Thread: Garage Pit

I think one of the big things with such pits is the drainage factor and safety.

All I can suggest is that you find out as much as is possible (as I'm sure you are already doing). I hope you can get a pit put in with as little hassle as possible. They do make life so much easier working on vehicles!!

Cheers
Wendy
(whose HWMNBO would also love to have a pit in his shed)

I am not 100% sure check your own state laws
Home personal use may be another matter

I think the trouble is track width ...smaller cars just make it or fall in as most are built to suit wide track vehicles and enough room to move around underneath.

some edges are not strong enough to take the stress and strain causing crumbling of the concrete due to lack of wall thickness

Many heavy vehicle types pits I have worked in have wide steel L angle approx 4" to 6" along the edges to stop tyres going into the pit L shape bolted to an L shape inverted or welded.

I have seen these on car pits also smaller angle of course

Edit
I knew one fellow built his garage with a track in the floor and ramps which he could push out of the way giving him the floor space back when not in use ramps were not overly high enough to get undr and work comfortably there were lock pins to keepo the ramps in position..

most authorities don't like pits, in fact at one stage there was a movement to ban them, as any chemical fumes collect in the lowest place in the building (The bottom of the pit).

So when you think about the cost of diggin gthe hole, making strong enough side walls, drainage, forced ventilation etc. The cost of a small hoist is starting to get feasible...

just something to think about..

But this comes from a guy that doesn't really need one (19in wheels give me enough clearance)

Here's an alternative idea.

Hi

Originally Posted by nev25

I'm going to build a shed sometime in the future
What I want to do when the slab is poured is to put in a pit so I can work under cars.
Ive been told that there is a lot of hassles getting a permit to do such a thing

Has anyone ever done such a thing?

And any ideas on the easiest way of doing it?

Yes. I made a pit when I built my double garage about 1974-75. Gee, I was only 25 then

Anyway, I dug a LARGE hole, tapered down to the bottom which was sized a little larger than the pit size.

I used concrete blocks for the construction, for ease of construction and the ability to structurally STRENGTHEN the pit wall. I made my pit a rectangular hole in the ground. It was not very long, approx 2.5m x 900mm internally. I did not provide a sloping stepped entry, which I later regretted. I should have made the pit MUCH longer, but then that would have increased the need for even stronger walls as they would of course also be longer.

What I did was at one end, turn some blocks on their side so they formed "steps" in the end wall. At the other end and on the sides (near the top) I turned a few other blocks on their sides. These formed small shelves or "pockets" in which I could place tools/spanners etc.

During the construction of the block wall I placed reinforcing rods through the holes in the blocks and filled these holes with concrete, so apart from the steps and the "shelves" the whole wall became "reinforced concrete" (it was SOLID ). I also placed reinforcing rods from the blocks into the (to be poured) concrete floor so the WHOLE pit was tied into the concrete floor of the garage. Essentially the pit would NEVER collapse.

When I poured the base of the pit I left an open area at the end of the pit that was the full width of the pit and about 300mm long. This provided more than adequate draining (as I lve in WA) there was just sand and more sand and that allowed for drainage.

I did not even consider at that time there would be a need to seek permission, I just decided I wanted a pit in my garage and built it that way. I guess things are different nowadays

There was of course safety considerations and as in everything I make, I always consider the safety factor, hence the full reinforcing of the pit and into the floor.

BTW when the floor was poured, it was poured around some formwork that had some 3/4"ply laid FLAT at floor level. This provided a 3/4" recess around the pit edge into which I laid the pit cover, 3/4" ply flooring, so the floor was level when the pit was covered.

HTH.

Good luck with your pit. Mine was VERY USEFUL. My brother and I did many repairs and servicing of our cars there.

Just get an engineer to design the slab for the garage and pit, should have no problems. As long as its not for commercial use you shouldnt require a grease trap etc, which may trigger some hassles.

Originally Posted by pawnhead

Here's an alternative idea.

Now thats scary

Originally Posted by nev25

Now thats scary

Don't laugh I knew a bus company used to do similar

Mr Fixit,

I was the same i followed a similar path to build my pit using besser blocks for the walls which had rods down the guts and then filled with cement.

My pit is as strong as and i can see the complete under side of a mecedes finny which is pretty long.

I too never sort any permission. figured its in the shed who else knows about it . never really thought i had to get permisison until i was 3/4 through building it and someone told me .

So i guess ya learn by your mistakes. whilst it is not used often it has come in real handy at times.

Regards
Allan

Originally Posted by pawnhead

Here's an alternative idea.

If the lengths of timber isnt enough, he's welding something on the fuel tank while sitting underneath it

He'd be a monty for a Darwin Award candidate

Originally Posted by pawnhead

Here's an alternative idea.

impresive, but I have to wonder how he got the vehicle up like that to be able to put in the safety timbers...

Nev,
I think pits can be restrictive, have you considered a 2 or 4 post hoist instead. You can still work under the vehicle standing up or on the suspension or brakes with the wheels off at a sensible height too. I understand that head height may be an issue with hoists but depending what you are planning to work on it may be an alternative.