple lift for turning the car over

For use in open spaces, it is possible to make a simple lift for turning over a car. The chassis of the car requires maintenance and repair in a timely manner, in the absence of a lifting device or inspection hole This is not possible and work will be stopped.

Using a mini lift in a garage will require the efforts of several people, which can result in the side of the car being damaged. Few dare to repair a car at a strong angle, but in the absence of other options, there is no way out. It can be made by using corners with a cable mechanism from an old winch.

Difficulties in making a lift

Car lift cost in finished form high, but a self-made version can damage a person working under it if the design is unreliable. The weight of the car should not exceed more than a ton; if the structure falls on a person, irreversible injuries can occur.

A homemade car lift is made according to prepared drawings, or versions are used finished products. In the latter case, one has to rely on the author's high computational skills. Incorrect calculation of the base or one of the fastened units can lead to irreversible consequences, at best, damage to the lifted unit.

For a homemade kit, made with your own hands, you will need parts and components, without which assembly is impossible. You can find this type of component in large stores that sell construction equipment. If there are not enough funds for new parts, you need to go to scrap metal collection points and enterprises that write off old parts.

Homemade lifting devices are indispensable tool for a garage where major car repairs are planned. With the help of such an auxiliary device, you can easily remove the car engine, lift the edge of the body, or even the entire car.

Easy to make homemade lifting mechanisms They make work several times easier and faster not only in the garage, but also near the house. They are indispensable for construction and repair, moving construction waste, and unloading heavy loads.

Types of lifting mechanisms

Before you start assembling a garage faucet with your own hands, you should choose which mechanism will suit you best. Load lifting machines belong to a fairly important category of industrial and household equipment. They are designed to move various loads in a vertical or inclined direction. A useful feature for motorists is the ability to move a load suspended on a hook to the side, thereby freeing up space for work. When designing a car lift, it is advisable to supplement it with a similar option - this way you can expand the list of actions performed in the garage.

Acquisition already finished lift entails significant financial expenses, so many garage owners are interested in the question of how to make such a mechanism themselves. First you need to understand what types of devices exist, how they differ from each other, and what functions they have. Classification is made according to various criteria: principle of operation, purpose, type of drive. Let's look at the most common types of lifting machines:

Blocks - manual mechanisms, which use only the strength of human muscles to lift a load. The structure of the block is known from the school curriculum: it consists of a wheel with a recess around it, rotating around a fixed axis. A rope, rope or metal chain passes through the recess. The force required to lift weights decreases exponentially as the number of pulleys in the system increases.
A jack is a simple lever device used to raise one side of a vehicle. Jacks can be either manual or hydraulic, pneumatic or electric.
A hoist is a manual or mechanized device consisting of a system of interconnected blocks. Depending on the number of individual wheels (pulleys), hoists are divided into two-, three-, four-pulley, etc. Maximum amount pulleys that use similar devices— 12. An industrial type of hoist, the pulley block is often used to move cargo on ships.

In addition to standard lifting devices, there are specialized installations:

The telfer is an improved hoist equipped with an electric drive. Thanks to this addition, the power and load-carrying capacity of the mechanism increases, and when the hoist is placed on a horizontal I-beam, it becomes possible to move loads along the room.
The crane is a simple device that works on the principle of a lever. A hook is attached to one end of the lever for hanging a load, and a counterweight is attached to the opposite end. The height of lifting loads largely depends on the position of the mechanism itself, since the length of the lever stroke remains small. Using a crane, you can not only lift weights, but also move them along a trajectory described by the radius of the lever. Often the crane successfully replaces crane, but due to its large dimensions, its use in the garage is not practiced.

What characteristics should a garage lift have?

Since the device will be used in the rather cramped conditions of a standard garage, certain requirements are put forward for it. Firstly, it should not be too large - such a car lift, despite its high power, takes up a lot of space, which is very undesirable for such small area. Secondly, it is recommended to give preference to mechanisms with a small vertical stroke, otherwise you risk running into the ceiling.

The second requirement is carrying capacity. It is calculated based on the types of work for which the car lift is being developed. The dimensions of the mechanism also depend on the purpose. If a regular jack is suitable for regular wheel replacement, then for larger-scale work you will need a car lift with a platform, although for such important actions it is recommended to resort to the help of professional equipment.

Materials and tools

When constructing a garage lift with your own hands, you need to have in your arsenal not only drawings of the future device, but also arm yourself with a set of tools and high-quality, load-resistant materials. First of all you will need:

welding machine;
grinder with cutting wheel for metal;
bolts and nuts for fastening;
steel pipes with a diameter of 40-50 mm;
steel angle or profiled pipe with a cross section of 35-40 mm;
cable;
homemade winch for a garage (you can also purchase it; the factory-produced version will be more reliable).

As the planned homemade garage winch becomes a reality, the list of components for it may change slightly, depending on your specific requirements for the mechanism.

Types of installation
Video

Any equipment is subject to wear and tear, and a car is no exception. But going to a service station can hit your pocket hard, and some experienced drivers can deal with the problem themselves. However, even with certain skills, it is not always possible to repair the car yourself, since this often requires lifting it, and this requires a lift. But this doesn’t stop some car owners, because you can assemble such a mechanism yourself. We will talk further about how to make a car lift for a garage yourself, as well as various details and nuances of this matter.

Types of installation

Before you start assembling a garage lift with your own hands, you need to decide on its type; in order to have an idea of the varieties and their features, it is worth visiting a specialized market where units made at the factory are sold. By looking at their components and features, you can understand whether you can design something similar.

Of the entire assortment, the most common types of lifts that catch your eye are:
Double post:

This is exactly what various workshops often purchase. The car is lifted using a drive - electromechanical (which rotates the threaded shaft) or hydraulic (works under pressure created by an electric motor);

Scissor:

This lift is based on a system of levers that are similar to scissors (which is why they are called that). These same levers also raise and lower the car using hydraulic drives powered by electric motors.

These types of lifts are looked at first, since there are quite a lot of them.

But there are several nuances here.

Firstly, safety must be ensured when assembling the structure. Therefore, it is necessary to create the installation so that it can withstand a weight greater than that of a personal car.

Secondly, such homemade products are quite expensive to make (due to necessary materials) and very difficult. Some components have to be purchased, since they can only be made at the factory. This includes threaded shafts, cylinders, hydraulic hoses, and the like. Most of these parts are very difficult to find, and they are certainly not cheap. Therefore, when designing a lift, car owners, as a rule, choose types that are easier to manufacture.

Tipper: the best option for lifting the machine

So, what kind of homemade lift can you make for your garage, so that the assembly is inexpensive and the operation is no worse than expensive analogues? The fact is that to repair a car, it is not necessary to lift it entirely. Simply turn the car 60 degrees. A type of lift such as a tipper is suitable for this. Its main advantages are simplicity and comparative low cost of production.
How to make such a homemade lift for your garage? To do this, you first need to look at the components of the structure. So, such a unit consists of:

front pillar;
shoe;
three beams (top, bottom and rear);
connection elements.

In order to make all this, you will need to purchase:

4 mm steel sheets;
bushings;
fasteners;
tools for performing tasks such as welding, cutting and drilling.

Once all this has been purchased, you can begin making a garage tipper.

Let's start assembling: shoe, stand and platform for the top beam

We start by making the shoe.

It is made of steel sheet, thereby providing reliable support for the jack. Important point: The dimensions of the lugs must be precise to ensure free movement on the A-pillar.

Let's move on to it, that is, to the stand.

They are made from one and a half meter 32 corners. They need to be collected into so-called squares and cooked. To make cooking easier, you can secure the products with clamps. Two such “squares” are connected by segments of the same corners. The distance should be sufficient to move the upper beam between these same “squares”. Next, holes are often made in the bottom for the support pipe, then several more at the required interval for the “fingers” that will hold the shoe and the upper beam.

Now we move on to making the platform for the beam.

For this, a steel sheet is used, which must have side walls. There are two options here: either simply bend the edges, or weld these same sides. In both cases, you must remember to drill holes. After this, you need to put a piece of wood inside that is suitable in size and fix it through the above holes. Rubber should be attached to the wood, and an eye intended for fastening, as well as stiffening ribs, should be welded to the metal from the bottom. If you did it correctly, then the site is ready.

We continue to assemble the tipper: beams and other necessary parts

It will require two corners, one and a half meters can also be used, maximum 1.7 meters. They are welded into a profile that looks like the letter “P”. A plate is welded inside approximately in the middle to better secure the jack. And finally, a metal plate having the same length and height as the profile is welded to this structure. The result is a rectangular beam - exactly what is needed.

Now one end should be welded with a plate. A special bushing is attached to it, which will provide fastening to another beam, the rear one. Guides for the jack, as well as a bushing intended for stoppers, are attached to the other end by welding.
Now that the top beam is ready, let's assemble the back one. It is needed in order to support the car on the other side, opposite to the one that will tip over.

To make it, you need to take four of the same corners from which the racks were made, and weld two of them into a square profile. Now you need to attach the connecting node in the middle using welding. It is he who connects all three beams to each other. For the manufacture of this very unit, sheet metal is used.
The lower beam is also made from angles, which are also welded into a square profile, and then attached to the rear beam and the front pillar. Now, in order for all this to work, you only need to know how to make and install stopper pins, and how to install a jack. That's it, the garage tipper is done and ready for use. Its lifting force is enough to lift the car on one side and hold it during repairs.