Lifting a car with air bags

[sparc]

Here's the situation:
I have a friend who has a compact car that has been sitting out in a back field for many years.
A couple of the tires have gone flat and a groundhog has made a home under the car. His digging
has caused the car to settle down on the frame and three of the wheels are sow sitting in holes in
the ground.


Question: How to remove the car without doing damage to it. They now want to put the car back
on the road after rebuilding it top to bottom. Not my idea of a worthwhile project but to each his own.

Anyway, I have been trying to come up with a way to lift the car without doing damage to the underside.
I thought of using my Bobcat (which is not big enough to lift the entire car) with my forks to lift one side and get a 16' long plank (2x12) under each side then lower onto the plank. Once this is done on both sides we could air up the tires (which should hold for
a few minutes even if leaking) and roll it onto a trailer to move it.

I then came up with another idea. Use a couple truck tire tubes and stuff them under the car deflated,
then inflate to raise the car and put the planks under. I think there is less chance of doing damage to
the car using the tubes.

Anyone ever tried something like this or see a reason why it won't work?
Is there something other than tire tubes which will work that I can get at a reasonable cost?

 

[woodsmith]

Can you dig a ramp in front of each wheel, air them up and then pull it out?

I would think inner tubes wouldn't be able to push upwards enough as there is nothing to stop them pushing outwards instead. You could try it as it might work enough anyway. Place a thin sheet of plywood above and below the tube before sliding it under the car to protect it as much as possible though.

Proper lifting airbags are not elastic and so only lift in the direction they supposed to.

The other way would be to slide a couple of long boards under the car, at the jacking points, as levers and then lift it from that so that rocks can be put under the tyres.

 

[WM75Guy]

Check with local fire departments to see if they have lift bags. They might do it as a training opportunity or for a small donation.

 

[woodsmith]

Check with local fire departments to see if they have lift bags. They might do it as a training opportunity or for a small donation.

If they are anything like the UK fire department they'd be wanting to cut the roof off while they are at it!

 

[carmedic310]

Tire tubes will not work.Could even be dangerous if over inflated.Will the tires hold air?I would inflate tires and hook to frame and pull it out with your machine.Other option is to call a tow truck to winch it out

 

[Egon]

Dig a hole under the jacking points and us a jck and blocks.:thumbsup:

 

[Baby Grand]

Here's the situation:


<snip>

I then came up with another idea. Use a couple truck tire tubes and stuff them under the car deflated,
then inflate to raise the car and put the planks under. I think there is less chance of doing damage to
the car using the tubes.

Anyone ever tried something like this or see a reason why it won't work?
Is there something other than tire tubes which will work that I can get at a reasonable cost?

I remember seeing a product marketed as a car jack for people who couldn't deal with a scissor jack or bumper jack that was very similar. It was a plastic pillow (Those aren't pillows!) with a tube that you jambed into the exhaust pipe. You'd run the engine and the exhaust would fill the bag, lifting the car. I guess you'd need a good exhaust system. Sounds to me like your idea would work nicely.

Exhaust Powered Car Jack

-Jim

 

[Gary Fowler]

I think that you are overly cautious in suspecting to damage the car. Just dig out a hole around the front bumper mount points, hook a chain to the frame at that point and pull it out of the holes with your Bobcat. You dont need to lift it up to do that. Try to air up the tires first but I seriously doubt that they will hold air is setting that long. THe rim seats are likely un-seated and getting it to take air will be next to impossible but still worth a try. Even with the tires flat, it should roll on the rims and not damage them in dirt.

 

[ray66v]

Airbags??? No need to make a big deal out of this.

Inflate the tires that will take air.

Dig as necessary to accommodate a jack. Use boards under the a jack to assure it is stable, raise the vehicle enough to remove the tires that are bad, and get them repaired.

Using the jack again, place wood, or stone, under the tires as necessary.

Tow the vehicle away.

Apologize to the ground hogs. :groundhog:

 

[timster2]

Be careful where you attach your tow cable/chain etc. This tow strap was attached to the factory tow point! Here is a quick video of how not to tow a vehicle out of snow. And this was on pavement with inflated tires. How to tow a car out of Snow - YouTube Very funny to watch unless you owned the car:laughing: