carry a ramp to jack up the Elan

[garyeanderson]

A recommendation from me - as a non-structural engineer person. I was contemplating how bloody awful the jacking points (or lack of - especially at the rear) are. As part of your "improvements", may I suggest an incorporation of some form of outrigged jacking support at each end of the sill, as per my attached squiggle (Plan view - improvements in red dotted line). The outriggers sould be part of the frame flange - and be sufficient to give additional structural rigidity to the outer corners. I suspect if we were doing this in the real world there would be an additional bobbin in each corner.

Just a thought !

Regards
Richard

Hi Richard

I don't like to add weight to the Elan but I also do not like to be stranded by a flat tire. My low profile black donuts do not provide enough clearance for the jack to be placed under the car so I carry this portable ramp which allows me to drive up onto it even with a flat and place the jack under the outer portion of the rear control arm or front cross member. A small piece of plywood protects the arm or vacuum tank. The ramp is just a piece of 4 x 4 (100 x 100) about 2 feet long (60 cm) with a angled bevel cut, it fits in the boot between the rear strut towers. The other piece of wood is the redwood fuel gauge.

Gary

[Quart Meg Miles]

Clevver begger, Gary, I think I'll make two for easy servicing.

[alexblack13]

Rightly or wrongly I don't carry a spare wheel. I carry the same system as supplied with my Porsche boxster. I tested it and another make that I bought for my caravan. (It had no spare wheel either). I have never (so far) needed to use any of them, but the tests I did worked well enough. Scrap tyres when you do use, but I would replace anyway.

As far as jacking is concerned I just use a scissor jack with an adapter which fits into the Rear 'A' frame (Plywood) or under the cross member at the front in case I do need to remove a wheel. A badly damaged tyre would not re-inflate I know, so I would need to remove a wheel then and have a tyre fitted.. In that case it would be Carole Nash to the rescue.. But what are the chances? I can't remember the last time I had a flat / puncture.. (Whats that hissing noise??)

Wish I hadn't said that... But... So far so good. first time for everything though. My Toyota Avensis brakes failed tonight. Pedal to the metal no less and a big puddle of fluid on my driveway.

Am I pushing my luck? Hope not!

Merry Xmas everybody. I hope Santa is good to you all.

Alex....

[garyeanderson]

Hi Alex
I have had the opportunity to use it once. It worked and I didn't have to call anyone. I don't have a cell phone and beau was with me so he wouldn't answer the phone anyway. I did have an audience to watch the procedure at British car day a couple years ago, ask Russ about it. 2 nails is enough to let the air out. Took about 5 minutes to change and pack it all back away.

I have some 6 x 6 ramps at home that I use these are 4 feet long (take a 6 foot length and measure 2 ft, measure 2 ft more on the opposite side and cut the diagonal). Two cuts with the skilly (skill saw) and finish off with a rip hand saw.

Gary

[archigator]

The other piece of wood is the redwood fuel gauge.

I love it!

Gary
'71 Sprint FHC
Miami, Florida

[garyeanderson]

The other piece of wood is the redwood fuel gauge.

I love it!

Gary
'71 Sprint FHC
Miami, Florida

The redwood works great as the gasoline really darkens the the stick so you can see exactly whats left, a half an inch means go directly to the gas station a 1/2 mile away. your measuring the deep end of the tank so there ain't much in there. It took me longer to write up the topic than it did to figure out that I couldn't get the jack under the Elan with air in the tire so how was I going to do it without one tire inflated. I looked around and picked up one of the jacking blocks that I had under the shed and cut it twice, I doubt I even measured, just an eyeball cut flip it and re-cut the line and "done". I have bought a close to a dozen Elans and not a one ran nor had the jack with it, half didn't even have the lattice that you could use to jack up the Elan. I love my rat elans, I'll just go and have fun...

Gary

[alexblack13]

The other piece of wood is the redwood fuel gauge.

I love it!

Gary
'71 Sprint FHC
Miami, Florida

The redwood works great as the gasoline really darkens the the stick so you can see exactly whats left, a half an inch means go directly to the gas station a 1/2 mile away. your measuring the deep end of the tank so there ain't much in there. It took me longer to write up the topic than it did to figure out that I couldn't get the jack under the Elan with air in the tire so how was I going to do it without one tire inflated. I looked around and picked up one of the jacking blocks that I had under the shed and cut it twice, I doubt I even measured, just an eyeball cut flip it and re-cut the line and "done". I have bought a close to a dozen Elans and not a one ran nor had the jack with it, half didn't even have the lattice that you could use to jack up the Elan. I love my rat elans, I'll just go and have fun...

Gary

Way to go.. My little Sprint came with a similar gauge all nicely marked up in Gallons! The Doctor owner, who for many years had the car looked after (he was well ripped off) by a local Garage who had reported to him that there was a big problem with the fuel gauge and would cost much ? to fix it. So he used the fuel gauge stick instead. The car had a new tank fitted too.. Could not work that one out at all. When checking out the gauge I discovered the expensive to fix fault was a float full of fuel. Sue miller gave me a new one and an hour fixed the problem...Happy days.. Whats up with yours?

I am all for having fun too.. Count me in!!

Al' ...

[garyeanderson]

Whats up with yours?

I am all for having fun too.. Count me in!!

Al' ...

Hi Alex
I don't know, Never looked into it. One of those "if it ain't broke, it will be soon" things I guess. It hasn't worked since I built it and there are other projects to get to before I die, It is in line to be re-united with it original chassis (third chassis done this year in the Sows Ear topic) and re-paint the body next year. My guess is it is a late sender (Spyder tank) with and early gauge but I really don't know. I will find out next year and fix it when I take care of 16 years of use (abuse?).

Gary

[billwill]

At least once, when I had a puncture, I found it necessary to drive the car to a point where the flat tyre was on the kerbstone so that I could get the jack underneath it.

Might have been difficult if there were no kerbstones in the vicinity.

[gherlt]

I carry an "airjack", on cars with single rear end exhaust it is a light alternative.
For the Elan it has an additional advantage as the load is spread over a bigger area on the body.
Works also on loose surface (as I had to experience). Weight is low, maybe 1.5 kg.
And it is fast, especially when you have help at the accelerator. Sometimes the mouth pops out of
the exhaust, then you have go back, stick it on again and then accelerate a bit (not too much
or you start again).

[trw99]

I too use a ramp similar to Gary's for when I'm towing my yacht (not with an Elan, though!). I have had to use it several times on the four wheel braked trailer; the tyres pop on those too often.

Chuck the block under the one good tyre left on whichever side burst, drive the trailer and boat - all two tons of it - onto the block with the aid of your co-driver (that would be the wife, then) and away you go. Painless, easy and quick; and so much better than trying to jack up two tons with an hydraulic lift.

Tim

[bast0n]

I carry an "airjack", on cars with single rear end exhaust it is a light alternative.

Now THAT is a neat and clever solution wot I had not thought of................well done that man (and it lifts up to three tons!!!)

Available on Amazon for around ?50 and Christmas is coming....................

[worzel]

Hi

After my original type jack gave up the ghost I adapted one from a Nissan Micra (?5 from a scrapyard)- I had it welded to a steel 12inch square plate to provide stability. The metal platform sits quite nicely in a small wooden block/pad to spread the load. Even with a flat tyre the jack still fits under the sill.

OK not original but a cheap option and it works very well.

John

[garyeanderson]

I didn't figure that this topic would survive the initial posting but seeing others have an interest in it I got a couple more pictures. This picture was in stock and shows the ramp storage, it was a photo I took when I got the boot seal from my friend with the Miata V8, He had bought a parts car and sold enough stuff and only the carcass was left and asked me if I saw anything I wanted. I did, I grabbed the boot seal and cut 4 inches off of it and installed it in my S2, I also grabbed the jack and jack handle in the second picture. The jack when collapsed measures 3 1/2 inches tall and with the 10mm Baltic birch it is under 4 inches. I still need the ramp

This pair of ramps is a little narrow but once you get some weight on them they are fine, I use them a fair amount and need them when I change the oil in the F250 diesel. It holds 14 quarts and I use a 5 gallon pail as the drain bucket, with the 5 and a half inches it adds I can slide it under the sump and just pull the drain plug. They are also used to change the oil in the Elan. Currently doing duty holding up the LoCort above flood stage (I hope).

Gary

[richardcox_lotus]

Hey Gary this has created some interest. For Roadside changes I use the stock jack. When getting it up in the garage (oooer) - Ive made up one of those saddles to sit across the exhaust. I drive into wooden planks to get some base height & then slide the saddle onto a trolley jack & lift the whole back end. Can then lower onto jack stands under the wishbones (with more wood to spread the load) or the rear sill corners. Haven't the space for a 2 or 4 post lift !!

Regards
Richard