Ideas for raising cars temporarily in flood zones

[JHZR2]

Trying to brainstorm to help a friend who lives very close to water, in an area where his garage floor is a few feet below the base flood elevation.

What this means/what he is looking to do is have as small and cheap a setup as possible to temporarily lift a vehicle 3-4’ up, in case of storm surge/flooding.

It is imperative to note that it is not intended to work on the car or be under the car. This is a fast storm prep get the car up due to potential storm surge type situation. Get it up, and then get it down and back in use as fast as possible.

Friend is not a car guy, thus some sort of $2k hydraulic lift isn’t in the cards. It’s also a single car garage, fwiw, so space is at a premium. I was thinking a kwik lift like mine, which can be driven on, and gets something like 20” of floor raised, so the bottom of the car is farther above that. But it’s a heavy and expensive piece of steel, not really suited for a temporary thing.

Im thinking wood cribbing is the best bet, but how to apply that high? How to lift the car efficiently and evenly. I don’t thing four bottle or scissor jacks would be out of the question, but for large hydraulic trolley jacks probably are.

im thinking low wood ramps that can easily be driven on, raise the car with scissor jacks (spun with a power tool), and then insert cribbing as the vehicle is lifted.

I think the key to efficiency is to lift under the tire, as jacking is very inefficient if the suspension loads and unloads.

ideally I think woukd be no hydraulics. I wish there was a good way with four hi-lift jacks... then the suspension hanging might not matter as much. Put 2x4s under the jack points and lift up somehow with the high lift, a click or two at a time. then lower into blocks.

Anyway, ideas? Key is to quickly and easily get it up for a few hours, then back down. Nothing more capable than that.

Thanks!

 

[Kuato]

Anyway, ideas? Key is to quickly and easily get it up for a few hours, then back down.

Viagra.
I thought this was a family site.


All kidding aside, what time frame are we looking at? Do they have a week to prepare? 12 hours? What vehicle? Weight matters. Do they have any room outside or is this a city/townhouse situation? Need more details.

That said, I've seen a 3' concrete platform poured, with a ramp on one end. Kind of like this:

Maybe something like this fits his space or budget:

These are homemade, but any competent welder/fabricator could whip them up:

Jacking up with wood cribbing would require more bulk than any metal lift/ramps and be quite a bit more dangerous, especially if he's in a hurry.

 

[oldhp]

3 to 4 FEET??? That's not gunna be quick or easy. My only thought is to move car to higher ground that it would be safe to leave.

 

[Kuato]

3 to 4 FEET??? That's not gunna be quick or easy. My only thought is to move car to higher ground that it would be safe to leave.

Yeah agreed. I also thought of a high lift jack, alternate front and rear and use cinder blocks under the tires. MUCH safer than wood cribbing.

 

[Lubener]

I would park the car somewhere else when the potential for flooding is forcasted. When that amount of severe flooding exists, I would be more concerned with human safety and move away from the area.

 

[spasm3]

1 1/2 to 2 feet is the max i think that you could do quickly and be done safely. Higher and quick does not go together. I think jackstands on 2x12 wood plates is all i would do.

 

[daves87rs]

my worry would be the flood waters knocking the vehicle off whatever it happens to be stored on.

I agree with most-better the car is moved to higher ground before, or have them save a little extra money to replace it....

 

[97prizm]

I can't find the article now but a guy in Louisiana Used a jack and concrete blocks to keep his Integra Type R from flooding. It worked.

 

[FT92]

along with others , my thought is just get the vehicle to higher ground if possible

 

[jhs914]

I speak from experience on this subject. As I prepared for Hurricane Ivan back in 2004 I had three cars to think about keeping out of the impending storm surge on my waterfront home. One we drove to the my mother's house on higher ground where we sheltered. Another I drove to a school parking lot on the top of a hill and left it. The third was a Porsche 914 with a partially disassembled engine that could not be moved from the garage. I jacked it up as high as I could, probably two feet and put large jack stands under it. It still got two feet of salt water in it from the storm surge. Total loss.

The moral of the story is..................move to higher ground.

 

[ABN_CBT_ENGR]

as small and cheap a setup as possible to temporarily lift a vehicle 3-4’ up,

This is strictly a suggestion as an idea which would require the proper engineering for the specific load to be safe (had to put that in there)

The specific vehicle, weight, ceiling clearance, building construction and all that are not mentioned so whether this will fit or not remains to be seen.

This suggestion comes from working projects in the Caribbean and I have actually seen these things in use during floods and even hurricanes over the years- built properly, it works fine and its made from "parts".

Need a number of frames ( similar to A frames- structurally strong enough. I saw them made from either steel or with 6x6 lumber)

They look just like the supports in a mine shaft

Then make the appropriate hold off blocks for the body of the frame ( maybe 3-4 points along the length of the vehicle)

Then get the appropriate industrial lifting straps and come alongs ( mechanical chain falls)

Belly strap and lift.

I have seen these for vehicle storage and even backyard service as a full lift with people working under them.

I cringe from a US and safety point of view as a PE but realistically for a storage lift this method is legitimately structurally sound if made properly and extremely cheap if the space and clearance is available.

Personally I would build the drive up welded racks as previously posted up thread but you asked for options and suggestions.

 

[4WD]

Grew up on the coast and had the Jeep on the sand just yesterday seeing how much got messed up by recent storm
Can’t outguess storm surge in feet …

Agree with secure your place … one night in a hotel - way inland …

 

[demarpaint]

I have to agree that the safest and smartest thing to do is move the car to higher ground.

 

[ABN_CBT_ENGR]

I have to agree that the safest and smartest thing to do is move the car to higher ground.

Hard to argue this point from "simplest solution" perspective in terms of immediate action

 

[demarpaint]

Hard to argue this point from "simplest solution" perspective in terms of immediate action

After living through Sandy and having a few friends and several customers who lost cars, moving them was easy and prudent. Looking back, they all said they had plenty of time,and warnings but didn't think the storm was going to be as bad as many predicted it would be, in terms of flooding. The funny thing about Sandy was the wind was nothing to write home about, it was the tidal surge. Oh and with Sandy in certain areas around me even raising a car 5' would have resulted in a total loss.

 

[MasterSolenoid]

Keep it simple: As others with experience have said, "move the vehicle to higher ground"

How far would he have to park to wait out storm ? / walking distance, 5 miles ?
How often does he have to deal with rising water ? / 6 times a year, once every 2 years ?

If moving the vehicle to higher ground, I'd look at a Topographical Map and pick the closet/high area.

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[ABN_CBT_ENGR]

certain areas around me

Agree and at the ultimate end of the day- where you are at and the expected water rise ( not to mention is this rise a high velocity flood water or just a creep) is going to determine if any method is a good idea or just evacuate.

 

[4WD]

After living through Sandy and having a few friends and several customers who lost cars, moving them was easy and prudent. Looking back, they all said they had plenty of time,and warnings but didn't think the storm was going to be as bad as many predicted it would be, in terms of flooding. The funny thing about Sandy was the wind was nothing to write home about, it was the tidal surge. Oh and with Sandy in certain areas around me even raising a car 5' would have resulted in a total loss.

Sure … a well built and maintained home can survive wind with moderate damage …
But a different (sad) story wrt surge and flood waters …

 

[dlundblad]

Is it possible to park it elsewhere?

A co workers daughter down in Florida just parked her car in a different area on a hill with no risk of flooding.

 

[Nukeman7]

Depending on where he lives, the easiest and safest thing to do is to move the vehicle to the 2nd level of a nearby parking garage adjacent to a structural inner wall. I do this when we have hurricanes or Nor'easter storms on the East coast and the city opens up free parking at the shopping malls for 48 - 72 hours during the storm. I have my wife or a friend shuttle me between locations.