Rebar is an excellent idea! I'm in the process of being jerked around by HF now. That may be my best option.

 

$tonecold - I agree, the site you found is more reputable than a random quote site I had used (thus I removed the quote from my signature), and thanks for all the info. I have been to Mt Vernon and Williamsburg, but never to Monticello, maybe (hopefully) next time I get out east.

Further I agree that we have gotten a bit off topic.

Question for those who have bent the locking bar - was it with the table in the high position or the lower one? It appears (to me anyway) that in the lower position there would be a greater load on the bar.

 

Doing Skline Drive in Oct and will be checking out Monticello. My bar bent in the higher positon. Sent HF an email this morning along with an pic and haven't gotten **** back. Since this is a safety item I would have thought they'd be all over it.

Oh, and on the chock, the dang squares below the heads on the carriage bolts spun in the female locking squares without much torquing of the nuts. May be best to use hex head bolts.

 

Take the black mounting plate off and mount the chock directly to the lift. I did this and it works well.

 

Just tried my lift for the first time. Locking bar also bent.. Seems to be awfully soft. Went to metal shop and had one cut, looks like drill stem, lot heavier, we'll see. Although bent, I really don't think the bar would have failed, I just didn't like the look of it...

 

I tried 1/2" rebar from HD and bent very easily. I need to look up a metal supplier. What is drill stem? Looks like 3/4" or 7/8" correct?

 

Those red side rails. Did you make them or can you buy them?