Workshop - Switzer Bike Lift

First published 12th March 2023

Legend has it that the bike lift is, or at least becomes (with advancing years) one of the most useful tools in the workshop. Some while back I spent a few hours faffing about with drawings, replanning the workshop in an attempt to fit one in. 

Thoughts turned to this again recently and looking around I discovered this Switzer lift, marketed by KMS, which is shorter and less wide than most. 

I posted a question on the AOMCC FB page and got a host of encouragement from the members, including one who had exactly the same lift and was happy to take some measurements that were not available on the KMS website. Using these measurements, I modelled the space the lift would take up on the garage floor with some timber and paint pots, and lived with it for a week. 

And I'm glad I did! The model didn't get in the way unduly and I took the plunge. Actually, when the lift is in place, particularly in the raised position, it seems to liberate space - it effectively gives you another bench and more foot room than having the bike on the floor. 

The bike is so much easier to get to now. That ramp lifts off, and I've laid it on the floor under the lift and there is a removable panel to allow you to drop the back wheel.

At the front, there's a bump bar and a wheel clamp.

The lift arrived in a plywood box - 10 m thick, poor quality ply but I'll use it for something.

The ram is going to spend most of it's life extended - I've coated it with ACF50 to try and inhibit corrosion. The lifting pedal you see here is removable.

At the front end, there are two jacks that stabilise the lift and a stout bar that holds the lift in two positions should the hydraulics leak down.

I'm really pleased with it.

Almost a year later, after the lift had been in constant use I added a new wheel clamp:

It's much more rigid than the original one.