alpine50z

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92K1500

iTrader: (1)

I will not be buying one.

bealljk

iTrader: (13)

that's pretty slick - for as inexpensive it can be to get a provisional patent I would consider looking into a patent on that. Look at legalzoom or something like that. I have a midrise lift (I can't really install a 2 post) but I still find myself using my floor jack for performing a handfull of tasks on my z. If I were going to buy a floor jack and it was between the traditional type and yours I would buy yours.

hat-tip for pushing the envelope!

92K1500

iTrader: (1)

I use the OEM screw jack any time I have to lift my car up and I can't get on my buddy's 4 post.

mr. sparco

iTrader: (13)

Cool idea.

dkmura

iTrader: (64)

I'd concerned about the stability/durability of this jack near the small front wheels. While it's a clever idea, the gap in the lift point and the front section of the jack might be a concern. The rest of the jack body will have to be overbuilt as the weight of the car will be trying to press both sides of the jack apart with fewer structural supports holding them together.

My other concern about trying to develop and market a product like this would be from a legal standpoint. Who would you turn to if a jack failed and you had a lawsuit filed against you or your LLC?

Jennifer 2

This is a very clever idea, with cars trying to save weight in an attempt to be more fuel efficient, the number of jack points will be smaller, fewer and less reinforced.

Mr 92K1500’s statement kinda proves the point. If you use the screw jack etc on the small pinch weld lift point to raise a corner of the car, how do you get a jack stand into the same place?

To Dkmura’s point about the front section adjacent to the front wheels not having a cross beam boxing and reinforcing the front of the jack: Could the front wheels, their attachments and the supporting steel just be made extra thick and strong. Should be easily enough to test out before production.

SmoothZ

iTrader: (13)

I like the idea. However, I place my jacks in a different position. The point of contact sits longitudinal when I use them. With that being said, the lift would be cooler if you could make it into a swivel.

alpine50z

bealljk, thank you. mr. sparco, thank you. Thanks to Jennifer and smooth Z for the comments!

dkmura: You raise valid points and my main concerns. It would need to be engineered by a proper structural engineer and tested to meet industry standards. The liability issue is lurking and should be an issue that all the current companies that sell into the market have to work with. I would like to think that it is safer as it promotes the use of known/OEM specified lift points...again...good points.

myfirstzcar

I like the idea of getting a jack stand in there like that, but most jack stands aren't worth a poop on 350z pinch welds, with the way they're (the jack stands) designed. I literally cannot use a jack stand on my pinch welds because they have that deep groove in them that won't contact the pinch welds before contacting my plastic rocker pieces.

As for the jack, you have a potential safety hazard there, with just a smooth plate on it like that.

bealljk

iTrader: (13)

DK brings up a good point but to each of them I say that it's a small hurdle if you take a step back...if you move forward with this idea of course it'll be engineered, and by engineered I mean extremely over-engineered just like any other floor jack that is on the market. I think there is more liability in the jack stand than in the floor jack.

And of course theres a legal aspect of this but it's all been handled before - what have automotive tool companies have been dealing with the last 30years.

alpine50z

myfirstzcar, thanks for the input. You cannot really see it, but I have a .25" groove cut in the plate, but that aside...what you see in the visual is not what the final product would be. It would resemble a typical cup. I just didn't have the resources to do it at the time I made it.

alpine50z

bealljk. Thank you as well! I think you understand where I am at. The next step is to have it fully engineered. I have quotes from legitimate 3rd party engineering firms. With CAD programs they can simulate a load and get a pretty solid understanding how rigid the design is. I would then get a new prototype made and have it tested under the industry standards. But these are big hurtles and cost a lot of money. That is why I am throwing it out here...to see if going out one my own is completely insane or not.

bjr

It's a little dark under your car but it looks like you are lifting on the pinch weld and yours looks bent?
You should lift on either side if you don't want to damage that weld.
I use this. Haven't damaged anything since the day I bought it.
http://www.eastwood.com/floor-jack-a...odel-cars.html

I don't see any relief cuts in your device for the weld to drop into. So how is it any different than the lifting surface most jacks come with (cup with fingers around it spaced like a castle turret/corner)?


I know it probably works for you better than anything else you've used but I don't get it. I must be missing something


Just read again and you do have a groove. Hard to tell, it is so dark under there...

billydabiller

I saw where someone took some 2 x 6 board 1st 4' 2nd 3' 3th 2' and 4th' one foot then you just drive your car up the boards and you can use any floor jack where it's suppose to be jacked up from. Oh yeah put a piece of 2 x 6 on the front so you don't drive off the dang things.

POS VETT

Sears used to sell something like this several years ago; it never took off.

Personally I don't like using a pinch weld location to lift and/or support. I resort to other methods utilizing a hockey puck or a piece of wood to prevent marring. I believe there is a polyurethane jack stand slip-on for pinch weld support in the market somewhere.

beezee

iTrader: (19)

I use hockey pucks too with slits cut to avoid the pinch weld

beezee

iTrader: (19)

I made some of those too

Koolsilver

Definitely like the idea, may be better ways to accomplish the same goal while making it stronger. But what you have seems like a good start. If it was proven and it was priced competitively with other jacks I would buy it, probably would be worth a 10-20% markup to me.

myork

iTrader: (5)

Looks like somebody was thinking like you: