Motorbike Lift Bench

[Biggles]

Getting there and looking good. Now it’s time to get the wire wheel out before the surfaces get to full of welds and things. 

[one_rod]

So, there's the finished mechanism.


Time to come down off the trestles, some temporary foot-plates under the jacks and the top deck resting in place.


The big moment arrives, time for a load test.
Not risking my precious motorbike to the thing just yet. So searched the shop for some random pieces of assorted heavyness.
The welder weighs about 60kg, the big leg vice about the same. So with the other bits and bobs it should be getting close to the mass of my Suzuki.


And all of it wafted into the air with ridiculous ease.


Too much ease if anything. That foot pedal can easily be half the current length. Doesn't need as much leverage as first though. The lowering control needs some re-design too.

Onwards and upwards...

[Fredbare]

Well done and thanks for sharing.

John

[krv3000]

hi and a job well dun

[vtsteam]

Excellent, man! 

[one_rod]

So, a little more progress.

As previously mentioned, the pump-up lever was much too long, and as I had the angle grinder out it seemed the ideal chance to make it removable too. Having it sticking out like that would be a definite trip hazard when loading bikes on the bench.
Cut the cross shaft and made this slightly-tapered square boss on the end.


Then put this square tube on the lever end of the shaft.


Shortened the lever itself, and this is how it all fits together. Holds on firmly enough for vigorous pumping, but comes off with a gentle pull.


Improved the lowering release too. And decided to make that removable as well.


The connection between the lever and the shaft is hollow (obviously) and the blob of weld holds a pin which engages with the slot you can see in the previous photo. The Zebedee spring holds the improvised clevis into the lowering valve, but allows enough compliance as the ram moves through it's arc. And, yes, I'd run out of tread plate so had to make my own...


So that's about it, as far as fabrication goes. Time to strip down, tidy a few welds and start painting.

[howsitwork?]

Very nice and a good project write up as well. Please let us see the end result in all it's glory one rod!

Ian

[one_rod]

So, painting.
Hate it.
For me it's always the  least favourite part of any job.

I will, however say a quick word for this stuff.
20170731_182055 by Mick, on Flickr

Based, apparently on Phosphoric Acid, it converts rust back into metallic iron, keys and passivates  the surface ready for the proper paint. Eye-wateringly expensive, but saves a lot of time with the wire brush / emery paper etc.

Goes on as a thin, milky emulsion. A little goes an awfully long way. Turns blue as it's working.
20170731_185127 by Mick, on Flickr

Then to black as it's finished.
20170731_195513 by Mick, on Flickr


One coat of zinc-rich primer and two of good quality machinery enamel. My shop is a damp old place and untreated steel will rust before your eyes. Boring but necessary.
Strangely, paint is turning out  to be the most expensive part of this whole project.

Time to start bolting it all back together.
20170910_110111 by Mick, on Flickr

Top plate on to be drilled, ready for bolting in place.
20170916_201803 by Mick, on Flickr

And yet more bloody paint.
20170923_134400 by Mick, on Flickr

Nearly there...

[one_rod]

This will probably be the final progress post in this thread.

Drilled the top plate for some square U-bolts.
20171023_205749 by Mick, on Flickr

Why square?
Well this thing takes up too much damn space in my small shop, so when it's not being used for bikes, its going to have to double as a general work / assembly bench. Square bolts drop down almost flat with the top. Minimum obstruction for other work.
20171023_205718 by Mick, on Flickr

I bought one of those handy “roll-in” wheel chocks too. Suppose I could have built my own, but these things are so cheap it simply wasn't worth the trouble. Bolted through the support frame, just in case, but easy enough to remove if needed.
20171023_205654 by Mick, on Flickr

Loading ramp.
Was going to be a nifty fold-away affair in steel plate. Only I've run out of plate, and was in a rush to get the thing tried out. So built a temporary one from 18mm ply and 3 x 2 timber. I'll probably still be using it in five years time, like a lot of “temporary” things in my shop.
20171026_133306 by Mick, on Flickr

Lash-down points. Only used the front two, as I wasn't actually going to be working on the bike, just lifting it up and putting it down again. Safe enough.
20171030_155359 by Mick, on Flickr

And there she is. 200 kg of Suzuki's finest, at a convenient working height, quick as you like.
 20171030_155319 by Mick, on Flickr


So that's it, finished.
Thanks to everyone who's followed along, taken an interest and commented.

[Spurry]

Brilliant job. Very good pix and write-up. Thanks for sharing. 
Pete

[SwarfnStuff]

I agree, great job and write up.
    Nice to hear that someone else has temporary fixes that miraculously seem to miss out on obtaining one of those round-tuits.
  Stay upright!

John B

[tom osselton]

Looks really good but the straps look not far off from vertical from a safety aspect would it be more stable if the anchors were out another 6 / 8 inches at least? You figure in the truck they are on a much greater angle when used!

[Stilldrillin]

Very nicely done, and shown, Rod. 

I've enjoyed, following along...... 

[russ57]

Looks really good but the straps look not far off from vertical from a safety aspect would it be more stable if the anchors were out another 6 / 8 inches at least? You figure in the truck they are on a much greater angle when used!

Hopefully the cornering forces are lower on the bench...

-russ

[krv3000]

a job well dun

[Biggles]

Very well done. Thanks for sharing.