Paul, it's a great thought. I debated it myself simply for alignment purposes. The trouble is, having a cross bar/s would possibly foul exhaust components or crossmembers if it attached to the portion of the Quickjack that lifts. If there was a way to attach to the lower portion, then really the only downside is that using a creeper underneath would be very challenging.
Dad !! Excellent Vid !! BUT →My 2 lifts will not come down (with no weight on them) on initial setup. What could that be ??? A serious problem? Any Ideas?
I bought the QJ-7000TLX based on your video. Setup and bleeding when smoothly and it functions as advertised. But there is a warning on page 36 of the operation manual. It states "You must always use axillary safety stands under the vehicle while elevated on both Quickjack frames". I know safety is everything but is the locking mechanism suspect for QJ to include this warning? Defeats the whole QJ selling point. To me it's saying QJ is safe but it's not safe, use jack stands too. I still haven't got a clear answer from them when I called.
Its a legal lability which is why the have the warning label. If someone messes up the installation and the locking mechanism fails and the person dies then they will get sued, by them saying you need auxiliary jack stands its their way of covering themselves.
With respect to the jack points not aligned, have you tried using the lift set 90 degrees to conventional? That is, use one lift on the front and one lift on the back? (Versus using one lift on each side). I’m considering doing this since my 7000 is not long enough for my BMW X3 jack points.
I haven't played around with scissor lifts yet but know a few people have used them and liked em. Basically every lift option comes with pros and cons. I will say, one of my all-time favorite garage builds is where a dude put an indentation into his garage floor that places a scissor lift (with a cover) flush with the floor height. He then can lift his porsche with it. It's slick. Look up "12 gauge garage". So far, I really like my QJ.
Appreciate your reply. It's more of i think I feel more comfortable under a scissor lift just because it looks so sturdy. But the qj would be good since I'm limited on space, height, and can't put the lift in ground. I'll decide soon. Thanks.
I Have a few blown disks and working under a scissor lift at 6.2 is not great. The QJ lets me work laid back on a creeper. I have the topside creeper as well also very nice support when working over top.
I have the TL model and I'd say it's ok, but only if you're lucky and get one without a defective air cylinder. If you do get one of those you're screwed - the company will 100% not stand behind their product. They'll claim the air-assist down isn't "necessary to the function of the lift". Really? So if one side has air assist down and the other doesn't, and they drop unevenly, that's safe? And then when the vehicle drops to the ground ground and one side of the lift goes straight to the full down position while the other... doesn't. You need to wait... and wait... and wait for it to drop with no weight on it. Quickjack will claim this "is normal operation" and that "it will get better over time". If you invest a massive amount of time trying to get them to stand behind their product they will, eventually, after burning through every once of customer goodwill, send out a new cylinder. Yay! Until you get the replacement and the freakin' air side is literally capped off. Like intentionally made unusable. That's not a fix guys. Then they'll claim that the engineers decided the down-assist wasn't necessary and that they've changed the design on future models. But I didn't buy a future model with less functionality. I bought the current model with exactly the functionality I wanted, was promised, and paid for. Whatever. Too much time wasted on it already - I've written off the entire company as another skanky marketing hack with no integrity. I still have it in my shop, but the company worked very hard to make me regret my purchase and it low-key pisses me off every time I look at it. And honestly the setup is inconvenient enough that even when I do pull it out - warts and all - it happens very rarely. Only when I have a longer term project where I know the vehicle will be on the lift for a week or two. Definitely not for things like oil or tire changes. It's just way quicker to use a floor jack.
Oh no! That sounds like a terrible experience:( for whats its worth maybe I can teach you some things about the QuickJack: The air bottles literally have no function when lowering a QuickJack with weight. The air bottles are inflated with approximately 50 PSI generating a little force downwards, while a vehicle will generate 1500 PSI downwards. Even with smaller objects like boats, lawnmowers etc you do not need the air bottles. Meaning there is not any difference when lowering UNTIL the vehicle hits the ground and the QuickJack frames have to lower by them selfs. That’s when the air pressure might help a little. However over the year the seals of the cylinders will wear in and the jack will come down easily without this air bottle help. And before that happens, you can just simply push with your foot on the frame (bc you are already standing there) and it will come down all the way immediately: Now personally ;) I would go with a low viscosity fluid (like iso 32 hydraulic) which seems to flow a lot better. Also if you are expiring unequally lowering WITH weight, you might want to check for air, obstructions and other issues. Its usually some teflon you’ve put in a fitting by mistake. You can always try to switch hydraulic hoses to see if an obstruction moves to another location. Good luck buddy, can’t be that hard!
One comment, if you look at the geometry of the jack from the side, you'll see a triangle is formed, with the base on the ground and the hydraulic cylinder and the frame piece. This is the 'strong' end of the jack, the triangle. Having that under the heaviest part of the vehicle is somewhat important, IMO. The reason I lift my C8 vette with the yellow advisory label to the rear of the car. I have the 'short' 7000 version and I use the jacks to raise the car to clean wheels. The next comment is on the motorcycle lift you video'd. I'm in the process of building that and if it were a little wider, I think it would lift both my Harleys at the same time. Tour bus with only two wheels? LOL!
wow thanks. I did not even think about how it moves if it's not parallel.
Same.
My tip. Upgrade to a mid rise scissor. It’s not that much more money and allows real work to be done.
Are you talking about a scissor lift for both motorcycles and cars?
I wonder why a side-to-side stabilizer type bar isn’t thought of, to lock the two units together and avoid any tipping hazard. HUH!
Paul, it's a great thought. I debated it myself simply for alignment purposes. The trouble is, having a cross bar/s would possibly foul exhaust components or crossmembers if it attached to the portion of the Quickjack that lifts.
If there was a way to attach to the lower portion, then really the only downside is that using a creeper underneath would be very challenging.
Dad !! Excellent Vid !! BUT →My 2 lifts will not come down (with no weight on them) on initial setup. What could that be ??? A serious problem? Any Ideas?
Have you put air in the canisters at the end of the hydraulics? Those are intended to hold pressure and help push the lifts back to the floor.
I bought the QJ-7000TLX based on your video. Setup and bleeding when smoothly and it functions as advertised. But there is a warning on page 36 of the operation manual. It states "You must always use axillary safety stands under the vehicle while elevated on both Quickjack frames". I know safety is everything but is the locking mechanism suspect for QJ to include this warning? Defeats the whole QJ selling point. To me it's saying QJ is safe but it's not safe, use jack stands too. I still haven't got a clear answer from them when I called.
Its a legal lability which is why the have the warning label. If someone messes up the installation and the locking mechanism fails and the person dies then they will get sued, by them saying you need auxiliary jack stands its their way of covering themselves.
With respect to the jack points not aligned, have you tried using the lift set 90 degrees to conventional? That is, use one lift on the front and one lift on the back? (Versus using one lift on each side). I’m considering doing this since my 7000 is not long enough for my BMW X3 jack points.
I haven't tried it that way but I've heard many people lift in that orientation and prefer it.
I'd say it's worth a try!
Once you establish the parallel spacing, why not cut a 2”x4” spacer/check block to the right length and use this to check for parallelism?
Are you suggesting making a jig for the initial quickjack placement on the floor (before the platform is laid down)?
Still debating QJ or mid rise scissor lift. Anyone here have a reason to pick one over the other?
I haven't played around with scissor lifts yet but know a few people have used them and liked em. Basically every lift option comes with pros and cons.
I will say, one of my all-time favorite garage builds is where a dude put an indentation into his garage floor that places a scissor lift (with a cover) flush with the floor height. He then can lift his porsche with it. It's slick. Look up "12 gauge garage".
So far, I really like my QJ.
Appreciate your reply. It's more of i think I feel more comfortable under a scissor lift just because it looks so sturdy. But the qj would be good since I'm limited on space, height, and can't put the lift in ground.
I'll decide soon. Thanks.
I Have a few blown disks and working under a scissor lift at 6.2 is not great. The QJ lets me work laid back on a creeper. I have the topside creeper as well also very nice support when working over top.
I have the TL model and I'd say it's ok, but only if you're lucky and get one without a defective air cylinder. If you do get one of those you're screwed - the company will 100% not stand behind their product. They'll claim the air-assist down isn't "necessary to the function of the lift". Really? So if one side has air assist down and the other doesn't, and they drop unevenly, that's safe? And then when the vehicle drops to the ground ground and one side of the lift goes straight to the full down position while the other... doesn't. You need to wait... and wait... and wait for it to drop with no weight on it. Quickjack will claim this "is normal operation" and that "it will get better over time". If you invest a massive amount of time trying to get them to stand behind their product they will, eventually, after burning through every once of customer goodwill, send out a new cylinder. Yay! Until you get the replacement and the freakin' air side is literally capped off. Like intentionally made unusable. That's not a fix guys. Then they'll claim that the engineers decided the down-assist wasn't necessary and that they've changed the design on future models. But I didn't buy a future model with less functionality. I bought the current model with exactly the functionality I wanted, was promised, and paid for. Whatever. Too much time wasted on it already - I've written off the entire company as another skanky marketing hack with no integrity.
I still have it in my shop, but the company worked very hard to make me regret my purchase and it low-key pisses me off every time I look at it. And honestly the setup is inconvenient enough that even when I do pull it out - warts and all - it happens very rarely. Only when I have a longer term project where I know the vehicle will be on the lift for a week or two. Definitely not for things like oil or tire changes. It's just way quicker to use a floor jack.
Good god that's a shitshow of an experience!
Oh no! That sounds like a terrible experience:( for whats its worth maybe I can teach you some things about the QuickJack: The air bottles literally have no function when lowering a QuickJack with weight. The air bottles are inflated with approximately 50 PSI generating a little force downwards, while a vehicle will generate 1500 PSI downwards. Even with smaller objects like boats, lawnmowers etc you do not need the air bottles.
Meaning there is not any difference when lowering UNTIL the vehicle hits the ground and the QuickJack frames have to lower by them selfs. That’s when the air pressure might help a little. However over the year the seals of the cylinders will wear in and the jack will come down easily without this air bottle help. And before that happens, you can just simply push with your foot on the frame (bc you are already standing there) and it will come down all the way immediately:
Now personally ;) I would go with a low viscosity fluid (like iso 32 hydraulic) which seems to flow a lot better. Also if you are expiring unequally lowering WITH weight, you might want to check for air, obstructions and other issues. Its usually some teflon you’ve put in a fitting by mistake. You can always try to switch hydraulic hoses to see if an obstruction moves to another location.
Good luck buddy, can’t be that hard!
One comment, if you look at the geometry of the jack from the side, you'll see a triangle is formed, with the base on the ground and the hydraulic cylinder and the frame piece. This is the 'strong' end of the jack, the triangle. Having that under the heaviest part of the vehicle is somewhat important, IMO. The reason I lift my C8 vette with the yellow advisory label to the rear of the car. I have the 'short' 7000 version and I use the jacks to raise the car to clean wheels. The next comment is on the motorcycle lift you video'd. I'm in the process of building that and if it were a little wider, I think it would lift both my Harleys at the same time. Tour bus with only two wheels? LOL!
Great point! The C8 is mid-engine right?
Are we talking Road Glides? You may want a steel platform top for those big boys ;)