Lifting a Vehicle over a Pit

[RetroPug]

I have an inspection pit in the garage. I am looking for a lifting solution to raise the vehicle whilst it is parked over the pit. This is for two reasons:

1. The pit is shorter than the vehicle, so you cannot get in unless the vehicle is not fully over the pit, which requires it to be sticking out of the garage.
2. For wheels off work, the vehicle needs to be lifted, you can get a trolley jack under the sill, but then you cannot put an axle stand under the subframe as this is over the pit. You could put an axle stand under the sill, which is what I'd like to do, however this brings me to my question, how to lift the vehicle and get an axle stand under the sill.

This type of ramp would lift at the wheel, but then the ramp would be in the way of the axle stand. Does anyone know of any similar to that but where the "ramp" part is removable? Or just the lifting platform part available for sale? as I could then lift the vehicle on the sill with a trolley jack, get the platform under the wheel, raise that further and then lower it onto an axle stand on the sill. I could of course buy something like this and cut away the ramp and then brace the platform more but I'd rather buy something out of the box and save myself the hassle if the option exists.

This would probably work well for the purpose, but seems to be quite overkill for raising a car onto axle stands, especially given the price.


I might just about be able to get the trolley jack on the tie-down loop on the inside of the wheel arch but I don't like using this as it is not intended as a jacking point, plus this would be very borderline on the edge of the pit so not very safe, even though there are thick boards over the pit this doesn't seem like a great option to me.

Any further suggestions?

[toseland]

is there no way you can fashion something like that which they have on the 4 post ramps at some garages? (ie a thing that bridges the sides of the ramp that you can maybe use to jack up the vehicle via the subframe and then put the axle stands in the usual places?

got to be cheaper than that malarky

[allye]

You're thinking of a jacking beam, bloody expensive things.

[RetroPug]

Ah yes, I forgot to discuss jacking beams in the OP. You can buy them, but they are expensive, and I'd have to lie on the floor and reach into the pit to operate it under the car somehow as I cannot get in there when there is a vehicle above it. Also, that would be resting on the edges of the pit, which is a DIY build by a previous owner. It looks solid but I'm not sure I'd want 50% of the vehicles weight on the edges of it with me sitting inside it. There'd be a risk of collapse.

[allye]

If that was me on a budget I'd use a sheet or thick steel/chequer plater etc to slide over the end of the pit, then slip a low entry jack under and jack entire front or rear up, if you place a good full size jack under the subframe or rear beam you can lift both wheels off with one jacking action quite safely.

Only in for ~£100 then.

---

And agree, I would not be using a jacking beam on anything other than the metal edges of a ramp designed for it.

[darrenjlobb]

You just need a pit jack...Can pick up second hand ones for very little...Just straddles the pit much like a 4 post ramp jack does, like you see them use on MOT...

[RetroPug]

You just need a pit jack...Can pick up second hand ones for very little...Just straddles the pit much like a 4 post ramp jack does, like you see them use on MOT...

As above, I didn't build the pit and I can't be sure the edges would be strong enough. I've used them many times on commercial pits and ramps but those are definitely strong enough and won't collapse on me.

If that was me on a budget I'd use a sheet or thick steel/chequer plater etc to slide over the end of the pit, then slip a low entry jack under and jack entire front or rear up, if you place a good full size jack under the subframe or rear beam you can lift both wheels off with one jacking action quite safely.

Only in for ~£100 then.

---

And agree, I would not be using a jacking beam on anything other than the metal edges of a ramp designed for it.

Great idea, you are 100% right, I'd just need some thick steel plate, it wouldn't have to have a large surface area, just enough to go under either the front subframe or under the rear beam area. Very easy to source and much less expensive than lifting equipment.

I'd still welcome further suggestions but I think I'll be doing this. Most suppliers would even cut it to size assuming I don't "repurpose" something.

I could even weld a web on the bottom for increased stiffness in the middle if the middle was dipping.

Thank you!

[darrenjlobb]

Just pulls the lips all the way out on pit jack so its sat on the floor itself rather than the very edges...should be fine then...

[allye]

A pit jack still doesn't solve the issue of getting in the pit.

[welshpug]

make pit longer or cover it.

[tigerstyle]

How useful is a small DIY pit?

[RetroPug]

I'm just going to use a cover that is strong enough to take the trolley jack on the subframe near the edges of it.

Lengthening the pit would be quite an undertaking compared to figuring out a way to get axle stands under the vehicle safely.

A pit jack could be made to work as above but it is still not that cheap for a second hand one and then it is quite a way under a fairly low 306, and then once I get it jacking the front up, it is in the way of me getting in.

Thanks for the suggestions.

[toseland]

Pit jack... you can have the hydrolic line anywhere in theory, mayber something to look into?

[Chris306]

We use a steel bridger across the pits at work, 10mm plate with strengtheners they rest in about 2 or 3 inch either side, we happily work all day with the 30ton coaches sat on them. If you not certain on the edges of the pit then why not cut edges further out so you've got more area to sit something on, at most it's only goin to have 2 ton spread across 4 point of contact anyway

[RetroPug]

I ordered steel checker plate, won't be putting load in the middle, just jacking on the subframe near the edges of the pit so should be fine.

[toseland]

would use the smooth side, chequer pattern might inhibit the movement of the rollers on the jack if you're using a trolley jack..

not a huge issue mind

[Dum-Dum]

Why not use a 1 tonne transmission jack to lift the whole car from under the subframe and then support it with stands on the sills and push the tranny jack to the far end of the pit?

[allye]

Still need to get in the pit to start with!

[RetroPug]

Still need to get in the pit to start with!

This, plus I already have a trolley jack & axle stands. You cannot access the pit with the vehicle over it, unless the vehicle is partially out of the garage, which doesn't work for jobs I want to do in stages.

[Dum-Dum]

Simples, get the car 90% over the pit, leave the handbrake off, get in the pit then pull the car all the way over and then jack it up and crawl out the gap once it's up.

[Danny Wideboy]

Simples, get the car 90% over the pit, leave the handbrake off, get in the pit then pull the car all the way over and then jack it up and crawl out the gap once it's up.

Seems legit, safety first and all that.

[RetroPug]

Simples, get the car 90% over the pit, leave the handbrake off, get in the pit then pull the car all the way over and then jack it up and crawl out the gap once it's up.

Seems legit, safety first and all that.

You cannot get the vehicle 90% over the pit with the garage door closed, plus the floor is not completely level.

In principle, yes I could do this with the door open, crawl out, close the door, crawl back in etc. etc. However this is a faff and secondly, I would still have no way of jacking the car up and then supporting it with an axle stand as well for wheels off work.

[welshpug]

f*ck being under a car in a pit with no escape route.

that's rule one of using a pit.

[Danny Wideboy]

Aye, hence the slight* irony in my post above.

[Dum-Dum]

How about fitting the innards of a few freezers in the pit, drive car in, fill pit with water, freeze water to solid cube of ice, jack car up on solid ice, support on stands on the sills. Let the ice melt, pump out the water et viola. Problem solved.

[RetroPug]

f*ck being under a car in a pit with no escape route.

that's rule one of using a pit.

Yes, so jobs that don't require jacking I can have the car 50% over it with an escape route, and jobs like wishbone changes I want to be able to jack the car up but probably won't be in the pit as I'd be wanting access from the side anyway.

[Danny Wideboy]

How about fitting the innards of a few freezers in the pit, drive car in, fill pit with water, freeze water to solid cube of ice, jack car up on solid ice, support on stands on the sills. Let the ice melt, pump out the water et viola. Problem solved. 

This man is actually a genius. 
Somebody give him a cigar.
All the time,  the solution was so obvious.

[toseland]

problem is water is most dense at 4degrees., so you would need to fill the water in at 4degrees to get maximum capacity.. even then it wont expand a Huge amount,

even then you are only looking at about an 8-9% increase in volume given the amount.. that's not much

[P-Courty]

Any of these any good?
As mentioned earlier the jacking part without the ramp in the way
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cXCvq6DNJi0
or

[Chris306]

How about fitting the innards of a few freezers in the pit, drive car in, fill pit with water, freeze water to solid cube of ice, jack car up on solid ice, support on stands on the sills. Let the ice melt, pump out the water et viola. Problem solved.

This is absolutely the most stupidest clever things iv ever read, you sir are a legend