I have about an 1 1/4" spacer on one side. That was all I needed to make my lift work. If this cantilever is trust worthy ( I think it is ). Then it should be just as trust worthy if I had to install one on the other side.

 

Cantilevered so much, like that, puts unnecessary twisting moment on the lifting arm. If you sight down the supports, w/ your bike just off the floor, you'll see how much twist it causes.

Not recommended.

 

Understood! But I havn't found a better way - yet.

 

If you look at this pic


and compare it to the ones I posted, there is a huge difference in the supports, the extra spacers are causing some serious stress on those bolts, this is not something I would recommend.

 

Yeah, that photo pretty much shows the excessive deflection.

 

Recommendations duely noted.

Actually, I personally feal that my new spacer design has added ridgity to the cantilever design. I've used it a couple of times. And untill I find a better way, it will surfice.

 

Is the deflection any greater than the "offset" design. Maybe just more noticable with the extra length of the cantilever?

 

Of course the deflection is greater. There is a much larger lever twisting the lifting arms.

Looking at the photo, the block of wood is even being tipped because the spacing of the supports is too wide for the bike.

 

Come on guys. Bottom line here: This is all I got to work with without going to the HD Lifting blocks ( that aint happenin ). All 4 bolts combined have a shear rateing 3 times the lifting capacity of the lift itself ( not to mention that I have sleaved mine with 1/2" schedual 40 ridgid pipe ). All 4 bolts have a shear rateing more tha 4 times the weight of the bike. My lift is a little different than the one you have pictured ( dont know why ). I don't know what the shear rateing is on 1" by 2" schedual 40 square tubeing. But I'm betting my bike that it is more than 700#. And there is 4 of them also.

 

It isn't shear loads, at all, that are the concern; it's bending loads way out at the ends of those long bolts. Have it your own way, but I am only trying to discourage anyone else from copying a deficient and potentially unsafe plan.