Running three cars and getting pi**ed off with servicing bills so toying with the idea of putting a pit in my garage, anybody built one?

interesting discussion on this here

I had one then we knocked it down (with the barn it was in) to build the extension.

C

I used to have one and it was excellent. However, unless you are planning to live in your current house forever, it may make more sense to consider a scissor lift which you can take with you from house to house. A two or four poster would be ideal if you have a tall enough garage. If not then a scissor lift gives you about 1.5 m clearance under the car.

If someone leaves the handbrake on while you're under-how do you get out?

Just wondering…but would to love to have one with steps etc.

How much it would it cost though???

if it is a structrual change to your property you will require planning permission and you wont get it as they are now banned by EU law, too many folk getting gassed in them by leaving the engine running

Thanks for the replies,after looking in to it i think I'm going to stick with trolley jacks and axle stands and if it involves anything more serious than oil changes,brake pads or the odd CV gaitor well I'm out of my depth anyway 🙂

I have one, it was here when we bought the place. Only used it twice, pretty much everything gets done by a garage these days. Plan to buy a classic car one day, though. It is handy for a quick gander when you've got a knock or a rattle and want to work out what it is before heading to the mechanic.

Scissor ramps for £1K could be an option!

Reading that link, pits have a bad rep.

Yup, and they fill up with water.
Just be careful with the lift option, i've seen photos of a knackered 911 that was raised into a garage roof cross-member – they hadn't put anything onto the lift mechanism to restrict the height it went to!

build one and if you ever need somewher to hide the bodies it'll come in handy (along with some more 'crete and some self levelling compound)

[/quote]if it involves anything more serious than oil changes,brake pads or the odd CV gaitor well I'm out of my depth anyway

Oil changes would be made easier with a pit, but how would you change brake pads or CV gaiters with the car parked over a pit anyway?

My dad's got a set of THESE (his TR4a is pictured on the site in fact!) and they're excellent at less than a grand, but you do need quite a bit of space. Particularly nice as you use the weight of the car to tip the ramp horizontal (or at least take off most of the effort needed to make it horizontal)

Also THIS looks pretty nice, as linked from the Landy Site, but it uses high-lift jacks, so raising/lowering is very manual.

Mate used to have a pit, and it was always full of dead hedgehogs.

You don't need a pit for most DIY car jobs. It might be easier for some things, but hardly worth the effort or danger.

Brakes and CV joints are approached from the side.

Oil changes aren't that difficult using a jack.

Ramps Like these are handy, but the ones I borrowed from my Dad are too narrow for modern tyres and too steep to drive low-bumpered modern cars onto.

I'm no expert, but I've changed the rear suspension on the drive-way using a couple of trolley jacks and some wooden blocks to lift the back of the car.

I normally just jack it up. I have driven up and onto an old set of alloys though too:
alloy ramps

Anyone seen the one in Glen Coe village?

Two oil drums set about a car length from a short, steep bank and two sturdy planks running from the top of the bank to the top of the drums.

Cheap way to do it if you're feeling brave enough.

dad used to have a pit, was pretty useful as he'd fix up cars. but, i thnk it's only worth building if you've got the money, time and the need… i just jack mine up and climb underneath, which is fine for most of the work i do

We have a variety of lifts at work,Two posters and Fours, but i often find it easier to just use axle stands and a creeper for a lot of jobs! You could spend a fortune on equipment, money that could be spent paying someone else to do the repairs (hopefully properly – depending who you use!) and not wasteing your own precious time off work – more riding!!

dave_rudabar
Yup, and they fill up with water.

Not if you seal them properly they don't,but they are far too much trouble to go to for just doing a basic bit of spannering…..

I've got a great pit in mine………. but have covered it over with boards and drop the car off at the garage…. lazy git so I am…. 25 years ago I would have died for a pit!

Wouldn't bother with a pit – just get a couple of sets of these (can't have too many IMO) and an extra trolley jack. I've done countless jobs like this.

Fitting a new exhaust? just do one side of the car and hey presto:)