In reply to Knurled. :
Snow is 1.25lbs/board ft (sqft with 1 inch thickness) so 1 cubic foot of snow weighs around 15lbs.The problem with the car is that all of it's weight sits on 4 little contact patches less than 1 sqft instead of being evenly distributed across the surface like snow. Supporting an evenly distributed load of 2000lbs is a lot different than supporting 2000lbs with 4 point loads
I have a 20 lb cat that likes to jump on laps. Can confirm, point loads are high.
A couple of sets of 12' wide pallet racking, one in front of the other so they are under the axles, plus some appropriate beams front to back would be $500 used up here and be much less terrifying.
Keith Tanner said:I have a 20 lb cat that likes to jump on laps. Can confirm, point loads are high.
I had one of those. We called him "Staplefeet" because he liked to stand on you with his claws out.
What we have here appears to be aiming for just enough ,or slightly tempting fate. I applaud your creativity, but I agree with the others. I'd have been nervous as hell just driving up the ramp. (How did those not shoot out from under you on the way up btw?) If you've got kids (or neighbor kids/nieces/nephews) anything like mine, that area under the shelf will immediately be the most desirable place to be. What you've got there is a very serious accident in the making. This looks like the kind of engineering the boys from Top Gear would attempt in a jungle. Please film backing that Tercel back off it when you're ready, Im interested to see if it's as sketchy as I imagine it being.
A drive on four post lift is the much more functional, safer version of this, highly advise looking into this route.
In reply to TGMF :
Imagine if the roof leaks and the plywood gets wet! Or, the Tercel leaks!
anyone else concerned the OP hasn't responded yet...he didn't try for #2 did he???
Raze said:anyone else concerned the OP hasn't responded yet...he didn't try for #2 did he???
My very thought.
TGMF said:A drive on four post lift is the much more functional, safer version of this, highly advise looking into this route.
It's also cheaper in the long run. This death trap will cost thousands, if not millions in lawsuits and medical bills.
I mean, we can't really see what is used for beams (we can see they are 2x6, but we don't know spacing, or how many there are. We also don't know if there is additional bracing between the "joists".
Also, if it is securely anchored to the walls and the walls are strong enough that gives a heck of a lot of triangulation.
I haven't run the calcs on this structure, but neither has anyone responding about how unsafe it is.
All I'm saying is we really don't have enough info to tell. A refrigerator has gigantic point loads because of the tiny wheels, but that doesn't mean the entire floor is engineered for 1000 lbs per square inch.
Are those... stacked up 4x4s on the end?
In reply to Tom Suddard :
Appears to be at least two, if not three there. I'm with Robbie, until I know the spacing of the 2x6s I don't know enough to draw a conclusion. I would hope two sides of the platform are anchored to two solid walls though. There's a lack of triangulation in the structure.
I would get rid of that triangulation. That is taking up valuable wall space that could be used to mount shelves or something. Also, get full coverage insurance on the Tercel.
I would just use hollow cinder-blocks stacked for legs.
(I am assuming this is a troll thread, or at least not a serious one. Dang, I hope it is)
Robbie said:I mean, we can't really see what is used for beams (we can see they are 2x6, but we don't know spacing, or how many there are. We also don't know if there is additional bracing between the "joists".
Also, if it is securely anchored to the walls and the walls are strong enough that gives a heck of a lot of triangulation.
I haven't run the calcs on this structure, but neither has anyone responding about how unsafe it is.
All I'm saying is we really don't have enough info to tell. A refrigerator has gigantic point loads because of the tiny wheels, but that doesn't mean the entire floor is engineered for 1000 lbs per square inch.
You mean a total lack of information would stop anyone from making opinions about the certain death of my nephews?
I went to the shop today and the car is still up there.. Something must have gone wrong. is there still time to win the Darwin Challenge? lol
I was hoping for some drama for the video putting the car up there, but after watching it, it didn't really have any. oh well.
The dangerous thing is getting the cars up there!
Think a bit about what is the failure mode.. What will fail? What happens?
The open face has no visible cross bracing, and that is a valid issue. I will put it back on. :)
BTW, the Los Angeles Times recently reported that Sacramento is the safest metropolitan area for earthquakes in all of California.
We just don't get earthquakes here. Data centers moved their operations here from the sfbay for this reason.
Maybe I should make a similar structure for parking motorcycles.
nimblemotorsports said:
Data centers moved their operations here from the sfbay for this reason.
I suspect commercial real estate prices probably had something to do with it too. :)
Go ahead, put a second car up there. Don't listen to anyone, it works for now so it must be completely perfect and safe.
I have seen garages with wood floor framing and they actually supported cars. So this seems a little sketchy but not absurd.
I have been playing around with the idea of building a platform to double stack cars in my garage as well. In my mind, the idea is to put it just in front of my four post lift. Lift car, drive off lift onto platform. The only reason I have not done it is because the platform would block the back door of my garage. Not that I ever use that door, just think it would be a little redneck. Based on how many cars I have here now, I don't see many other options for covered storage.
Pallet racking. Buy several uprights and cut them to your desired height. Then get as many horizontal beams as needed. After that, it's just a matter of applying decking which is normally 2-by lumber cut to length to fit. You could plywood over top or add another layer of 2-by lumber in the opposite direction.
Pallet racks are awesome.
Pallet racks are the way to go. I did this, though with modular steel shelving that locks and bolts together.
It's long term storage in a back corner for a sub 750 pound Sprite. There's an MGA below it now that also doesn't move. There's no traffic near this deadfall.
I don't have a problem with the OP's idea. The execution is a little marginal. What's a Tercel weigh?
nimblemotorsports said:Think a bit about what is the failure mode.. What will fail? What happens?
I think we covered that. The outer legs are hit by or shifted by something (be it a car, pallet jack, heavy cart, fat guy, earthquake) and buckle and the car(s) on top fall. Even the triangulation on the back is insufficient, so if your "temporarily" removed front bracing is the same it's not enough.
It still standing after one night isn't a sign that everything was done well and it's perfectly safe. Lots of things have stood for a few days, months, even years and then gone to kill people due to bad engineering. Is it fastened to the building at all? I suspect any building inspector that saw that would immediately put the kibosh on it.
If I'm not mistaken, that little Toyota is around 2000#, likely less.
nimblemotorsports said:You mean a total lack of information would stop anyone from making opinions about the certain death of my nephews?
"a picture is worth 1000 words" There is quite a bit of information available here.
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