Air Jacks

**patbarry** · 02-07-04, 10:41 AM

Any of you guys ever seen or even have pneumatic rams attached to the frame to lift the car? What I would like to do is be able to plug in an air hose and have the car rise off the ground like they use in sports car racing. Any ideas?

Mark Clapp · 02-07-04, 11:14 AM

When my wife starts to yell at me, I just direct her voice under the car and it lifts it right up.

**patbarry** · 02-07-04, 11:27 AM

That might work for me too!

Kevin M · 02-07-04, 11:42 AM

Pat,

Check www.hrpworld.com . They specialize in racing equipment for real racing cars. They sell air jack systems along with a lot of other useful stuff. Good People!

Kevin

Robert Logan · 02-07-04, 04:36 PM

Pat,

I have a set in our race car. I will ask Sam to post some pictures on Monday. We used three jacks, one up front and two at the rear. The great thing is that with the removable allignment bars and left and right handed rose joints we can put the car in the air and do suspension changes in seconds between practice sessions or at least when she is on the track we will (still a few months away from her maiden flight).

Best wishes,

Robert

Clayton · 02-08-04, 04:51 AM

Hi Pat
Try AP racing, they have air jacks listed.

regards

Clayton

**patbarry** · 02-08-04, 06:15 PM

Robert, send pictures!

Robert Logan · 02-09-04, 09:44 PM

Attached are photos of the air jacks front and rear. All bracketry is welded to the chassis.

Robert Logan · 02-09-04, 09:51 PM

And the rear air jacks.

**patbarry** · 02-09-04, 09:57 PM

Very interesting. Thanks Robert.

Malcolm · 02-10-04, 05:31 AM

The guy who used to own Martin Weigolds car put air jacks in his Ultima GTR. I think these items are cool if you are happy to have the necessary compressors or air bottles to run the air jacks. Easy at home with a compressor in the garage but you need ancillary gear at track side or you have to resort to the old fashioned way with regular jacks.

There was the time when our club used to attend the De Tomaso track days at Goodwood. They stayed in the pits, we used the track, a mighty fine arrangment to me! Anyway one of their guys had a number of Panterra's, one being the ex Le Mans race car which he bought for display purposes as the race team had kept back the engine, box and wiring loom! Come lunchtime the De Tomaso club wanted to do a photo session on the track grid as our club does nowadays. This race car was rolled out to the pole position and the owner wanted to show off the brakes. Up came ths massive air bottle and it was duly plugged in. But it did not have enough air to get the car off the ground level. He removed his wheels with the car on the tilt. No disasters if that was where you were thinking as the jacks did hold, but boy he didn't look cool with the wonky car display and the flaff he had to do to get it back on its wheels. And the brakes weren't particularly special either.

Also you have got to be adding weight to the car with the extra steel bracing required to hold the jacks to the chassis plus the weight of air jacks and air lines in the car. A compromise decision is required. But then not many trolley jacks go under cars with 4 inch ground clearance.

Unless you are serious racers, you really have got to want these air jacks to go the extra mile IMHO.

Compare the costs of the air jacks to a secong hand 4 post lift for home use.

Malcolm

Fred/Belgium · 02-10-04, 06:04 AM

I remember one day at Spa where Ralf Shumacher stayed on the start grid when the warming lap was given,with his jacks up! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]
Fred

Paul Thompson 'Hooligan' · 02-10-04, 04:05 PM

Bottles would generally be required as the jacks normally run at 20 Bar (just under 300Psi) - I don't know of any garage compressors that offer over 10 bar.

Also - as the capacity of each ram looks about 2 litres (guesstimate) - 3 rams would require 6litres of air at 20 bar. Therefore a standard diving type bottle say 12L in capacity would give approx 25 to 30 lifts before there was not enough pressure left in the bottle. (assuming 300Bar bottle used)

I guess this is why most teams you see have air systems in their pits comprising twin large (5ft?) nitrogen bottles, suitably regulated. I have no expert knowledge of such systems and am guessing but it seems to make sense.

Would look very cool though - Robert, please post pictures once completed and 'airborne' [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Mark Worthington · 02-10-04, 06:03 PM

Any idea what the additional weight would amount to? I'm thinking 40 pounds or so.

Brian Kissel · 02-12-04, 01:00 AM

Hello Pat !!
Here is an ad for a set of four air jacks. I don't know if it is something you can use or not. Go here : air jacks . I found it on race cars .com
Regards Brian

Chuck · 02-12-04, 10:52 AM

Got a quote from them of $1470 for a complete system with 3 jacks with 9" stroke each and 1,030 lb per lifting ability, self evacuating, with air wand and fixture/bracing. The rating of 1,030 lba at 290 psi gives them a power factor of 3.55. Had to be all purchased at once.

Chuck

Clayton · 02-19-04, 07:37 AM

Hi Pat
If you still want airjacks but with the ease of shop air. Use a ram with the largest dia, for example AP has a 79mm/3.11" dia jack and with @ 125 psi will lift 950 lbs each.
Food for thought.
regards

Clayton