So I bought my 2012 GL 350 about a year ago and have fortunately not had to do much work on it, but the work I have done to date has been less pleasant than I'm accustomed because the GL is too long to fit on the lift I installed in my garage. The lift pads are fixed at 56" wide and the standard lift points on the GL are about 75 inches apart.

To fix the problem I did some rough calculations and then had a friend who is a structural engineer confirm them. I ended up buying two 80" lengths of steel rectangular channel to bridge the gap. I painted them up to match (and really to keep them from rusting) and used them for the first time yesterday to dismount the snow wheels/tires and mount my summer wheels/tires.

Thought you guys might like to see my setup. I can get a car to full height (i.e. I can walk under it without ducking) but the tall GL will only go to chest height. I'm OK with that; still better than lying on your back.

 

wow.. looks good

 

Where did you get the lift?
How much did it cost?

 

uhhh... the extensions appear to be bucking?

 

Wow that is nice. How high does it go?

 

I don't have an animated picture so I can't see it bucking but it does appear to buckle under the weight. You may need a stronger piece of metal.

 

I meant buckling. Lol.

I would not go under that contraption. Don't care about the math- no material my life depends on should bend that way.

 

Just lay a 2x4 on top of the extension to take up the space. Most of the load can still be carried on the designed pick up points, but the spreading of the load across the area in between will keep the beam from flexing.

 

that is b@d@$$!!!

 

It was about $3000, shipped. I installed it four years ago and have used it regularly since.

The bending of the steel channel looks far worse than it really is. Anybody with a basic understanding of statics (first year engineering school) knows that this is how steel behaves. We used safety factor of three in the calcs so no worries getting under it. I can raise a sedan to full height and walk under it. Makes maintenance and repair a breeze. The GL is too tall for the 12 foot ceiling so I'll have to use my rolling stool to work under it.

 

No, this is not how steel behaves. At least none of the steel used for the lifts I work with. There should be zero visual bending IMO. As a matter of fact one of the first thing we teach the new techs is that if they see any bending to immediately move away from the lift

But.. It is your life so it is really none of my business...

 

You don't see deflection in your lifts because their design parameters are different. And I guarantee, they *do* deflect, you just can't see it. Steel bends when load is applied, that's a simple fact. Steel changes length with fluctuations in temperature. Do you freak out when the wings on the plane bend during flight? Nothing to worry about.

I had different design parameters than the lift you are using in that weight is a consideration since I need to pick them up and move them around the garage. These weigh 45lb each and the next step up (3/8" wall thickness) was going to add another 15 lb of unnecessary weight with no benefit in strength; the channel I bought is more than sufficient to hold the vehicle. I'm not some idiot; I'm a professional engineer and I know what I'm doing.

 

but ofcourse

no harm or insult intended.

it is a one (or two?) man thinking vs. industry tried, tested with time and approved rules.

carry on