356 Front End Lift & Support Beam

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Albert Tiedemann
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Joined: Thu Apr 03, 2008 2:46 pm

356 Front End Lift & Support Beam

#1 Post by Albert Tiedemann »

In a post in the main discussion section entitled How to jack all 4 wheels off the ground article, I made reference to a lift/support beam that was specifically designed to lift and in combination with jack stands, support the front end of a 356. A photo taken at a Swap Meet was graciously posted by Adam Wright. Tasks accomplished by many not having a lift could be set-up and taken down easily and effortlessly with this device. Although the device was specifically designed to interface with a jack that I use for a preparation for “floor work”, it can be used with just about any floor jack capable of lifting the load [approx 800-900 lbs] with an appropriate margin. Jacks rated 1.25-1.5 tons would be acceptable. Others increase the margin needlessly at some sacrifice in an initial lowered height.* Some of the lower rated jacks also sacrifice maximum raised height.

An examination of a sample set of available jacks from the least to most expensive will result in a commonality to be found among all jacks. The saddle [this is the component than is usually circular {but on old Walker jacks, it could be square} and comprises prongs—usually four in number, and the latter stand proud above a flat area] is either fixed to the support arms or it is removable.

If the saddle is removable, you simply lift it out and replace with the lifting/support device after fitting the interfacing cylinder. The diameter and length of the cylinder can vary with the jack’s make; so, if the dimensions are furnished, then an interface for your jack will be supplied. Otherwise, a recommended sketch for locale manufacture will be included.

If the saddle is not removable, it does have a yaw degree of freedom. In this case, the depth to the metallic flat area of support from the top of the prongs and the minimum diameter of the supporting flat area determine the interface. Many jacks have a “soft” element that is captured [that is generic enough as some are glued to the saddle] which is best removed when using this device as the “custom” interface will center the bar on the jack [in a fashion analogous to the interfacing cylinder mentioned above] and enable a level attitude of the bar to position the jack and bar assembly with the lifting points at the sway bar arm brackets at the chassis. So, for this scenario you need to supply the interfacing dimensions for you jack. If supplied, a custom interface for your jack will be furnished.

If your jack has a small saddle and the flat support diameter mentioned above is 3 inches or less, it may be prudent to accommodate a centering feature by interfacing with the outside diameter of the saddle. In this case, a “lip” dimension is relevant for the custom interface.

If none of these scenarios will work with your jack, you could just rest the standard furnished interface [original design for the jack mentioned in the article {4 inches diameter, 0.4 inches +/_ thick}] on the prongs with or without the elastomeric pad fitted and either align the bar and prongs with pre-matched centering references on the saddle and bar or fiddle around shifting the bar on the saddle until a level attitude is attained before lifting. The latter technique can be frustrating, especially if the bar is bumped about striking chassis elements and displacing the bar off the marks.

If all else fails, don’t use the bar and go back to you present ways of lifting and supporting the front end of the car.

I will have a few of these lift/support beams at the Hershey Swap 2015 on April 18. I am located at C84, C85. They are powder painted safety yellow and cost $150 with standard or custom interface. I need to know the latter if you plan to pick-up at Hershey. Don’t look around for me with your flashlights ‘cause I won’t be there yet. However, once there, I will be easy to spot as I am a C356C. If there is any doubt, check out the name tag. It is an old one from the 9th Porsche Parade where my wife, Helen, and I were the overall winners.

*My initial endeavor was to design a lifting device which could be pushed under the front end of a 356 Porsche without a need for establishing “more jack & lift beam clearance” to engage the lifting points by placing the front wheels on spacers [material of choice]. This was achieved with the elements cited in the article and was made to work on a ‘56 Speedster with 155 x 15 XAS tires. This bar fitted to your jack may require some “prep work” before use.
Albert Tiedemann, C356C
"The Hermit"

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