Using a lift on a sofetail
Tourer
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 303
Likes: 0
From: Pittsburgh, PA
RE: Using a lift on a sofetail
I went back and forth between the red and yellow. I think if you have the money the Yellow is worth it. I read alot of slamming comments on the RED with the bottle they use leaking and after a year or so not working as well lifting.
also the Yellow sits lower then the red and you can slide it under a stock softail without using blocks
the spacing is such that when I want to lift the rear I can use the yellow jack to straddle the shocks and it lifts on the two cross bars without hitting the rear shocks. or I lift in front of the rear shocks to lift the entire bike. I have a front wheel chock that holds the bike up when lifting and lowering so no issue of it falling over
also the quality build of the Yellow lift is better. the welds and construction. also no assembly at all just pull out of the box, put the handle in the slot and done! The only downside is lowering the bike takes getting used to as it does lower smoothly but very slowly... then if you keep opening up the valve it starts lowering fast. there seems to be no smooth transition between slow to fast. I just slowly turn it and wait a second then turn and wait a second to see if its lowering.
also the Yellow sits lower then the red and you can slide it under a stock softail without using blocks
the spacing is such that when I want to lift the rear I can use the yellow jack to straddle the shocks and it lifts on the two cross bars without hitting the rear shocks. or I lift in front of the rear shocks to lift the entire bike. I have a front wheel chock that holds the bike up when lifting and lowering so no issue of it falling over
also the quality build of the Yellow lift is better. the welds and construction. also no assembly at all just pull out of the box, put the handle in the slot and done! The only downside is lowering the bike takes getting used to as it does lower smoothly but very slowly... then if you keep opening up the valve it starts lowering fast. there seems to be no smooth transition between slow to fast. I just slowly turn it and wait a second then turn and wait a second to see if its lowering.
Road Captain
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 561
Likes: 0
From: Pennsylvania
RE: Using a lift on a sofetail
Pep Boys had a red jack pretty much exactly like the Sears jack for $70 when I was in there this past weekend. That's what I've been using for my mod project and it works great.
Road Master
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 764
Likes: 0
RE: Using a lift on a sofetail
I bought the red one 5 years ago for $100.It was on sale then.They're cheaper now.I do have to pull up on a 2x12 to get the jack under it.Damn lowering kit.
[IMG]local://upfiles/11733/AB961E7F548D45CE891A87254302D0DB.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]local://upfiles/11733/AB961E7F548D45CE891A87254302D0DB.jpg[/IMG]
Road Master
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 953
Likes: 8
From:
RE: Using a lift on a sofetail
ORIGINAL: anubisss
Never needed anything but my lift. Here is how I do it. I slide the lift under from the rght side (the side you fill the oil on). If it hits a point where it will not roll under the bike any further I grab the right handgrip AND THE BRAKE. I pull the bike off the jiffy stand but make sure to leave the stand down. Very Important to leave the stand down. While the bike is balanced off the stand I slide the rest of the jack under the bike and then start pumping it up with my foot. Works great for me. I can do it with one person every time. I have also found that if I let the jack compress completely when lowering the bike I usually don't need to pull the bike off the jiffy to get the jack underneath it. I have the harbor freight yellow jack. t is quite simple once you get used to it.
Never needed anything but my lift. Here is how I do it. I slide the lift under from the rght side (the side you fill the oil on). If it hits a point where it will not roll under the bike any further I grab the right handgrip AND THE BRAKE. I pull the bike off the jiffy stand but make sure to leave the stand down. Very Important to leave the stand down. While the bike is balanced off the stand I slide the rest of the jack under the bike and then start pumping it up with my foot. Works great for me. I can do it with one person every time. I have also found that if I let the jack compress completely when lowering the bike I usually don't need to pull the bike off the jiffy to get the jack underneath it. I have the harbor freight yellow jack. t is quite simple once you get used to it.
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Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 203
Likes: 1
From:
RE: Using a lift on a sofetail
I went all out and bought a Big Foot jack for 400.00 bucks. Huge foot for lifting and gets oh so low and lowers as fast or slow as you want. The Sears red boy scared the hell out of me[sm=forgetit.gif]
May our Moderator Rest in Peace
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 11,386
Likes: 35
From: Rochester, NY
RE: Using a lift on a sofetail
THANK YOU ANUBISSS!!!!!!!!
I decided to use the nice new yellow Sears jack I got a couple of months ago earlier tonight because I wanted to clean off the dust on the rear wheel, and just make sure it worked right.
This is the second one I have gotten, the first one had a wheel broken off in the box.
Anyway I got it setup and started to jack the bike up but had it a little too far back under the frame. So I went to let it down s l o w l y to reset it farther forward, but it stuck.
Took me a a secone to realize that I had forgotten to release the lock. So I jacked it up a little to releave the pressure on it and released the lock.
But when I went to let it down s l o w l y the handle stuck and when it finally moved, it just snapped the valve wide open. The bike fell down and my heart medication got its first major test of the year.
But thanks to anubisss I had left the jiffy stand down and it just flopped over ontoit and stayed up.
I can't tell you how muchI DO NOT WANT TO DO THAT AGAIN!!!!!
Needless to say the wheel is going to stay a little dusty, for tonight. I need to use a little grease and or oil on that handle and valve setup before Itry anything like that again.
I decided to use the nice new yellow Sears jack I got a couple of months ago earlier tonight because I wanted to clean off the dust on the rear wheel, and just make sure it worked right.
This is the second one I have gotten, the first one had a wheel broken off in the box.
Anyway I got it setup and started to jack the bike up but had it a little too far back under the frame. So I went to let it down s l o w l y to reset it farther forward, but it stuck.
Took me a a secone to realize that I had forgotten to release the lock. So I jacked it up a little to releave the pressure on it and released the lock.
But when I went to let it down s l o w l y the handle stuck and when it finally moved, it just snapped the valve wide open. The bike fell down and my heart medication got its first major test of the year.
But thanks to anubisss I had left the jiffy stand down and it just flopped over ontoit and stayed up.
I can't tell you how muchI DO NOT WANT TO DO THAT AGAIN!!!!!
Needless to say the wheel is going to stay a little dusty, for tonight. I need to use a little grease and or oil on that handle and valve setup before Itry anything like that again.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 3,184
Likes: 5
From: Oregon
RE: Using a lift on a sofetail
I picked the red jack up from sears today, got my 07 fatty jacked up on it now, strapped it down as well. Was like 68bucks the yellow was 160 today..
Only thing I am worried about with this jack is that as I was putting the jack under the bike, ya i got my head down and watched where it was going is that I could either put the front bar of the jack under the jiff stand or right behind it but behind the jiff stand puts the second pad under my shocks...
Any way to deal with this problem?
I dont wana tweak out my jiffstands spring lol, nor do I wana damage my soft-tails shocks.
oh-edit- putting on a rear turnsignal relocation kit..and detachable mounts for bags.. thats why i jacked it up to make it easy to deal with..heh the 200mm fatty fills out the back fender so a lift was needed.
Only thing I am worried about with this jack is that as I was putting the jack under the bike, ya i got my head down and watched where it was going is that I could either put the front bar of the jack under the jiff stand or right behind it but behind the jiff stand puts the second pad under my shocks...
Any way to deal with this problem?
I dont wana tweak out my jiffstands spring lol, nor do I wana damage my soft-tails shocks.
oh-edit- putting on a rear turnsignal relocation kit..and detachable mounts for bags.. thats why i jacked it up to make it easy to deal with..heh the 200mm fatty fills out the back fender so a lift was needed.
May our Moderator Rest in Peace
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 11,386
Likes: 35
From: Rochester, NY
RE: Using a lift on a sofetail
ORIGINAL: OneBlackFly
Yes, get the frame protectors. They are orange semi-hard plastic and cushion the frame to allow the shocks to clear the lift. About $15 and well worth it. See this link: www.harley-davidson.com/gma/gma_product.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=84552444184791 5&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302289555&A SSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302289555&bmUID=1 173211320480&bmLocale=en_US
Yes, get the frame protectors. They are orange semi-hard plastic and cushion the frame to allow the shocks to clear the lift. About $15 and well worth it. See this link: www.harley-davidson.com/gma/gma_product.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=84552444184791 5&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302289555&A SSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=2534374302289555&bmUID=1 173211320480&bmLocale=en_US
Anyway these will let you lift the bike without scratching the frame andfix it so thejack rails do not come in contact with the shocks.
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Tourer
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 303
Likes: 0
From: Pittsburgh, PA
RE: Using a lift on a sofetail
I am guessing the RED lift is not spaced as wide as the YELLOW sears lift. my lift the arms straddle the shock and lift only on the two crossbars. Also Citoriplus. the yellow lift will lower slowly but you have to have patience. do only a very very small twist of the handle and WAIT for a second and the bike will slowly start to lower. if not do another very (and I mean very) small twist and WAIT again. it may not seem like its lowering but it is very slowly. if you go too far it will lower quickly. I find its either very very slow down or quick down on the yellow lift. so next time just open the valve in small increments waiting a few seconds between next adjustment of the valve.
I think you will figure out the sweet spot and get a feel for how much to open normally after using it a while.
I think you will figure out the sweet spot and get a feel for how much to open normally after using it a while.
May our Moderator Rest in Peace
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 11,386
Likes: 35
From: Rochester, NY
RE: Using a lift on a sofetail
ORIGINAL: clueless
I think you will figure out the sweet spot and get a feel for how much to open normally after using it a while.
I think you will figure out the sweet spot and get a feel for how much to open normally after using it a while.
The valvesticks, you put a bit too much pressure on the handle and it "drops"on you.
Its not good for the heart to watch your nice $20K dream bike nearly fall over because of something dumb like that.
My other floor jacks for the cars and trucks did/do the same thing at first.
So I'm sure that it, and I just need a little more time to break in and get to know each other better.