I suppose most of this video could be considered 'gotchas' but the width and anchor install are problems worth spending some time/money on. Or, possibly, I'm not very good at things.
Helpful insights, Thanks for posting the video. Using the post as a template didin't work well for me either. But I knew the holes would have to be near perfectly pumb to not cause issues later so what I did was took a piece of the thin plywood crate that the lift shipped in and I cut it out to match the size of the plate and drew circles for the holes with a black marker and then drilled those holes out , then I used the thin piece of plywood as a plate template setting it on the concrete in place of the post. It worked perfectly. I first pre drilled the smaller hole and then stepped it up to the larger bit. My holes ended up perfectly aligned and plumb without the actual post in the way. If the mfg wants to really step up their game they could pre print this "template" on the top of the crate and tell you in the instructions to cut out and use the included template... ;)
Very helpful. thank you. Why don't manufacturers go into this level of detail on a video for their customers. Great that you did this for the community and no real benefit to you other than just being a great guy.
You do know this is made in China like everything we put ours hands on these days right? if that does not answer your question I don't know what will. Thanks to all these you tubers for the insights to help us when relying in Chinese made instructions just fails miserably
I'm putting my setup together and so thankful I watched this video. Really appreciate the time you set aside to make that for us because it'll save a lot of future headaches and confusion. 10/10 Video
Awesome video! I am planning on a near term purchase and there aren't too many videos on the "new" version. You also speak about this stuff in a way that I understand. For example, your explanation of the reason for the width choice now makes perfect sense where I didn't really get it when others just say the width they chose "because I have X car". I actually plan on doing a mock up with the cars in place to make sure I get it right, but I will definitely benefit from you sharing your experience. Thanks!!
I am only passively investigating for a future potential purchase of this lift but this was the best video I watched so far. I like the manner of the presentation
Great video, good tips. Appreciate the tip on the wej-it anchors. $64 for 10 anchors vs the $180 to get anchors with the exact same spec from Bendpak! I plan to get a few so I can use my lift in more than one place (more than one garage). Not sure what means you use to do your videos. If you just use your phone like I often do then maybe try an app like the one I use which allows me to make a video with my phone while recording the audio for that video from my bluetooth headphones. Lets me walk all around and have good crisp audio that does not fade when I am not directly facing the camera. I have a few videos that I really wish I had used this option on that I can't change now or they will lose their priority. The app I use with my android phone is Cinema FV-5 I really like it. Only issue I had with it is that it dumped my videos into a spot on my phone that was rather odd so I initially thought it was not working.
I appreciate the tips for the AV stuff. My old phone let me record audio with a bluetooth device, but my new one will only record with the built in mic (calls work fine with BT devices, but it won't record audio when filming). I used to record with a mic and then overlay the audio, which was a pain, but it sounds like your solution might be a lot easier. Thanks again.
thank you for making this video. i found it helpful as I am in the process of installing my maxjax. i was planning on putting my posts closer together until I watched this. The safety catch tip is good and I will make sure to pay attention to the orientation when I assemble the cart as well.
also 100% correct on the hydraulic fluid capacity. i dont know how they could get something like that wrong in the manual. i dumped in 7q to start and it sounded like the pump was sucking air when i began the bleeding process. 2 gallons wont even get you to the min line of the dipstick. they should pay you to re-write the manual hahah! they can afford it with the price this lift runs. tips I can share: - throw that red bottle of no name thread sealant in the trash. these have a rep for leaking so I didnt chance using that. - the short hose on the cart is going to be weird to install as it slightly too long.. you have to angle the fittings out and bend the hose also i took the fluid divider off to get it on right.
Thanks for the great video. I bought the max jax about 5 yrs ago. The anchor bolts are slipping and not holding anymore. Thought I followed the procedures correctly but maybe not. However, I do not trust these anchors bolts an longer. Want to sent anchor bolts in epoxy. Do you have a recommendation on the epoxy I should use?
Mine have not yet started slipping that I'm aware of, but I think it's a matter of when-not-if. I haven't used them personally, but there is a product called Power-sert (toggler.com/products/power-sert-adhesive-insert-anchor-zinc-plated-carbon-steel) that was recommended here in the comments by @dcad1005 . I need to coat my floor and I plan to upgrade the anchors then. All the other anchors I found are male thread and I can't have threads standing up out of my floor.
Took me a long while to find the anchor place. On the stands, the only car stands with the right height range I found was the Sunex 1410, but they are the pin type. I ended up going with the Vevor Pipe stands (Ebay had the best price). They have the screws and are rated for 2,500 lbs. so with four you've got 10,000 lbs., just designed for pipes and not cars but options are limited unless you want to do some cutting on the higher ones. Again, I have them on order so I can't give a full opinion yet.
I also found that my SUV required a narrower post spacing than my sports car. I think I ended up with 126" outside spacing. I used a rotary hammer drill and it was a piece of cake drilling. I also found that I could drill straight with the post in place.
Looks like my replies to you are getting deleted. I’ll try this way: Yes, female threads as I need them flush with the floor as well. I got them from the anchorco site who also has the epoxy as well. Search Power-sert for the inserts. You will need the 5/8” thread. If you have a damp environment or maybe outside, they have it in stainless as well but will cost a lot more. I did just order so I don’t have them in hand yet but looks like it will do what I want. Also ordered four pipe jack stands elsewhere. Pipe stands because I can’t find anyone who still makes the car stands that have the 30 to 50 in. height range with the top spin adjustments, only the pin type for the car stands. That is just for some added safety/stabilization. As far as the leaks, I have been told the fittings and the sealant are not the greatest made.
Thanks for telling me the name of the product. I found them and I'm happy to see they come in a 10 pack. Perfect for our needs. Can't believe I missed them when I was looking for a similar product. I looked for some stands, but I haven't ordered any yet. I found a couple screw type on Amazon that look like they could be modified to reduce their height, but most of them are 45" min height so you're going to be struggling even if you chop a couple inches from them. I'll have to look into the pipe stands.
Good video. I'm thinking about getting one of these lifts for my Garage as I do all the work and maintenance on not only my car but my wife's and friends as well. I'm getting close to 60 and laying on the floor and bending over is getting harder. I'm considering both a scissor lift and the MaxJax. I'm leaning towards the MaxJax. Even though I'm pretty good at things like assembling, I'm sort of hesitant about the space of the posts and drilling.
My opinion is that if you can successfully do a brake job, you can install the lift. Nothing about the installation is overly hard, not even the stuff I talk about in this video. I made this video because some of it is simply not explained in the instructions. If I had known about the post width, it wouldn't have taken very long to get the measurements. My biggest problem with the scissor lift was that the manufacturers warned to not get under the car when it was on the lift. It was made for doing tires or brakes, not actually working on the hard parts of the car. Ultimately that's what made up my mind. As I get older, I'm going to have to give up pulling engines and replacing clutches, but for now I needed the ability to get under the car.
@@jamesashe oh yeah, I've been around cars since I was a kid back in the 70s . My father was a mechanic for Dodge for 40 years. I worked at the Sears Auto center right out of HS back in 1985. Anyway My ceiling in my Garage is 9 feet I believe and my concrete slab is 10 inches thick. I'm more concerned with pricing of each now that I'm close to retirement and will be living on fixed income. Some of the new scissor lifts are made now to work under. They have big beefy locks. But I do like the maxjax. It's over 2 thousand dollars more. So when I decide, I want to make sure because it's going to be a one time purchase. I don't do heavy work anymore because of a back injury from a car accident a few years ago. These days it's just tire rotation, oil changes, Brakes and rotors, struts, starters and alternators, radiator and general things like that. I did find your video interesting, and informative. I like to know what one could be in for or expect when doing something.
Great video! I missed the holes on the cart also. LOL. Their phone customer service sucks..THey dont know anything....THey told me to go to RU-vid.. I had trouble figuring out how to torque the bolts with the wrenches
Informative video. I had confusion on the spacing of the columns too but thanks to you, I have a much better understanding and seems better to just go the 130 to 135 in. max and should cover just about any size vehicle. I ended up having to put in large footings due to slab thickness but still going with the epoxy anchors by Wej-it as I had concern of the inserts coming loose due to repeated torquing plus I believe they are much stronger anyway. Now Max-Jax sells the epoxy anchors but the kit does not come with the epoxy. Same price, others sell what looks like the same kit including 1 tube of epoxy but looks like it may be Chinese made epoxy. I ended up getting everything I needed from Anchor Co for the same price. Bought 2 tubes of USA epoxy, extra mix tubes and the 10 anchors, delivered for the same price. Do you have any hydraulic fluid leaks from the fittings? Seen some people run into issues with that.
I think you're spot on with what you said about the anchors. Are your anchors female threaded? All the epoxy anchors I found were male thread I can't have the anchors standing proud in my space. Yes, there are leaks at the cylinder connection. I would describe them as 'weeping' There's never anything to wipe up but the base is always oily a couple weeks after you clean it. If memory serves, one cylinder leaked significantly and I redid the connection with teflon tape and a better sealant than came with the kit. I don't think I did it wrong the first time, I just think the included sealant is not very good.
Great video... Maybe you should consider becoming a professional RU-vidr. Thanks for the detailed information, this 25 min video saved me hours of pain!
Very helpful. I'm close to making the purchase and being aware of some of the issues with the documention will hopefully make my install easier. Btw how thick are your floors?
@@ocramidajzj Most I've lifted is about 5k. Truck is listed at 4.4klbs and I assume it's a little heavier. The pad hasn't been a problem, but I think the anchors are starting to pull out. I'll probably have to epoxy them in place in the near future. I'll keep an eye on them going forward, but I'm pretty sure they're slowly pulling out of the holes.
They were when I found them. I didn't know about them until after I got my second install kit. The anchor kit that comes with it is fine, as long as you know what width you need.
over explaining, over discussing, too much verbal posturing, its a 5 minutes video. 1.Make sure you have the correct manual. No need for any stories. 2.Lift base is used as a template, not a drill jig. 3.Measure twice (your vehicles), drill once. 4.Get the right drill for proper anchoring.
So you watched a video you didn't like, couldn't click away, couldn't control your anger enough to catch the details, and in the end just wrote an angry comment trying to diminish the video because you don't have control of your temper? What a good use of everyone's time.
