How to modify HARBOR FREIGHT LIFT TABLE to lift a spyder

[coz]

i bought a h f lift table .in this thread i'll show you how i modify it to lift my g s . i just couldn't stand to crawl around on my knees any more to do cleaning, maintenance, and mods .
first pic is standard lift table.foot pedal operated. goes up smooth, comes down smooth. bought it used on craigslist for200.
second pics shows extensions. these are simply boxes, made from 2 by 6, the tops are 2 by 10. 9 1/4 wide by 20 inches long. they are 6 3/4 tall, same height as table top, fully lowered. the ramps are 48 '' long. with the 2 by 10 tops on them they will be 6 3/4 on the extension end to zero on the other end.
TBC...... sorry pics are wrong order.

[SPYD3R]

NICE JOB COZ, i luv it.....
here's my solution, since i don't have enuff room in my MAN CAVE for a lift.... this allows me just enuff access to do what is necessary...
hey, send me that OEM muffler u have hang'n on the walk, and i'll do a MOD to it like mine....

585295853058531
58532

[coz]

ran out of wood. hope to finish ramp tops tomorrow. TB C.......:thumbup:

[coz]

NICE JOB COZ, i luv it.....
here's my solution, since i don't have enuff room in my MAN CAVE for a lift.... allows me just enuff access to do what is necessary...
hey, send me that OEM muffler u have hang'n on the walk, and i'll do a MOD to it like mine....

585295853058531
58532but it will go back on the bike when i return it to stock, to sell, in two years when i buy a low miles ST.

[arris]

i bought a h f lift table .in this thread i'll show you how i modify it to lift my g s . i just couldn't stand to crawl around on my knees any more to do cleaning, maintenance, and mods .
first pic is standard lift table.foot pedal operated. goes up smooth, comes down smooth. bought it used on craigslist for200.
second pics shows extensions. these are simply boxes, made from 2 by 6, the tops are 2 by 10. 9 1/4 wide by 20 inches long. they are 6 3/4 tall, same height as table top, fully lowered. the ramps are 48 '' long. with the 2 by 10 tops on them they will be 6 3/4 on the extension end to zero on the other end.
TBC...... sorry pics are wrong order.

This has nothing to do with a motorcycle lift but I thought that this info might help a shopper from harbor freight.
Harbor freight's drill # 06526 is on recall/ Check yours out and if it is on recall, take it back.

[coz]

i can start all over again!:roflblack::roflblack::roflblack: ps. spyd3r, your spyder cave is very cool:thumbup: thanks arris, i do happen to have a h f hammer drill, and it's stuck in reverse. hopefully thats the one.

[arntufun]

Real men use cardboard on cold concrete !!!!!!!!!! :joke:



I can't wait to see your finished lift !!!!! :thumbup:

[arris]

i can start all over again!:roflblack::roflblack::roflblack: ps. spyd3r, your spyder cave is very cool:thumbup: thanks arris, i do happen to have a h f hammer drill, and it's stuck in reverse. hopefully thats the one.

I have a rigid drill that was stuck in reverse. After removing the handle, I found out that the lever that moves the drill from forward to reverse was broken off.. I just moved the lever to forward and ordered the part for the drill. But check if yours is on recall before taking it apart.

[retread]

I've been looking at the hf lift, and wondering if I remember enough about hydralics to set 2 of them side by side with a plate for the rear wheel and a common pump to lift it all.

john

[dannymax]

Real men use cardboard on cold concrete !!!!!!!!!! :joke:



I can't wait to see your finished lift !!!!! :thumbup:

I just throw a bedsheet down on the crushed rock!! :roflblack:

Nice job coz....gonna work really nice! :2thumbs:

[revjvegas]

That's the same lift I have that I use with my BMW.
Looking forward to see how you set it up for use with the Spyder.

[coz]

just finished the first ramp, except for connecting it to the actual extension. here's the cool part,,,,,,,, when the table is up, the ramps, rather than sticking out in mid air, or taking them off and setting them to the side somewhere else in the garage, will fold backwards out of the way underneath the extension.
the ramp halves will be hinged, and hinged to the extension itself, allowing it drop down to vertical and backwards. these ramps are big ( four feet ) and kind of heavy, so this seemed like a good solution to the handling / storing problem. we'll soon see how it all works out. TBC.......

[coz]

the hinged ramps work.this part of the project was most difficult. if i had to do it over, i would have used surface mount strap hinges under each joint. i didn't think of it in time, so i just used what i had,, commercial door hinges, very heavy duty . this involved lots of trimming , carving, adjusting ect. i would recomend against it and just use strap hinges, or just use solid ramps and forget about it.:thumbup: TBC .......

[coz]

the extension supports are 3/4 black iron pipe ( gas pipe ) , atatched with muffler clamps. the pipe is one ten foot piece cut in half. 13 bucks at h d . muffler clamps ( 8 ) were 22 bucks. tomorrow i'll bolt the whole assembly to the table top and test it. the only real question is whether the 3/4 pipe is strong enough. T B C.......:shocked:

[dannymax]

Pretty slick coz, I like the folding sections....why didn't HF think of that? :dontknow:

As for the 3/4" pipe bending, the most vulnerable spot is the center of each pipe....adding a clamp there will resolve that. If they are still a little iffy, gussett from the bottom inside edge of the boxes to the bottom of the table.

[coz]

mounted the assembly to the table, perfect fit to the bike. turns out the ramps are a little to long to fold backwards, need to trim off a couple inches. the pipe started to bow when i lifted the table, so i'll add clamps in the center as dannymax advised and see how it does.
on a side note, the bike would not start to get it off the lift. found a slightly loose ground cable. cleaned and tightened and put the tender back on it. i'll check it tomorrow. could be time for a new battery. TBC.......

[NancysToy]

If the center clamp doesn't do the job, cut some wood to fill the gap between the outrigger and the table. It will stiffen the pipes and brace against the table and block. 3/4" is pretty small to do that job. A typical metal extension would use 1 1/2" or 2"...or thick-wall pipe

[coz]

when i realized that i could not undermount the pipe, i thought i would use the smallest o.d. that i could get away with, since i have to drive over it. good idea, adding the wood in between. i'll probably do both just to be safe.:thumbup:

[DrewNJ]

Good Info and a great idea!

Looks like that lift is also on sale right now for $329 with a super coupon! :thumbup:
http://www.harborfreight.com/extra-savings.html

[TexasSpyder]

Good Info and a great idea!

Looks like that lift is also on sale right now for $329 with a super coupon! :thumbup:
http://www.harborfreight.com/extra-savings.html

Cruiser and Roadbike have HF adds and have had this item's coupon for a long time for $299.

J. D.

[DrewNJ]

Even better!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Lamonster]

mounted the assembly to the table, perfect fit to the bike. turns out the ramps are a little to long to fold backwards, need to trim off a couple inches. the pipe started to bow when i lifted the table, so i'll add clamps in the center as dannymax advised and see how it does.
on a side note, the bike would not start to get it off the lift. found a slightly loose ground cable. cleaned and tightened and put the tender back on it. i'll check it tomorrow. could be time for a new battery. TBC.......

Nice job :thumbup: I had made my ramps out of wood too but let them stay on the ground, I saw no reason for them to raise with the lift.

[bmwlarry]

I added longer pipes to move the extensions out on my Handy lift and built wooden ramps. I keep my RT parked on it at all times in the garage. The wooden ramps are duct taped on except when raised, then I remove tape and retape when lowered.

[coz]

finished the lift table mods today. added center clamps, and gussets from the extension boxes up to the table top frame. shortened up the ramps so they fold perfectly. spyder won't start AGAIN, :banghead: so i can't test anything. DANG. it all looks very good on paper though:roflblack:.

[NancysToy]

Were you able to slide a second pipe inside the first to stiffen it?

[coz]

i tried a 1/2 nipple and it would not go. the o.d. looked closer to 7/8 than 3/4, so i put on the center clamps and gussets. it feels rock solid. bike wouldn't start , to test out the lift. same as sunday. cleaned and tightened the ground cable. checked voltage with a meter, showed 12.9. put tender back on and bike started mon. morning. went to start it this afternoon to test the lift, and would not start. ur thoughts?:popcorn:

[SPYD3R]

GR8 JOB COZ..... :clap:
half the fun of owning a SPYD3R, is creating things to do with it and for it....
Dan P
Easley, SC
58830

[coz]

:roflblack: i've got a whole laundry list of things i want to do once i get this lift set up correctly .:roflblack: not to mention this new starting problem.:gaah:

[NancysToy]

i tried a 1/2 nipple and it would not go. the o.d. looked closer to 7/8 than 3/4, so i put on the center clamps and gussets. it feels rock solid. bike wouldn't start , to test out the lift. same as sunday. cleaned and tightened the ground cable. checked voltage with a meter, showed 12.9. put tender back on and bike started mon. morning. went to start it this afternoon to test the lift, and would not start. ur thoughts?:popcorn:
Check battery voltage. If low, charge the battery then remove the charger. In a few hours to overnight, check the battery voltage. If less than 12.7, the battery is not holding a charge or you have a parasitic loss. If 12.7 or above, it should start the Spyder. If not, and the terminals are clean and tight, check the rear frame grond for tightness (negative jumper terminal under the seat) and check the positive jumper terminal (starter relay) for tightness or a loose post. If all seems well, hold the throttle wide open to prevent starting, and watch the voltage as you crank the starter. It should remain above 10.0 volts. If any of the voltage tests fail, replace the battery.

[coz]

i'll start running it all down tomorrow. just in time as some serious cold gets here tomorrow :roflblack:.

[bmwlarry]

Here is a pic of my setup.
58853

[coz]

larry. looks like a good quality lift table too.:thumbup:

[coz]

lift table mods are all done. original battery has taken a :cus:. new motobatt on order, 112.50 delivered.
will push spyder up on the lift to test it tomorrow.:pray: ,,,,,,,,,,:thumbup:

[coz]

everything works as anticipated. if anyone wants to do this to their h.f. lift, use 1 1/2 inch pipe and clamp it down in the center and outer edges. i love the folding ramps, but it was alot of extra work. solid ramps would work just fine. feel free to pm with any questions.:thumbup: i'll post better pics in the daylight.

[coz]

spyder was in the air overnight. lift table held perfectly. more pics.:thumbup: I highly recommend a lift table to all spyder owners. it'makes all spyder work as easy as it is hard without one. you don't understand until you see your axles waist high.imagine cleaning your wheels, standing up. i should have got one of these about ten years ago.:thumbup: To summarize, all these lift mods could be easily done over a weekend. all you need tool wise is a circular saw, and a good cordless drill, or an electric drill if thats what you have. expect to pay around a hundred bucks for lumber, pipe and clamps. i've done the hard part ,figuring everything out ( big thanks to dannymax and scotty ).

[coz]

for arthritic knees and twisted backs.it will pay for itself in reduced healthcare costs.:roflblack::roflblack::thumbup: seriously though, i just polished the whole bike in 90 min. standing up, and it was overdue for a clean up.:clap:

[dannymax]

I love it when a plan comes together!! Nice job Dan'l!! :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

[mcaccamise]

A great read Dan the lift looks to be a winner hope you get the starting problem worked out
have a Merry Christmas.

[coz]

A great read Dan the lift looks to be a winner hope you get the starting problem worked out
have a Merry Christmas. new battery should be here in a few days, that should take care of it:thumbup: Merry Christmas to you too.

[coz]

if you think you don't have room for a lift table, you probably do. the spyder pretty much covers up the whole thing , except for the long ramps . just park on it , thats what i do. picked up some red paint ( free ) today for all the wooden parts. as soon as mother nature co-operates,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,:thumbup:brrrrrrrr.

[bmwlarry]

I agree! My lift is a Handy Lift but it is where I park my spyder everyday!

[EzeSpyderGA]

Thanks for your ideas on modifying a Harbor Freight lift table to handle the Spyder.5921759218592195922059221

[coz]

what size pipe did you use ? i'm not trying to rain on your parade, but it looks like it is bending in the middle. that's what mine did, so i added the center clamps and wood bracing for more strength. i would hate to see someone or their spyder get hurt doing this mod. rt's are alot heavier than a gs.:popcorn: great job. i should also add that i notched the table edges to accept the pipe. that allows the pipe to be clamped down tightly to the table top. :thumbup:

[EzeSpyderGA]

You are correct, there is a bow in the pipe.:yikes: I used heavy wall conduit rather than black Iron pipe. I am adding a third peiece of pipe to address the bowing. I did not see it until I looked at the pictures after they were posted on here. Thanks for the heads up.. Have a great day. ;)

[bmwlarry]

For mine I used heavy wall iron pipe. the pipes on mine, however run under the lift top & extension pieces using existing factory pipe holes.
59259

[pellcitypete]

Ideas like this lift an ramps are why I love this web site! there are tons of great mods on here an ya'll share them with the rest of us spyder riders. with all the info on here some manufacteres could make alot from ya'll:roflblack: :thumbup:

[coz]

it was a fun project, except for it being wintertime. i hope it will help some folks out.:thumbup:

[coz]

finally got some good weather, did a little painting.:thumbup: anybody else doing this to their lift?:popcorn: or thinking about it ? by the way....... installed new motobatt battery last week, spyder fired right up.:clap:

[Huntindawg1962]

SPYD3R - your garage is WAYYY to clean. :bowdown:

[SPYD3R]

SPYD3R - your garage is WAYYY to clean. :bowdown:

CLEAN...?
i guess that comes from my training... i built jet engines @ GE for a living, and 'CLEAN' was an absolute necessity... we didn't want any FOD getting ingested into an engine :lecturef_smilie:, so 'clean' was programmed into our DNA... but THX... nice that you noticed...
59686

[coz]

while the bike was up in the air today, i discovered that the loop that my guardian bell hangs from was almost worn thru. i beefed it up with some solder. these bells are made out of lead, or something similar.
had the bike not been in the air, i never would have caught it. it would have fallen off in the spring, then i couldn't tinkle.:roflblack: i did add an extra ring to it , to get it closer to the ground, to make it more powerfull. :thumbup: if your bell is grungy looking, they buff right up with some fine steel wool.

[coz]

i added a layer of 3/4 to each extension to make it easier to roll over the pipe and clamps. the forward edge has a 45° bevel. if only i had remembered to make a set for the rear wheel.:banghead:,,,,,,:roflblack:,,,,,,,,,wth. :roflblack: is anybody else doing this mod ? just wondering.

[scooterexpress]

do you have enough space on that table to jack the spyder to get the wheels off? and what did you end up spending to make that work? looks good and i have a lwr back problem and like others i cant stand being on the floor trying to work. also how high does this table go up and how low does it sit to the floor?

[coz]

i think you could slide a floor jack in between the spyder frame and the table top. the clearance is the same as if the bike was sitting on the ground, except where the pipe crosses over the table. the table sits about 5-6 inches tall, when fully lowered. 30 inches all the way up. the conversion cost would be roughly 50-100 bucks in materials. i had all the wood, screws, hinges, paint. i only had to buy the pipe and some of the clamps, so i spent less than fifty. i'm really glad i did it, to me it was worth every penny.:thumbup:

[coz]

added another layer of 3/4 for the rear wheel to roll over the pipe. should make for much easier on and off. i just stuck it on with a goodly amount of silicone caulk.

[Pablito]

I'm sooo diggin this thread. I have a harbor freight about 25min from my house and 15 from my work. They mail out coupons for 15% and what not on a pretty regular basis. I can't wait till the next one I get. I lift would make so many thing so much easier.

[coz]

it is soooooo nice to clean up the bike while sitting, or standing. no more kneeling for this kid.:roflblack: keep an eye on craigslist, you might find one real cheap. i just missed out on a couple high dollar lift tables that were cheap, before i found this one.:thumbup:

[quickster47]

Great thread with some really great information. Thanks for taking the time to put this together.

Soon as the Harbor Freight lift goes on sale again I will be getting one and doing this mod.

Carl

[coz]

thanks carl. it was a fun project, not extremely difficult either.:thumbup:

[coz]

i'll be adding wheel stops on the rear of the out-riggers. sometimes i park on it front first ( the lazy way ), this will stop the bike from going off the back of the ramps, should i screw up and not stop in time.:roflblack:
pics to come soon, having technical difficulty.:banghead:

[coz]

finally added the wheel stops. they're just angle iron that hvac guys use for installs,any angle iron would work. they are jacked up a little on a layer of 3/4.

[coz]

i softened up my shocks last week and unbeknownst to me lost some height on the front end. this caused me to drag hard backing on to the lift. this was mainly caused by my floorboard support that's bolted to the frame. i added a layer of 1/2 '' plywood to each ramp, for a little more lift,problem solved.:thumbup:

[coz]

i recently switched back to my original gs shocks, set on five. it seems that they are ''taller'' than rt shocks set on three or less. i'm not scraping on the lift, or my driveway apron anymore.:thumbup: just an fyi.

[coz]

still works great. still glad i did it. still a little bit of a p i a to back on to every time out, although i usually get it on the first try. never really liked the idea of my big spyder up on a little atv type jack, but that's just me.
just having the bike on the lift, not raised, makes it so much easier to detail or whatever else, while sitting.

[dizzyspots]

Silly question? Why cant you just drive it on normally? What am I missing?

[DR Buck]

Silly question? Why cant you just drive it on normally? What am I missing?


The lift sits about 7 or 8 inches off the floor and you'd need to make full length runners to get to the end where it is wide enough to fit the front wheels. I went that route on the one I tried my conversion on. You can also reverse the end you mount the ramp on if you install blocks under the lift to keep it from tipping up as you ride on.

I abandoned my project after it was finished because the harbor freight lift would not lift my RT Limited. The harbor freight is rated at 1000 lbs. The hydraulic jack pushes against a cam action to start lifting and the weight of my Limited could not be overcome. I took the $$$$ loss on the harbor freight and went and purchased the complete Handy lift system. I'm much happier even if it cost a lot more.

EDIT :: Here is the conversion I did using platform runners to be able to drive on forward.

http://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/showthread.php?58213-Yet-Another-Thread-on-the-Harbor-Freight-Lift

[coz]

backing onto this lift is the best weight distribution, since the table moves forward ( backward in my case ) as it lowers to the ground, around 18-24 inches. if you pulled onto it, there would be so much weight on the overhanging end, it probably wouldn't lift at all, or it might flip.

[one2doo]

8110681107
Replaced pipe with sc80. This lift sells for $1040.00. Use for side by side and lawnmower. A real back saver.

[coz]

that's a sweet lift, for a good price.:thumbup:

[SPYD3R]

HARBOR FREIGHT has them on sale now for $430....
here's the coupon: http://www.harborfreight.com/1000-lb-capacity-motorcycle-lift-68892-8495.html?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=4913b&utm_source=1020

http://www.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/i/m/image_21230.jpg

[SNOOPY]

How do you all do any type of underneath work w these type lifts?

Doesn't look easy at all to get to stuff?

I use my car lift, I just put the front wheels on it and lift it up for access, if I need it level I use a separate jack on the back. That's the only way I have found to gain total access under the bike where you need to be? :dontknow:


http://www.bendpak.com/car-lifts/specialty-lifts/lr-60.aspx



.

[TexasSpyder]

There is a coupon in Cruiser mag this month.

J. D.

[SPYD3R]

HARBOR FREIGHT also carries another lift...
this is the one i use because i'm limited in space in my MAN-CAVE...
81132 gives me a good height to work under, and 81133 it collapse nicely to fit under my work-bench...

here's there coupon: http://www.harborfreight.com/1500-lb-Capacity-ATVMotorcycle-Lift-60536.html?ccdenc=eyJjb2RlIjoiMzAxMjUxNDYiLCJza3Ui OiI2MDUzNiIsImlzIjoiNzkuOTkiLCJwcm9kdWN0X2lk%0D%0A IjoiOTM3NyJ9%0D%0A&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=5213b&utm_source=1030


81134 when passing 2 WHEELERS and they give me the TWO FINGERS DOWN, i give them 3 UP..... :thumbup:

[DR Buck]

8110681107
Replaced pipe with sc80. This lift sells for $1040.00. Use for side by side and lawnmower. A real back saver.

This is a nice lift similar to the Handy lifts. Two differences are the Handy B.O.B. is made in USA and Handy offers a Spyder conversion platform package. Replacing the "through bars" in order to expand the width so the Spyder will fit on the ATV platforms is an alternative to the Spyder option. If I was to do that on this particular lift I would consider adding a wider "stabilizer bar" on the bottom to prevent any tip-over possibility. This is something that is part of the Handy design. Using the ATV platform is also a possibility on the Handy lift as well. I chose not to do that and order the Spyder platform because I didn't want to be leaning or reaching over the ATV platform when working on the Spyder. Using the Spyder platform you don't have the ATV platforms in your way and can get up close to work on the Spyder.

[DR Buck]

How do you all do any type of underneath work w these type lifts?

Doesn't look easy at all to get to stuff?




Use a scissor jack. I have this one and it fits under my RT limited fine because I have Elka's and the ground clearance is higher.:


81152


This is a wide low profile and will work better on a stock Spyder.

81153

[SNOOPY]

So youre using a jack on a lift, makes sense. :roflblack:



Just messin' w/ya.

[DR Buck]

So youre using a jack on a lift, makes sense. :roflblack:



Just messin' w/ya.


Really only need it if you want to lift the wheels,

[one2doo]

81154
I use jack stands,remove wheels to do a full service. They wanted $500.00 to do a 10 hr service. This lift has paid for its self. This lift is stable even with this heavy sxs.

[DrewNJ]

OK Coz, Give us the long term 1+year update. How's this lift working out for you? :thumbup:

[coz]

i raise it halfway to swap exhaust, while sitting, for example. i put the bazooka pipe back on fri. to ride on saturday. the new pipe ( elbow only ) goes to powdercoater this week. then i'll swap it back, while sitting. i'm too old and crickety too be crawling around on the concrete floor. :roflblack: the lift could not have worked out better. :thumbup: you should get one !

[DrewNJ]

How mobile is it with nothing on it? Can it be moved at all with nothing on it to do other things in the garage?

Sent from my Venue 8 3830 using Tapatalk

[coz]

it's actually very easy to roll around, for it's size and weight.

[hchays]

I think a one year upgrade could be diamond plate on the front wheel extensions. You can buy the thin stuff at lowes pretty cheap.

[coz]

adding some bling to the lift. i'm going to look into that. thanks.:thumbup:

[coz]

also makes a nice furniture painting lift, minimizing bending over.:roflblack::roflblack::roflblack:

[DrewNJ]

Hahaha...

[DrewNJ]

I still really need to do this...

[CherryBomb]

Is that a Masonic Decal on the back of that bike?



Here is a pic of my setup.
58853

[DrewNJ]

....

[tip]

They went on sale today for $299. with coupon!!

[coz]

They went on sale today for $299. with coupon!!
that's a good deal. i paid 2 bills for mine,used, in very good condition.